High Teas Nilgiri "Blue Mountain" SFTGFOP1 Loose Leaf Black Tea - Choice of Weight

🍵 The Grade — SFTGFOP1, the highest orthodox grade, selected from high-grown gardens in the Nilgiri Hills of southern India at elevations of up to 2,500 metres

🍵 The Liquor — A clear, bright copper infusion with golden hues and a naturally clean finish — stays beautifully unclouded over ice

🍵 The Character — Mellow and gently fruity, with soft floral notes and a low astringency that makes this one of the most approachable high-grown Indian blacks

🍵 The Occasion — Equally rewarding hot or cold; an excellent choice for afternoon drinking and a natural for home-brewed iced tea

Few tea-growing regions in India are as quietly extraordinary as the Nilgiris. Grown at elevations of up to 2,500 metres in the Western Ghats of Tamil Nadu, this SFTGFOP1 Nilgiri loose leaf black tea produces a mellow, clean-finishing cup that holds its own against many a celebrated Darjeeling — with a character distinctly its own.

The name Nilgiri translates from Sanskrit as "blue mountain", a reference both to the ethereal mist that drapes the peaks and to the Kurinji shrub, whose saxe-blue flowers carpet the hillsides once every twelve years. Tea arrived in these hills in 1835, when British colonists planted the first Camellia sinensis seeds at an experimental farm near Ketti. Commercial cultivation followed in the 1850s, shaped in its earliest days by the expertise of Chinese tea-makers brought to the region — a transfer of knowledge that laid the foundations for a tradition now spanning more than 160 years.

What distinguishes SFTGFOP1 — Super Fine Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe grade one — is the quality of the pluck. Only the youngest buds and first leaves are selected, giving the finished leaf its characteristic golden tips and the brew its particular refinement. The Nilgiri terroir, with its alternating monsoons, cool nights, and high-altitude soils, slows the growth of the leaf and concentrates its natural sugars, producing the soft, fruity character the region is celebrated for.

The cup is bright and clear — a clean amber-copper liquor with a light body, a gently fruity finish, and a floral lift that distinguishes the best Nilgiri teas from other Indian blacks. Crucially, this is a tea with notably low astringency, which means it holds its clarity beautifully when cooled, making it one of the finest Indian black teas for home-brewed iced tea. No cloudiness, no bitterness — just a clean, refreshing brew.

This is our House Selection, chosen for its finesse and consistency. It is a tea that works equally well black, with a slice of lemon, or with milk — though many who know it prefer it without either.

Since 2008, High Teas London has been one of the country's leading independent tea specialists. With over 350 teas and infusions in our collection — one of the largest in the country — we have spent nearly two decades seeking out teas of this quality, from every significant growing region in the world. This Nilgiri is exactly the kind of tea we are proud to offer.

Ingredients: Black tea (Camellia sinensis).

Brewing Note: Use freshly drawn water brought to a full boil — Nilgiri responds well to 100°C, which helps develop the fruity depth without any harshness. Use one generous teaspoon per cup and steep for 3 to 4 minutes; a shorter steep keeps the cup lighter and more floral, while 4 minutes brings a little more body and warmth. For iced tea, brew at double strength with a little less water than usual, then pour directly over ice — the low astringency of this tea means it will cool clear and clean, with no clouding. It is excellent black with a slice of lemon, or simply on its own.

*This item dispatches from one of our carefully selected UK based shipping partners. It may ship at a different time to the rest of your order and possibly take a little longer to arrive.*