TGFOP stands for Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe — the word “Tippy” added to GFOP signals an even higher proportion of golden tip buds in the leaf mix.
Where GFOP has a noticeable amount of tip, TGFOP is sorted specifically to concentrate more of it, since tips are limited to the newest growth on the plant and can’t be manufactured after the fact — only picked and sorted for. This grade is common in Darjeeling, where the flush timing and hand-plucking standards favor higher tip content, and in premium Assam lots. TGFOP sits above GFOP and below FTGFOP and SFTGFOP on the same ladder, each step adding finer selection rather than a different leaf. Expect a rounder, slightly sweeter cup than plain FOP, with more visual gold flecking in the dry leaf.
