Kanchanjangha Noir - Premium Black

Ingredients

Black tea (camellia sinensis)

Producer

Kanchanjangha Tea Estate and Research Center Pvt. Ltd. (KTERC). KTERC is the first certified organic tea garden in Nepal. It was established in 1984 by Mr. Deepak Prakash Baskota to rid his community of poverty. It remains a model social enterprise still today, that runs on cooperative infrastructure and is truly focused on the people and planet before profit.

Production Process

Our classic organic black tea is made from the same process and, believe it or not, same machines that we used about 30 years ago. The processing technique was taught to our current factory manager by our long-time tea maker from Darjeeling. Hence, the make, character and feel is almost the same as Darjeeling's Second Flush. However, what really separates Nepali-origin black teas from Darjeeling black teas is the age of the tea bushes. Nepali trea bushes are quite young around 50 years old while Indian tea bushes are almost 200 years old. This creates a fresher, more floral undertone in all of our teas.

In terms of the actual production, all black teas go through mainly four different steps - withering, rolling, oxidation, and drying. Generally, two leaves and a bud are plucked during the summer season from every bush in 7 days. During the summer, with the right amount of heat and rainfall, the tea bushes are at their peak maturity time and that is the busiest time in tea production. The carefully plucked leaves are withered in withering troughs for several hours, sometimes even overnight depending on the type of leaves and the season. With the majority of the water evaporated, the rubbery leaves are then placed on a rolling machine to bruise and break the cells of the tea leaves to let them react with the oxygen in the air. After almost half an hour of a rolling process, the teas are then set to oxidize for several hours depending on what characteristics of black tea is required. After optimal oxidation, the tea maker carefully dries the tea in a drying machine, capturing the peak aromas and flavors. The DMT (Dryer Mouth Tea) is then placed through several tea sorting machines that result in different grades of teas such as SFTGFOP1, TGBOP, GOF, and so on. After machine sorting, the teas also go through manual hand-sorting before being packed and sent to our customers.

Origin

Our tea garden is nestled in the foothills of Mt. Kanchenjunga, the third-highest mountain in the world, in the eastern part of Nepal. Located precisely near the western borders of Darjeeling, India and north of the Illam, the most famous tea-growing region in Nepal, our small village enjoys the best of both worlds. Situated at an altitude of 1300-1800 meters (4,200 - 6000 feet), the area enjoys pristine Himalayan climatic conditions to produce highly unique and aromatic teas.

Who is Kanchanjangha Noir for?

This loose leaf black tea is perfect for everyday tea drinkers, especially those who love a classic english breakfast or Earl Grey. People who love single-origin teas from Assam or darjeeling will find much similarity to this tea and will surely appreciate its distinct flavor profile.

Who is Kanchanjangha Noir dedicated to?

This classic Nepal black tea is dedicated to our oldest employee, Ratna Rai. He laid the foundation for the factory building that currently produces tea daily. He assisted in the construction of the building and was employed later to run the fire oven for the drying machine. We’re honored to dedicate our most famous organic black tea, Kanchanjangha Noir, to Ratna Rai for his immense contribution to the start and growth of our tea company.

Awards and Recognition

• 93/100 score at Tea Epicure from Tony Geebly

What are the pros saying about this tea?

• Tea Epicure Review
• Hanamichi Review
• Tea Happiness Review
• Tea Journeyman Review
• Gongfu Brewing
• 195-200 degrees Soak and Steep (20 Seconds + 5 Seconds Additional)
• Candidate for Gongfu: Yes
• Evolution of Flavor Profile: Woodsy, spice, tobacco, and citrus to tobacco, tannic, smoky, and caramel
• Body and Aromatics: Thick body with aromas of cardamom, anise, cedar, mushroom, and celery root
• Steeping Parameters: Good as stated. This tea is suitable for flash steeping.
• Structure: Bold, yields a wonderful sweetness in later steepings. Citrusy notes carry from the woodsy beginning to the smoky and caramel end. Hints of tobacco and bourbon, especially in the 4th steeping.
• Notes: This tea is wonderful in both Western and gongfu styles; it has a bitterness that doesn't easily yield to excessive astringency. If brewing Western, I would do a rinse, but think that Western steeping doesn't do justice to the many notes in this tea.