From the historic Lockhart Tea Estate in Munnar, southern India, comes a beautifully made black tea with remarkable depth and richness. Large, dark leaves, interspersed with fine tips, produce a full and deeply satisfying cup with pronounced malt and a smooth, flavourful finish.
Lockhart has been producing tea since 1879, when the estate was established by Baron John Von Rosenberg and his son. Set around Devikulam in the mountains of Munnar, the estate extends across approximately 1,500 acres and has a long tradition of producing high-grade orthodox teas.
This particular tea is classified SFTGFOP1 – Special Finest Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe Grade 1, a high whole-leaf grade. The quality is apparent before the tea is even brewed. The dry leaf is large and beautifully formed, predominantly deep black with visible tips running throughout – a characteristic specifically highlighted in the tea specification as an indication of quality.
Infuse the leaves and they reveal an altogether richer character. The liquor is bright and inviting, with a full, malty flavour that immediately gives the tea substance. Beneath that initial richness are more subtle flavourful undertones, giving the cup depth without taking away from its wonderfully rounded character. The official specification describes the tea simply as “Malty, Full”, which captures its character remarkably well.
What makes Nilgiri Lockhart Estate particularly enjoyable is the balance between strength and refinement. This is a substantial black tea, but the quality of the leaf gives it more than simple intensity. There is richness, structure and a lingering depth of flavour that encourages you to return to the cup.
It is equally at home as a morning tea or something to linger over later in the day. Drink it without milk and the character of the leaf comes through at its clearest; add a small amount of milk and the malty richness becomes softer and rounder without disappearing.
For us, this is exactly what a great single-estate tea should offer: a distinctive expression of its origin, made from exceptional leaf and with enough character to stand entirely on its own.
Origin: Munnar, Kerala, India
Estate: Lockhart Tea Estate
Grade: SFTGFOP1
Leaf: Large black leaf with fine tips
Character: Rich · Malty · Full-bodied
Best enjoyed: With or without milk
30g - 10 to 15 cups of tea100g - 40 to 50 cups of tea
200g - 80 to 100 cups of tea
500g – 200 to 225 cups of tea
1kg – 400 to 450 cups of tea
Looking to give this tea to someone as a gift, why not try check out our luxury gift tubes:
https://www.r-tea.co.uk/product-page/gift-pack
New to loose leaf? Try adding teabags
Make brewing loose leaf easy by adding our refillable teabags to your order. Just add a few teaspoonfuls of tea to the teabag, pull the drawstring and brew as normal. They are fully compostable and completely plastic-free so they are also the eco-friendly option too.
