Nilgiri Tea: easy guide, 6 best teas ⋆

Last updated: August 8, 2020 at 18:40 pm

Nilgiri tea is produced in the Nilgiris District of southern India. It has smooth, balanced, strong-flavored taste profile and often serves as a base for flavored teas.

Quite a bargain

Even the best of Nilgiri teas do not share the global stardom of other Indian teas like Darjeeling and Assam. But they’re well known for being reasonably priced and suitable for crafting a wide variety of tea blends. Nilgiri teas don’t usually have any characterizing aromas or flavors, but that’s actually why tea makers love them. Medium bodied, naturally sweet, smooth and mellow, they lend themselves to any kind of brew – hot or cold. The secret to their subtle, beautifully balanced taste lies in the unique climate of the Nilgiris. This region has two monsoons, quite like Sri Lanka, which impacts growing and production cycles and leads to a smooth, well-rounded flavor in the tea leaves.

Tasting notes in tea reviews

The Nilgiri region produces “solid everyday black teas” that make for a “fragrant cup and smooth taste”. Their flavor and strength “last through a second steep”, though some tea drinkers detect a hint of bitterness the second time around. The tea “tastes great with milk and sugar”, or in an iced form. In fact, Niligiri black teas tend to be “brighter and more refreshing than standard iced teas”, with a taste that is “really smooth and not overwhelming”. Niligiri green teas are also known for being “balanced, with some astringency and some sweetness”. Many open with a “pleasant malty flavor” and develop “a hint of sweetness on the 2^nd and 3^rd steepings”.

Tea tips

Nilgiri produces a rare type of tea, known as a “frost tea” harvested in the winter. The quick chill creates a concentrated sweet, very similar to what you would find in an “ice wine.”

6 best Nilgiri teas to buy online

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BLUE BLOSSOM OOLONG TEA

This aptly named oolong comes from the Blue Hills of South India. It exudes the floral character gained from the terroir in its aroma and taste. The fragrance is lifted and the liquor quite smooth giving the cup an endearing character. With a full-body the initial sips are subtly sweet as those buoyant notes of white flowers like lilies and orchids grow. Fruity hints, although subdued, play around the edges lending more depth to the cup. As the floral notes fade in the end, slight nuttiness shows and makes up a distinct, mellowed aftertaste.

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GLENDALE SPECIAL SPRING TWIRL BLACK TEA

It’s rare that a Nilgiri gets picked by our experts in spring. It has to be pretty special. This one’s teeming with the aromas of raw fruits, amaryllis, wintergreen oil and forest greens. A treat to the senses indeed. And once you take a sip you’ll find those delicate notes like melon rind come over with a full and brisk body. The liquor comes alive with wintergreen flavors at the heart made sweeter by floral hints toward the end. The experience completes with fine traces of pine in the aftertaste. A must-have this spring.

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HAVUKAL SPECIAL WINTER FROST BLACK TEA

Sweet, floral fragrance welcomes you right away with this rare and unique Nilgiri winter flush. As you take in the aromas, you’ll find notes of ripe fruits come in as well. This medium-bodied cup is brisk and strong from the first sip with those exquisite floral notes taking over and growing throughout. The cup gains a dimension with subdued fruity flavors playing around the edges. The finish is sweet with leafy hints that stay on to end the cup perfectly.

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Blue Mountain Nilgiri Oolong Tea

Courtesy of the renowned Glendale Tea estate from the tranquil region of Nilgiri, our Blue Mountain Nilgiri Oolong Tea is blessed with an array of nutty and tropical fruit flavours with uplifting floral tones of orchids and cherry blossom. A sweet and mellow liquor with a hint of astringency and a lingering aftertaste. Truly a luscious cup that is best enjoyed with a dash of sugar or honey!

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Classic Black Tea

This bright and brisk high grown estate whole leaf Nilgiri tea has been carefully hand-blended with smooth rich Yunnan golden buds to create a supremely classic infusion that can be enjoyed at any time of day.

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Nilgiri Breakfast Black Tea

A premium breakfast blend created by our master tasters with teas sourced from popular estates located right next to the town of Conoor in the tea growing region of southern India. The flavor is characteristic of typical dark black teas and an appealing dark amberish liquor. The flavor is full-bodied and rich with intense and clear notes of rosewood. A delightful bris..

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