Organic Positively Tea Company, Nilgiri FBOP Black Tea, Loose Leaf, 16 Ounce

2 years ago, I purchased Positively Tea's Assam which is really nice stuff (definitely higher up on the quality compared to others) and at an amazing price. 1 pound of tea goes a long way, so now that I am out of Assam, I was in the market to buy more tea. I really was torn between buying this Nilgiri tea or more Assam. Their Assam is highly rated/popular, and I know I love it. Plus it's cheaper at $17.95 compared to the much less rated Nilgiri which is lower quality FBOP (broken) at $18.95. Nilgiri doesn't have nearly as strong a name as Assam does across all brands and borders. Perhaps it's a supply/demand thing for the price/quality discrepancy. I don't know. In any case, it was a bit of gamble investing into a pound of this Nilgiri. I am really happy I bought this tea. It has a flavor I have never experienced in a tea. It isn't as malty or quite as strong as Assam teas are, but it stands really high. The flavor is still pretty strong, but it has a pleasant spice to it that reminds me of coca cola. I brewed it for 5 minutes at just under boiling, and it had almost no bitterness. The company advertises that it goes perfectly as iced tea and I can already tell that this is the case. Positively tea described this tea exactly as it came to me. I would definitely buy again and think it is for sure worth it to anyone who wants to try a new tea. I think this tea is highly underrated and worth exploring into. Update** Summer 2022 Assam variety I bought another bag of their Assam which I last purchased in 2018. Back then I loved it, and the new bag in 2022 is the same as far as I remember. Its got the classic strong malty flavor of an Assam tea but also quite bitter with lots of astringency compared to other Assam teas I have had. I enjoy it most served hot with no additions in a tiny cup. Very eligble for milk or sweetening if you're in to that. If you wish to brew this for iced tea, you definitely want to add a small dash of baking soda to it. I posted a picture of what it looks like with baking soda vs not. The baking soda prevents it from getting cloudy when cooled. It also curbs some of the bitterness which helps mellow it out. For me, it's borderline undrinkable on its own without the baking soda (when served cold/over ice). Other tea brands/varieties hold up better when iced. If you're looking at making iced tea, I'd recommend Vahdam English Breakfast loose leaf tea. It's a step higher on quality/price and has a great flavor. The flavor actually improved the longer I had it. Also less bitter than this Assam.

Nilgiri tea is fresh and very good quality. It is bopf, so not whole leaf. Medium astringency, slightly sweet. Good breakfast blend.

Low quality example of a lovely variety. This tea bitters about as bad as a grocery store black. High quality Nilgiri is floral with a beautiful bouquet. This is similar, but certainly not an excellent specimen of this tea type.

Love this tea flavor , rich…

Good quality for brewing chai masala and has a good flavor on its own.

I quit drinking coffee in 2017 - not for the caffeine, but for other reasons.... but still wanted that morning ritual of a soothing hot caffeinated beverage to start my day. So I became a tea drinker and I don't miss coffee one bit! I love trying different kinds of teas, black teas, green teas, tea blends, etc.... I have a fondness for Orange Pekoe and Pu-erh teas! This is a nice black tea and is perfect for anytime.

The flavor is good, but I was expecting and prefer whole leaf tea. That is what is pictured. What I got was a very finely ground tea, like teabag tea. With whole leaf I get several pots of tea. I get one good steeping from this one and one so-so pot of tea.

I used to always get this from a local tea company but they started only selling it in pre made ice tea bags. I was relieved to find this on Amazon in bulk. I am a picky ice tea drinker. If you like ice tea try it!