Tea in the Spotlight: Meghalaya

Meghalaya has become synonymous with Waterloo Tea and it's positioned itself as a firm favourite among our team. It’s a tea we share enthusiastically whenever the opportunity arises. There’s something special about a tea when the story behind it is as rich as the flavour in the cup.

Meghalaya is a black tea, but it’s worlds apart from the English Breakfast tea you might drink every day. It’s more than just a tea - it’s an experience.

Nestled between Assam and Darjeeling - two of India’s most renowned tea-producing regions - Meghalaya’s tea-growing landscape remains lesser known, yet it produces teas of exceptional character. This unique positioning allows its teas to develop the strength and malty depth often found in Assam, while also capturing the fragrant, delicate qualities associated with high-grown Darjeeling teas.

This exceptional tea comes from Lakyrsiew Tea Farm, a small, family-run tea company in Meghalaya, India. The plantation was established on virgin land in 2001, and since 2008, the farm has been crafting black, green, and white teas in its micro-factory. Nestled in the hills overlooking Umiam Lake, just outside Shillong, Lakyrsiew is a picturesque tea garden sitting at an altitude of 980m to 1260m, surrounded by untouched forest.

Lakyrsiew focuses on quality over quantity, producing small, meticulously crafted batches. Their black teas are plucked and processed within 24 hours to ensure optimal freshness. The cultivars grown include high-quality Darjeeling clones alongside Chinary bushes that have been propagated from plants brought to the region by the owners’ ancestors in the 19th century. The unique Meghalaya terroir imparts a distinctive character to the tea, blending the delicacy and fragrance of highland teas with some of the richer, maltier notes associated with Assam, which reflects its geographical location between these two iconic tea regions.

An Indian tea unlike any other. Notes of chocolate, caramel, and honey make Meghalaya naturally sweet, yet never overpowering. It is a tea of subtlety and nuance. Smooth and complex. A collector’s tea. A tea that challenges perceptions of what black tea can taste like.

Each year, we receive only a limited harvest of Meghalaya. Not because we don’t want more, but because this tea is produced in small lots, with single-date batches rarely exceeding 14kg. This is what makes it so special.

If you haven’t yet experienced Meghalaya, we invite you to try our Autumn 2024 harvest. It’s a tea that lingers in both taste and memory, offering something truly remarkable with every cup. Shop here