Country of Origin: India
Leaf Appearance: dark,curled
Ingredients: black tea
Steep time: 5 minutes
Water Temperature: 212 degrees
Preparation Method: ceramic teacup and mesh infuser
Liquor: deep reddish brown
When I had a chance to try some teas from +Whittard of Chelsea, I was immediately drawn to their single estate teas. This one from Nilgiri stood out because of the unusual leaves. The name Kala Moti means black pearls. They had an unusual curled shape that was reminiscent of a gongfu Chinese black tea. The aroma and taste both had some surprising fruity notes. It was earthy and sweet yet brisk enough to serve as a breakfast tea. It was definitely on the mellow side of that spectrum though. After steeping the unfurled leaves were quite beautiful to look at. They were mostly whole with varied shades of green and brown. Sweetening this one would be ok if you were so inclined but I wouldn’t suggest using milk or creamers. I haven’t had much exposure to teas from Nilgiri but this one and the teas I’ve tried from +Teaneer Suresh definitely make me want to dive further into them.
Nilgiri Kala Moti sample provided by Whittard of Chelsea.