Nilgiri Highland Black Tea by Ketlee

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“Gongfu! This was a freebie sample added into my last order. I sipped it on Sunday as a nice, but short, session whilst cat sitting. This black tea is pretty astringent with a biting bitterness to...” Read full tasting note

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roswellstrange 17059 tasting notes
“Surprise freebie kindly included in my order :) Dry leaf smells very spicy-woody-floral, lots of pine wood and rosewood, undertones of cinnamon and peppermint. The steeped aroma has notes of white...” Read full tasting note

derk 1655 tasting notes

From Ketlee

Nilgiri Highland Black

Presenting our first tea harvested in 2021 and also a very interesting new addition to our Nilgiri Highland collection!

The estate making this tea runs through a steep valley ranging from 5400 to 6900 feet. Winter harvest is one of the most interesting seasons and more so when it is from Nilgiri. Their winter produce is similar to Darjeeling First Flush : brisk and floral with a blast of sweet aromatics. The tender winter… Read more

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2 Tasting Notes

Roswell Strange

17059 tasting notes

Gongfu!

This was a freebie sample added into my last order. I sipped it on Sunday as a nice, but short, session whilst cat sitting. This black tea is pretty astringent with a biting bitterness to the top notes, but there’s some lovely complexities as well. Throughout the session I tasted plenty of dense floral notes, but primarily jasmine, with a unique and hard to pinpoint fruity note. It was like white grapes (or even ice wine) and then something more exotic, but with a pithy quality. I’ve never had a Guava marmalade before, but something is telling me that something in that vein might be more on the right track!?

Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/CQmawsghcWl/

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SP4Ckv1WiIc&ab_channel=TheQ-TipBandits

4 years ago

I Like This

10 likes

1 comment

derk 4 years ago

I see in a lot of ketlee descriptions that they do recommend gongfu. I’ve tried steeping some Indian teas in a gaiwan and always get the top bitterness you’re describing here like 2-3 infusions in. This tea made western style gave me no bitterness at all.

derk

1655 tasting notes

Surprise freebie kindly included in my order :)

Dry leaf smells very spicy-woody-floral, lots of pine wood and rosewood, undertones of cinnamon and peppermint. The steeped aroma has notes of white grapes, rosewood, milk chocolate (or is it white?), cooked mango, rose. The taste is like a flowing spring. Fruity notes of guava and cooked peaches; a distinct, soft and warm nuttiness; floral; green chillies, spearmint. Oily, almost creamy mouthfeel that supports a brisk astringency and minerality. There’s an acidity to the tea that reminds me of gooseberries but it doesn’t taste sour or tart to me. Nutty-herbal-peach pit aftertaste. I feel a sense of place drinking this.

Really lovely tea. Complex but not challenging, though temp must be kept low. Once it cools, the astringency really mellows and the tea becomes quite easy to drink.

Flavors: Astringent, Chocolate, Cinnamon, Creamy, Floral, Gooseberry, Green Pepper, Guava, Herbs, Mango, Mineral, Nuts, Nutty, Peach, Peppermint, Pine, Rose, Spearmint, Spicy, Spring Water, White Chocolate, White Grapes, Wood

4 years ago

I Like This

15 likes

2 comments

Roswell Strange 4 years ago

How long did it take for your order to arrive? I placed an order in early April but it hasn’t shown up yet…

derk 4 years ago

About 6 weeks for this order which I placed first week of April. Sounds like covid/restrictions hit India pretty hard right after that. Worth the wait, tho. Hope yours shows up soon!