Kericho vs Nandi Hills
Kenya’s two named highland districts, growing at similar elevations near the equator and diverging on what they do with the leaf. Kericho is the centre of the CTC industry; Nandi Hills is where more of the orthodox and speciality output is coming from.
growing region
What is being compared
Point by point
| Aspect | Kericho | Nandi Hills |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | Roughly 1,800 to 2,200 m. | Roughly 1,700 to 2,100 m. |
| Position | The centre of Kenyan production, on a high plateau. | A highland district north of Kericho. |
| Manufacture | Overwhelmingly CTC. | Increasingly orthodox rather than CTC. |
| Leaf character | Brisk and deeply coloured, built for blending and for milk. | Slightly brighter and more aromatic. |
| Notable cultivars | Clonal stock selected for yield and colour, such as TRFK 31/8. | Including the purple-leaf TRFK 306 material. |
| Harvest pattern | Year-round: no dormant season, reliable rainfall, consistent temperatures. | The same equatorial pattern. |
| Visibility | Named occasionally; most output reaches drinkers unbranded. | Named more often, because speciality lots are sold on origin. |
The short answer
Kenya’s reputation for consistency is an agronomic achievement — clonal planting of a small number of cultivars, harvested year-round — rather than an accident of climate. The orthodox output emerging from Nandi Hills is what that same base material can do when it is not cut.
Not a ranking. TeaHQ publishes no ratings and does not know your occasion.