Nilgiri
A South Indian black tea from the high Nilgiri plateau, picked through most of the year rather than in flushes. Clean, fragrant and only lightly astringent, it is prized by blenders and by iced-tea makers because it stays clear rather than clouding when chilled.
Character
Bright and fragrant with a soft body — the least aggressive of the major Indian black teas, and the one most often chosen when a tea has to stay clear on ice.
- Flavour
- Citrus, Floral
- Aroma
- Fresh
- Mouthfeel
- Medium, Smooth
- Complexity
- Straightforward
- Notes
- citrus blossom, light malt, cut fruit
- Aftertaste
- Clean and short, with a floral edge.
Moderate intensity: noticeable weight or grip, but neither dominates the cup.
Provenance and production
- Origin
- India
- Region
- Nilgiri
- Oxidation
- Fully oxidised
- Harvest
- Year round
- Processing
- Withering → Rolling and shaping → Oxidation → Drying
History
Planted from the 1850s in the hills of southern India, considerably later than Assam and for a different reason: the British wanted a hill-station crop. Its frost-free climate produces tea year-round, which is why it became a blending staple rather than a seasonal speciality.
Brewing
Western brewing (teapot or mug)
1–1.5 g/100 ml · 92–98 °C · 1 authored infusion
Mug infuser brewing
1–1.5 g/100 ml · 95–101 °C · 1 authored infusion
No caffeine estimate is authored for this tea. TeaHQ does not infer one from its category, because category predicts caffeine poorly — matcha and gyokuro carry more than many black teas.
Common mistakes
- Expecting Assam-style weight from it and over-leafing to compensate
If you like this
Grouped by why they were suggested, strongest reason first. Nothing here is a blended score — a suggestion appears under the best reason that exists for it, and never under a weaker one as well.
Editorially linked
Someone wrote down why these two belong together. The note below is theirs.
- Munnar tea
Two South Indian high-grown teas sold interchangeably. Both are bright and brisk, and outside India neither is usually distinguished from the other in a blend.
Similar sensory profile
Shares controlled flavour, aroma and mouthfeel descriptors. A looser match — two teas can share descriptors and still taste nothing alike.
- Rwandan orthodox black
Shares 5 descriptors with Nilgiri: floral, citrus, medium, smooth and fresh.
- Bai Mudan
Shares 4 descriptors with Nilgiri: floral, medium, smooth and fresh.
- Bai Mudan Wang
Shares 4 descriptors with Nilgiri: floral, medium, smooth and fresh.
- Cream Earl Grey
Shares 4 descriptors with Nilgiri: citrus, floral, smooth and medium.
- Dimbula
Shares 4 descriptors with Nilgiri: citrus, floral, medium and fresh.
- Earl Grey
Shares 4 descriptors with Nilgiri: citrus, floral, medium and fresh.
- Georgian black tea
Shares 4 descriptors with Nilgiri: citrus, medium, smooth and fresh.
Written comparisons
Where TeaHQ has set this tea against another in full, rather than deriving the comparison.
- Nilgiri vs Ceylon — Two South Asian high-grown black teas that blenders use interchangeably. They are close enough that the difference is worth stating precisely.