Tea: Neelamalai Winter Black (black tea)

Grower: Neelamalai Organics

Tea Maker: Murali Subramanian

Origin: Nilgiri Mountains - Nilgiris District, India

Elevation: 2,000m (6,800ft)

Cultivation: Natural (Organic, but no certification)

Harvest Date: December 2015 - Winter Harvest

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Neelamalai Winter Black is a lightly-oxidized black tea with bright, smooth flavors. Many black teas are bright but very bold. This black tea achieves a bright, tangy flavor but with a mild, smooth liquor. Refreshing and easy-drinking, with a great cooling aftertaste.

Aromatic, with notes of bergamot orange, and sweet-tart raspberries. The aftertaste is cool and refreshing, with the faint, lingering flavor of spearmint.

Grown at high-altitude, the leaves are fragrant and yield complex flavors. While oxidation is light and somewhat uneven, the overall profile is still very balanced. The liquor is a golden red, and beautifully clear.

The plants are grown under abundant shade, and are cultivated with Indian panchagavya techniques. The use of panchagavya is said to impart a more fruity, earthy aspect to tea leaves. The leaves are handpicked, and processed carefully by the dedicated team at Neelamalai Organics, led by teamaker Murali Subramanian.

Learn about the people behind this tea: Neelamalai Organics