TeaChat

I'm so glad you loved it too! Aren't the leaves beautiful?
You will like the others too I bet, they will be different enough.
Check back with your report!

I ordered a couple of Nilgiris from Stash last night.
I am starting to believe that they are more consistently smooth
and less astringent than Darjeelings.

Yeah, that's the thing I don't really like about Darjeelings. (although I've only tried #22 and one other one) Teasource did send a Darjeeling sample which I will give a try after I try all the Nilgiris.

I had a nice Margaret's Hope Estate 2nd Flush, SFTGFOP1 from TeaSource last year. Nilgiris are nice, but to me they lack the complexity and finish of a really good darj. Course, there's a lot of crummy darjeeling out there.

I'm looking forward to trying the other Nilgiris that I got from Teasource. They seem to be a great company to work with.

I'd like to explore more Darjeelings, so if you have more suggestions, fire away! I'm going to make a note of the Margaret's Hope.

Okay, just made a cup of the Teasource Nilgiri Tamil Nadu Blend.

This tea is a CTC tea. I hadn't noticed that in the description, and was surprised when I opened the package, especially after the huge leaves in the Glendale Handmade. I brewed it in my Ingenuitea because I was afraid that the tea would go right through my strainer, it's that small! Also, after the buckwheat and chamomile bug stories, I was really looking to be sure it was all tea!

I steeped the tea (2 tsp. in 16 oz. water) for only 3 minutes w/208 degree water, and that was plenty. It could probably go even shorter. The brewed tea is somewhat dark, on the amber side. The taste is great if you like strong tea (which I do). There's a little bit of astringency, but not overwhelming, just enough to give it a bit of a kick. It is very smooth with no bitterness.

Overall, this would be a good tea for first thing in the morning. I'm afraid that I might be up all night after drinking it this evening. It is also bold enough that it would stand up well for iced tea.

Can't wait to try the others that were in my order.

Thanks for the review! Yeah it is a shock when you go from a full leaf to a small fine black. I was beginning to think that full leaf is always better, but I have been proven wrong, so no more generalizations.

I've also had the Harney Glendale Nilgiri and the SpecialTeas Thiashola TGFOP1, both of which were quite similar to what you describe in the Tamil Nadu Blend (which I haven't had). I think they were both orthodox, by which I mean not CTC. I liked the SpecialTeas Thiashola more than the Harney and it was cheaper!

Of course the Handmade is the nicest of the three, but I am forming the impression that any Nilgiri seems to embody good quality at bargain pricing.

Victoria wrote:Thanks for the review! Yeah it is a shock when you go from a full leaf to a small fine black. I was beginning to think that full leaf is always better, but I have been proven wrong, so no more generalizations.

I would definitely choose the full leaf over the CTC. Even though it was okay, it isn't as smooth or mellow as the handmade, and almost on the too strong side. I will probably use this as a base for iced tea rather than drinking it hot. I'm sure I'll order more of the handmade but don't think I'll get more of the Tamil Nadu.

I've reordered the Handmade twice.


Next time don't forget the Glenburn Estate Wiry Vintage.
My, my!!

Victoria, I'll put that on my wishlist!

This morning I'm working on a cup of the Nilgiri Glendale, FOP. I like it much better than the Tamil Blend. In their description, TeaSource says it has a taste of sun-ripened fruit. I can agree with that. It's very smooth, not bitter or astringent.

Most people would probably say it was on the bland side, but I think the taste is very subtle. I like it very much and will probably get this one again.

The tea brewed up kind of a medium color, not as light as the Handmade. The leaves were fairly large and kind of tan with darker brown on the edges. If anything else, this is a very pretty tea. (not as pretty as the Handmade, though, but only because it's not as full leaf as the handmade is)

I'd say that this is a great tea!

geeber1 wrote:I'm looking forward to trying the other Nilgiris that I got from Teasource. They seem to be a great company to work with.

I can second that opinion. I order all my black teas from Tea Source. Consistently good, consistently fresh, and consistently priced low.

And yes, that Nilgiri Glendale handmade is an amazing tea, especially considering the price. I always keep some on-hand. Props to teachat member fencerdenoctum for finding it and spreading the word.

tenuki wrote:Props to teachat member fencerdenoctum for finding it and spreading the word.

And big thanks also to Salsero and Victoria. Without their knowledgeable recommendations, I wouldn't have tried this awesome tea!

This morning I had the South Indian Iyerpadi OP, ORGANIC Nilgiri from my TeaSource order. I was in a big hurry and gulped it down, so can't really make an informed opinion about it yet.

An update on the Nilgiri Tamil Nadu Blend: this does make a really nice iced tea. I brought some to work with me this morning. I think that icing it waters it down enough to temper the strength of the brew. I'm going to use this one strictly for iced tea.

geeber1 wrote:I just ordered some Nilgiri in 2 oz. size from TeaSource. I'll let y'all know how I like it.

I am certain you will enjoy it!

geeber1 wrote:This morning I had the South Indian Iyerpadi OP, ORGANIC Nilgiri from my TeaSource order. I was in a big hurry and gulped it down, so can't really make an informed opinion about it yet.

An update on the Nilgiri Tamil Nadu Blend: this does make a really nice iced tea. I brought some to work with me this morning. I think that icing it waters it down enough to temper the strength of the brew. I'm going to use this one strictly for iced tea.

LOL, that's good! And now you know why I worry when in the description of a certain tea it states, "Makes a great Iced Tea".