Description
Tumoi Nandi Hills Gold is a classic tippy black tea with a profile similar to some of the best Assam black teas. Grown around Nandi Hills at an altitude of over 2,000 metres by the Tumoi Teas Cooperative without the use of pesticides, it is processed using traditional orthodox tea production methods. This Tumoi Nandi Hills Gold is from the December 2021 harvest.
Tumoi Teas Cooperative is a relatively new type of tea farmer cooperative in Kenya that focuses on creating beautiful tea while also supporting local farmers and the local community. While a large proportion of tea plantations in Kenya are owned by multinational corporations, Tumoi Teas is completely run and managed by small-scale tea farmers.
Tumoi specifically focusses on producing high-quality orthodox teas. The rationale behind this is that the Kenyan tea industry is dominated by CTC (cut-tear-curl) teas that are destined for bags. The CTC market is very volatile with large corporations buying up the majority of CTC tea and generally trying to drive the prices down. This results in very little return for the farmers. In contrast, farmers that grow small scale but high quality teas are more in control over pricing and enjoy much fairer returns for their labour.
This Tumoi Nandi Hills Gold has smaller darker leaves with plenty of golden tips, earning the ‘Gold’ part of its name. It is similar in appearance to a good quality Assam and certainly produces a liquor that has similar characteristics. As such this tea will find great appeal amongst those who enjoy a cup of good Assam or stronger breakfast black tea. It produces a dark liquor with a fruity and malty aroma. The taste is smooth and clean with fruity and lightly malty and woody notes. There is a nice level of light tannins that is present in the main taste. The aftertaste displays some sweetness, which is nicely offset by a touch of long-lasting tannins.
It is best brewed at 90°C for 3-4 minutes and should be brewed around two times depending on your taste. If you do prefer a stronger brew, this tea will stand a longer infusion and higher water temperature well to produce a much strong cup.