The Nilgiri hills of southern India produce both robust, everyday black teas and finer, more delicate ones, and this SFTGFOP1 sits at the top of that range. The name is a grading code - Super Fine Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe 1 - the highest classification the region uses, reserved for leaf where only the bud and the first two leaves are taken at each pluck. Grown at altitudes near 1,800 metres, the tea benefits from cooler air that seems to sharpen its more delicate notes rather than blunt them. In the cup it shows as a bright copper liquor with golden hues: smooth up front, with fruity and malty undertones running alongside citrus, lemon and orange brightness, floral accents, a touch of honey, and a cool herbaceous edge that lingers after the first sip. The long, wiry leaves unfurl slowly once steeped, and Tea & Coffee describes the aroma as refreshing, led by citrus with cool herb notes underneath.
It drinks best without milk, so the layered flavour stays legible rather than muddied. Warm the pot first and discard that water, which keeps the brewing temperature steady; use about 2 grams, roughly a teaspoon, of leaf per cup, and pour water just off the boil, around 90°C, over the leaves. Three to five minutes of steeping is standard, with longer times pulling more strength from the leaf, and the ratio can be adjusted to taste. A slice of lemon or a small spoon of honey suits it better than dairy. Caffeine is modest for a black tea, around 35 to 40mg per 240ml cup, well under what coffee delivers, so it suits a quiet morning as easily as a slower cup shared with company.
