Ceylon Teas

 

Fresh, citrusy aroma, sweet juicy notes like mandarin peel or grapefruit, refreshing texture and balanced astringency.

 Camellia sinensis is a robust shrub, able to tolerate a fairly wide range of more or less tropical climates, altitudes and soil conditions.

 It flourishes happily in the wild, in China (whence it originates), in Assam and elsewhere. 

 Untended, the bushy shrub that covers the hills of central Sri Lanka in manicured, contour-planted swathes becomes a shaggy, gnarled tree that can grow up to 9m (30ft.) tall.

 It was from such trees that the original seed-stock of Ceylon tea. 

Sri Lanka is the fourth largest producer of tea.

 Sri Lanka was the world's leading exporter of tea, but it has since been surpassed by Kenya. 

 The humidity, cool temperatures, and rainfall in the island especially the country's central highlands provide a climate that favors the production of high quality tea.

 The British introduced tea plants from China in 1824 for non-commercial purposes.

In 1839 tea plants from Assam and Calcutta, India were brought introduced.

1867 the first 19 acres tea plantation and introduction of the tea 

industry was established by James Taylor.

The first production from this tea plantation yielded 23 lbs and was sold in London.

Sri Lanka produces 3 types of tea:

• Ceylon Black Tea - it is their specialty - has a crisp and citrus aroma

• Ceylon Green Tea - made from the Assamica tree stocks. Has a fuller body, more pungent, malty and nutty. 

 

• Ceylon White Tea - - know as silver tips, a delicate, very light liquoring with notes of pine and honey, a golden coppery infusion