Nilgiri Wrap-up

In all, I tasted 12 Nilgiri teas for the last round of notes. There were no green or CTC (crush, tear, curl) teas represented, even though plenty of each is produced. I skipped some notable estates, including Glendale, Dunsandle, Korakundah, Nonsuch,and Corsley. Nevertheless, the tasted teas represent a reasonable cross section of the genre, i.e. Nilgiri orthodox black and Oolong teas. Keep in mind that all of the tasted teas cost less than $10.00 US for 4 oz. (112 grams), so even the best of the lot were in the medium-priced range--at least by my reckoning. Below are my observations and recommendations.

There is no one prototypical Nilgiri black tea. At the lighter end of the spectrum, they strongly resemble a first-flush Darjeeling, and at the darker end, a stout Ceylon. None of the tasted teas will liquor up as strongly as an English Breakfast blend, and many would be considered medium-bodied teas at best. If you're looking for a substitute for a thick Assam or a powerful Kenyan tea, a Nilgiri tea will likely disappoint. If you are searching for a lighter liquoring tea with pronounced aroma and taste, and a refreshing, tangy finish, try a Nilgiri. On average, Nilgiri teas are most like high-grown Ceylons, but with more fruit and tang, and less astringency. Some are close to an Uva Ceylon, but with the minty flavor being replaced with something more like marjoram. Overall, I'm quite satisfied with the quality of orthodox Nilgiri teas, but some do come across as quite straightforward, with little in the way of nuance or dimension. To my taste, those produced in a more Darjeeling-like style take best advantage of the leaf. Oolong processing also seems to work well.

There are several reasons why your opinion of a tea may vary widely from mine. First, my tea preferences may be very different, or I may not be as discerning as you. Second, estates may produce several like-named teas, each from a different harvest, or location, or plant clone. Also, different retailers may seem to carry the same tea, but their stocks may be from different harvests or grades. OK, enough of the disclaimer stuff. Here are my picks by category:

Overall favorite: Burnside Special OP
Light-liquoring favorite: Parkside
Strong-liquoring favorite: Tiger Hill
Most refreshing: Iyerpadi OP
Most complex: Thiashola
Best for iced tea: Iyerpadi BOP
Oolong Surprise: Chamraj Oolong

I also liked both of the flavorful and characterful Kairbetta teas, but neither tolerated sloppy brewing well.