CEYLON BLACK

So, just how long have they been producing exceptional teas at Pedro, a sub-section of Kenmare Estate in Nuwara Eliya? Well, the estate began operations in 1885 - it's been a while. As a time gauge, consider that other notable events that year included the dedication of the Washington Monument, the creation of the first automobile designed specifically as a motor vehicle, (instead of a repurposed horse wagon), the Benz Patent Motorwagen and the death of Ulysses S. Grant, Civil War general and 18^th President of the United States. Incredibly, teas are still produced on the same patch of land since those times.

Sri Lanka in those days was a British Colony. Very early on, Nuwara Eliya gained something a reputation as a good place to avoid the summer heat, situated up country as it was in the mountains above Colombo. The climate of the region, while hot, was not the stifling, humid beast found in many of the British Empire's tea growing regions. Rather, the hills of Nuwara Eliya were buffeted by a dry hot wind known as the Cachan Wind, which swept up the slopes of the Uva district to the East. The sun up in the hills was likewise warm and bright, offset by annual rainfall of 1850 mm. If you were a tea plant, suffice it to say, these were perfect climactic conditions. Topographically, the region was also well suited to growing tea, irrigation took place via gravity and drainage on the steep mountain slopes was assured. Teas on the Estate also benefited from the surrounding biodiversity, in particular, Cypress trees that grew in abundance, wild mint and eucalyptus, the scent of which drifted through the air, lending their influence on the character of the finished teas. A visit to the Estate today makes it immediately clear, since 1885, the conditions haven't changed one iota.

The result is that teas from the Estate are considered the Champagne of the tea world. Cupping the output typically offers an incredibly exquisite flavor with brisk notes, subtle astringency and floral layers with notes of eucalyptus, citrus, velvety layers of honey and slight tones of cut grass. The incredible tea offered here, Pedro BOP Natural, offers what many consider to be the truest expression of the intricacy of character offered by the estate. A recent innovation to Pedro, Natural tea is the result of halting the CTC (Cut, Tear and Curl) process mid way through. The leaf is broken and choppy but infuses with such smoothness you'll wonder why this grade wasn't on offer in the past. Say, around 1885.

Note: Pedro Plantation is a sub-section of Ceylon estate and is certified by the Ethical Tea Partnership, ETP.