Buying Guide

You know the first sip of a really good tea, when everything else goes quiet for a second and you think, "This is what tea should taste like"? That's what we're after at Nepal Hills Tea, and you don't need to spend a fortune to get it.

Good Tea at a Fair Price

Premium tea usually comes with a premium price. It doesn't have to. We work directly with our tea gardens (some of my family has worked in these gardens for two generations), which lets us bring you excellent black tea without the usual markup.

Our Black Teas

Ruby Black Tea

Your new morning tea

• What's special about it: Dark cherry, cocoa, and malt notes from the high-altitude gardens of Taplejung. Our farmers take extra time to get the processing right, and you can taste it.
• Best for: Mornings, with or without milk. It's full-bodied enough to take a splash of cream and still show its character.
• This is the one I reach for when I want my morning tea to feel like a proper morning tea.

Gold Black Tea

Special without the fuss

• Why people love it: It has a natural honey-malt sweetness that surprises people. It's lighter and more delicate than the Ruby, and it's the kind of tea that gets people asking what you're drinking.
• Best for: The afternoon, plain or with a little honey. It's a good first step for people moving from tea bags to whole leaf.
• The golden colour of the cup comes entirely from the leaf, with nothing added.

Special Black Tea

A taste of the mountains

• What it's like: From Taplejung's 6,000-foot estates, this tea has a depth and aroma that are hard to put into words. It's deep and complex, with a mountain character that only comes from high altitude.
• Best for: When you want a tea that stops you in your tracks. It also makes an outstanding chai base.
• Save it for the moments when you want to give your tea your full attention.

Muscatel Black Tea

Our most prized black tea

• What makes it special: A true muscatel character, the honey-grape note that comes only from high-altitude Ilam gardens. Tea connoisseurs travel to Nepal for this. The muscatel flavour is entirely natural and comes from particular conditions while the leaf grows.
• Best for: Drinking plain, with nothing added. This is the tea that changes people's idea of what tea can taste like.
• We get emails from people saying this is the first tea they've ever slowed down to savour.

Why People Buy from Us (Besides the Prices)

We Keep It Personal

There are no middlemen and no big warehouses, just us, our farmers, and good tea. When you order from us, your tea comes from people we know and trust, sourced directly from gardens in Ilam and Taplejung.

We're Clear About How It's Grown

Our farmers grow with care. Two of our four partner farms, Farmers Tea Co and Sandakphu Tea Estate, are certified organic. Norling Specialty Tea is going through organic certification, and Pathibhara Tea Estate in Taplejung is conventionally farmed.

We Keep It Fresh

Our tea never sits in a warehouse for months. We buy in small batches because that's how you get the best flavour.

Ready to Try It?

Spend over $50 and shipping is on us (within Canada). What you're really getting, though, is tea that will make you rethink what tea can be, without the usual premium price.

Tip: Get our Black Tea Lover Pack if you want to try them all. It's the best way to get to know the whole range, from the delicate Gold to the complex Muscatel.

Every package we send is packed with care and priced fairly, because great tea should be an everyday pleasure, not a luxury.

From our misty mountains to your morning mug,
The Nepal Hills Tea Family

P.S. When you try your first cup, drop us a note. Nothing makes our day like hearing those "Oh wow" stories from first-time drinkers!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between the four Nepal Hills black teas?
They come from different estates and are processed in different styles. Gold Black Tea is the lightest and most delicate, with honey and malt notes, and it's great for beginners. Ruby Black Tea has dark fruit (cherry, cocoa) and more body. Special Black Tea is the deepest and most aromatic, and excellent as a chai base. Muscatel Black Tea has the honey-grape muscatel character of Ilam and is the most complex of the four.

Do Nepal Hills teas work well with milk?
Yes, especially Ruby Black and Special Black, which have enough body and character to stand up to milk. Muscatel Black is best plain so the muscatel notes come through. Gold Black is light enough that it's better plain or with just a little honey.

How much loose leaf do I use per cup?
A level teaspoon (about 2.5g) per 250ml cup, steeped in freshly boiled water for 3 to 4 minutes. Start there and adjust to taste. These are whole-leaf teas, so they infuse more slowly than tea bags; give them the full steep.

Are Nepal Hills teas certified organic?
Two of our four partner farms are certified organic: Farmers Tea Co and Sandakphu Tea Estate, both in Ilam. Norling Specialty Tea is in the process of organic certification, and Pathibhara Tea Estate in Taplejung is conventionally farmed. All of our teas are grown at high altitude (5,500 to 7,000 feet).