Nilgiri Kala Moti

Nilgiri Kala Moti is a light and fruity black tea from the Parkside Estate in Blue Mountains of southern India. Kala Moti means ‘Black Pearls’ and refers to the shape of the hand rolled leaves. The dark amber liquor has a crisp character with sweet fruity and malty notes.

Brewing guide: 2.5g in 250ml water at 90°C for 3-4 minutes

(10-50g)

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Category:
Origin:Nilgiris District, Tamil Nadu, India
Elevation:1,800m
Harvest time:August 2016
Sourcing:Direct from Producer in Nilgiri

Description

Nilgiri Kala Moti is a light and fruity black tea that is grown on a fully organic estate located in the Nilgiris, or Blue Mountains in southern India. This black tea is processed by hand rolling leaves into pearls, giving the Kala Moti or Black Pearls name to this tea. The tea leaves are very carefully processed and are not 100% oxidised, resulting in a lighter and more fruity profile.

The Blue Mountains form part of the Western Ghats in southern India. Many of the peaks are over 2,000m high, with the highest peak (Doddabetta) being 2,637m high. The tea estate is located at an altitude of around 1,800m and benefits from the topography of the region.

This Nilgiri Kala Moti was plucked in Summer 2016. The dry leaves are hand rolled into tight pearls. These are not too big in size and resemble more a Bi Luo Chun leaf than a traditional rolled oolong, being less uniform and much smaller in size. The dark leaves open up into full-ish orange and dark green leaves when brewed, producing a dark amber liquor. This tea has a sweet and fruity aroma with a hint of Assam style of maltiness. The character is crisp, with fruity notes of grapes and plums and malty top notes. It is most similar to a Second Flush Darjeeling and would appeal to fans of lighter Indian black teas.

We suggest brewing at 90°C for 3-4 minutes according to your taste. It can be brewed a couple of times depending on your taste preferences. If brewed at our suggested parameters, this tea produces a lighter liquor that is perfect for an afternoon cup of tea and is best enjoyed without milk or sugar. This Kala Moti black tea can also be brewed for longer to increase the malty flavour and to bring out more tannins and robustness to make a very good morning cup of tea.

This Nilgiri Kala Moti black tea was first featured in our May 2017 Curious Tea Subscription Boxes.