2022 Nilgiri Handmade Black Tea, processed in 2021-2022 winter season, in the second week of January 2022 to be precise.
 
Indian estates have been redefining the boundaries of traditional black tea and taking it more and more away from the classic red tea or hong cha which once was the only dimention for black teas. This one even further blurs the line between black and whites, a minimally processed black tea, with a limited oxidation and delicate handling done completely by hand, we can honestly get away with calling it a white tea. With black teas here, the aim of the first harvest season of the year is to preserve the fresh growth juices with just a touch of oxidation and make it shine through the processing method we understand the most, orthodox black tea processing. The leaves develop all these intense and fresh winter/spring notes only after it is left to oxidise post rolling, that is when the tea is undergoing the controlled oxidation process and the leaf juices interact with each other resulting in these interesting flavours.

This particular tea though, goes through a bunch of unique steps. The withering is done using cold air instead of hot air. The temperature increase also happens by using hot water pipes opposed to flames. This adds a stability to the temperature and helps with preserving the wintertime character. Also, the tea is hand rolled on a purpose built Sri Lankan wooden board and we have seen the big difference it makes, in India as well as in Sri Lanka tea estates we visited a few years back.
 
The dry leaf smells like Nilgiri, minty and floral with a fruity finish. We get the same aroma when placed on the heated ware, with an added chocolate like sweetness. The liquor has soft floral notes with hints of pink rose buds. As usual, it is an amazing experience drinking this style of black tea from India, coming from all the regions, these first flush style black teas have a common trait, which is the honeylike note and mouthfeel along with a creamy finish. This one excels in that along with presenting you with fruity notes of litchi, strawberry and green apple. The ever present spice and mint notes in Nilgiri teas are subdued in this one and the sweet floral and fruity parts shine.
 
We hope you savour this handcrafted gem as fresh as possible and enjoy the luxury of freshly harvested Nilgiris we work the whole year for, to bring it to your doorstep, anywhere.
 
Appearance : Light yellow
Taste : Pink rose buds, honey, cream, litchi, strawberry, green apple, honey
Steeping Time : 3 minutes western style, 15 seconds gongfu style adding 10 seconds every subsequent steep
Leaf to water ratio :  0.7 gram per 100ml for western style, 3 grams per 100ml for gongfu style
Recommended Steeping Temperature : 84°C
Recommended Steeping Method : Works well with all styles