Ingredients: 100% Organic Black loose tea leaves

From the Korakundah Estate in in the Blue Mountains of India we bring you this outstanding India Black tea. 

Deeply colored twisty full leaf and a deep reddish amber liquor with notes of orange and honeysuckle. Korakundah is one of the highest estates in the world, in Nilgiri (neeljeeree), and produces some lovely teas; this is our favorite. 

A very satisfying and rich Indian black tea that has a long smooth finish.

A shorter steep yields a superb straight tea needing no milk or sugar.

Water: 208°F | Leaves: 2 tsp per 12 ounce cup | Infusion Time: 3-4 minutes

Basic Steeping Tips
- Use filtered or spring water, whenever possible 
- Don’t overboil water 
- Remove leaves after recommended time (adjust to taste) 
- If you want stronger tea, use more leaves instead of steeping for a longer time.
Leaves can be re-steeped 2-3 times resulting in various flavor differences. Don’t throw out those leaves until they have given it all up!

Black tea has a class of polyphenols that protect your bones and teeth (help the body from pulling calcium) and is good for your heart. Black tea contains antioxidants and about 1/3 the amount of caffeine as found in a cup of coffee.

This tea is grown in the hills of the Nilgiri district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The Nilgiris, or “Blue Mountains” is known for the bluish mist which veil the region and the rare blue Kurinji flowers which blossom throughout the Nilgiris once every twelve years. The Nilgiris are a picturesque range of rolling hills with tea growing at elevations ranging from 1000 meters to above 2500 meters. Rainfall varies from 100 to 600 centimeters which create a perfect environment for the teas to thrive in. Because of the tropical climate, the Nilgiris are highly successful in producing tea, with four times more production than Darjeeling. 

The local economy depends largely on tea production with experimental tea plantings beginning in 1835 and the first commercial tea plantation opening in 1854 with seeds from China. The first Europeans to reach this area were the Portuguese in 1602, but not much attention was paid to Nilgiri until the 19th century. The first tea plantations were a huge commercial success and by the end of the century, more than 3000 acres of tea were growing on hundreds of plantations. Now, there are more than 100,000 acres of tea growing in the area. 

Our Nilgiri Blue Mountain Black comes from the Korakundah Estate, which is the highest in the world sitting at an altitude of 8000 feet. The estate is blessed with a breathtakingly panoramic view of Nilgiri. Along with its numerous unique factors, the Korakundah Estate has hundreds of Sambhar (elks) which roam around the area. The Sambhar have adopted the estate as their natural habitat and frequently munches on the soft weeds that grow under the tea. The workers have dubbed these elks as nature’s very own “weed control gang”.