Most visitors come to Kolukkumalai for the sunrise. The quieter marvel waits a little further along the ridge: a two-storey timber factory, built in 1930, where the tea is still made almost exactly as it was under the British. Walk in and the first thing you notice is the sound — the slow rumble of old machinery — and the smell of warm, fermenting leaf. This is one of the last places on earth making orthodox tea on original colonial-era equipment, and watching it work is like stepping into a living photograph.
A factory the century forgot
The building itself is part of the story. Its wooden panelling, staircases, floorboards and rafters are the originals, worn smooth by nine decades of use. Because the track up the mountain is too narrow and steep to haul in heavy modern plant, the factory was never re-equipped — so the machines you see are the machines that have always been here. Many still wear the cast plates of their English makers; the big dryer, for instance, is widely reported to have been built by Marshall Sons & Co of Gainsborough, England. Where a modern estate has computers, Kolukkumalai’s office has long been famous for its ancient typewriters.
Orthodox, not industrial
The reason all this old iron still earns its keep is the method. Kolukkumalai makes orthodox tea — the older, slower craft — rather than the fast CTC (crush, tear, curl) process that dominates modern Indian production. Orthodox making keeps the leaf more whole and coaxes out a brisk, aromatic, high-altitude character that CTC simply flattens. It takes more time, more hands and more judgement. It is, by common agreement, the way to make the good stuff, and it is why a remote ridge-top shed can still turn out award-winning tea.
From green leaf to brisk cup
The journey a leaf takes through the factory follows the classic orthodox sequence, and you can usually trace it room by room. First the fresh leaf is spread to wither, losing moisture and softening. Then it is rolled to bruise the leaf and release its juices, sieved to sort it, and left to ferment (oxidise) until the colour and aroma develop. Finally it is dried, or fired, to lock in the flavour, before the fibre is extracted and the tea graded by leaf size.
| Stage | What happens |
| Withering | Fresh leaf is spread out to lose moisture and soften |
| Rolling | The leaf is bruised to release its juices |
| Sieving | Rolled leaf is sorted and separated |
| Fermenting | The leaf oxidises, developing colour and aroma |
| Drying | Heat fires the tea to fix the flavour |
| Grading | Fibre is removed and the tea sorted by leaf size |
Grade matters at the finish: the larger, whole-leaf grades fetch the premium prices, while the finest dust at the bottom of the sort goes for humbler uses. The made tea is also commonly rested for a couple of weeks before it truly ‘smells like tea’ — a reminder that up here, everything runs on the mountain’s own unhurried clock.
- The factory dates to 1930 and still uses its original machinery and timber structure.
- It follows the orthodox method, not the modern CTC process.
- Factory entry is commonly cited at about ₹100 per person (indicative — confirm locally).
- Whether machines are actually running depends on the day’s picking and the season — ask your driver or guide.
The tasting at the top
The natural end to the tour is a cup. Many visits finish with a tasting, sampling the estate’s orthodox black teas fresh from the very shed that made them — brisk, aromatic brews often described with malt and citrus notes, the concentrated reward of leaf grown slowly in thin, cold, high-altitude air. Sipping it there, with the plantation falling away into cloud on every side, is the moment the whole ‘world’s highest tea’ idea stops being a slogan and becomes something you can actually taste.
Frequently asked questions
When was the Kolukkumalai tea factory built?
The two-storey factory dates to 1930. It retains its original timber structure and much of its British-era machinery, which is still used to make tea today.
What is orthodox tea, and how is it different from CTC?
Orthodox is the older, slower craft that keeps the leaf more whole and preserves aroma and briskness, moving through withering, rolling, sieving, fermenting, drying and grading. CTC (crush, tear, curl) is a faster, more industrial process. Kolukkumalai uses the orthodox method.
Can visitors go inside the factory and taste the tea?
Yes. Visitors can usually tour the factory and finish with a tasting of the estate’s orthodox teas. A small entry fee, commonly cited at about ₹100 per person, typically applies (confirm locally).
Will I see the machines actually running?
Not guaranteed. Whether the factory is in full operation depends on the day’s harvest and the season, so ask your driver or guide beforehand if seeing production is important to you.