The Beginner’s Guide to Winter Flush Teas from the Nilgiris

First published in January 2017, when that season’s winter flush teas had just arrived.

It’s been a long wait this year, but winter flush teas from the Nilgiris – the Blue Mountains of the south of India – have finally arrived.

We look forward to these teas (popular the world over as the ‘Nilgiri orange pekoes’) with much anticipation every year. Plucked between late December and January, winter flush teas stand at the golden mean of being sublimely aromatic and remarkably intense. The teas from this part of the country are without pretense, pleasantly easy on the palate, and ones that anybody can enjoy – be it a newbie or a nerd.

In an endeavor to help you navigate these beautiful teas from the south better, we’ve put together a short and quick guide to the teas from the Nilgiris.

Originally published on Still Steeping, the Teabox blog, on January 27, 2017. Lightly edited for clarity in October 2026. Taste this season’s style for yourself: Nilgiri Korakundah Winter Frost Black, or explore all our Nilgiri teas.