A Tamil Nadu hill district where coffee grows alongside a larger tea economy, with rain from both monsoons.
The Nilgiris ('Blue Mountains') is a Tamil Nadu district at the junction of three states, where tea, coffee and spices are the main commodity crops. Rain comes from both monsoons: the Southwest monsoon in Gudalur, Pandalur and Kundah taluks and the Northeast monsoon in Coonoor and Kotagiri. ICB places Nilgiris coffee at roughly 900-1,400 m, with S.795, Kents and Cauvery.
Field notes
- i
The Nilgiris gets rain from both the Southwest and the Northeast monsoons, depending on the taluk.
- ii
The district's name means 'Blue Mountains' and likely comes from the widespread blue Strobilanthes flower or the smoky haze over the hills.
- iii
Wikipedia says Montague Cockburn opened the first coffee plantation in the Nilgiris soon after 1830.
- iv
The Nilgiris leans robusta by area, with 4,900 ha of robusta against 3,805 ha of arabica in the Coffee Board's 2022-23 table.
In the cup, according to guides
- ChocolateOften notedDark chocolate, mango, black tea and red grape notes are reported for Nilgiris and Shevaroy lots taken together.
- NuttyOften notedNutty notes are also reported across Nilgiris and Shevaroy lots.
Sources · 6 Every sentence here was checked against a source we read. Taste notes are what guides describe, not promises about your bag. Last revised 2026-11-10. Some details here are less settled than others.
- Nilgiris district · Wikimedia Foundation
- Coffee Regions of India: A Complete Guide · Indian Coffee Beans (roaster/retailer)
- Indian Coffee Regions · Coffee Geography Magazine
- Coffee Board of India: coffee regions and grades · Coffee Board of India
- Database on Coffee, July 2023 · Coffee Board of India, Market Intelligence Unit
- Winners list, Flavour of India Fine Cup Award 2014 · Coffee Board of India