Country of Origin: India
Leaf Appearance: long, dark
Ingredients: black tea
Steep time: 5 minutes
Water Temperature: 200 degrees
Preparation Method: porcelain teacup and mesh infuser
Liquor: bronze
I drink an awful lot of Darjeeling and Assam but a tea from Nilgiri is a rare treat. The dry leaves were interesting looking because they were quite long, resembling something from Yunnan rather than India. It brewed up a bright reddish color that could only be described as bronze. I have not had an aromatic black tea in some time so I couldn’t help deeply sniffing my fruity, almost floral cup. Those notes were echoed in the taste along with a mild spiciness and just a hint of malt. The tannins were there but they weren’t overwhelming and it had just the right amount of astringency. This is not a tea that you should add milk or sugar to. Not to be a tea snob, but it’s really much too fine for that. I’ve had a number of quality selections from Zenteaboutique but this one probably tops them all. I love that it is organic, although I do wish that they listed the certifying organization. This tea was on temporary back order at the time of that this review was written, it will be well worth the wait.
Nilgiri Coonoor sample provided by Zentboutique.