Featured at the Tea Festival on November 7^th 2020. Note – Samplers are a good way of purchasing small amounts of tea for comparative tasting. Teas should be made at the same time in separate brewing vessels keeping all factors such as weight and water quality the same. Only the brewing time and temperature of water should be different. This sampler features the following teas.

Vithanakande Estate OP1 : This tea has been featured on our website in our ‘how to’ video series - https://empiretea.com/collections/ceylon-black-tea/products/vithanakanda-estate-fancy-op1-fair-trade This exceptional Low Elevation tea has an extra-large wiry leaf and a smooth taste. It is a low elevation black tea from the Ratnapura sub-district in Sri Lanka (Ceylon). Soft withering over a longer time, medium pressure orthodox rolling in conventional rollers and a long oxidation period contributes to this strong black tea made with special care. Low elevation is defined as altitude of 0 – 1500 feet above sea level. The sun is strong and the monsoon is seasonal. Growth is fast due to high humidity, good rainfall and above average temperatures during the day. The specialized technique of rolling is what gives this twisted wiry long leaf tea its character. The liquor has very good color and a full body with a strong taste. It is possible to add milk to this tea if desired, but it is mostly a stand alone tea made for the connoisseur. This sample contains about 12 grams of tea sufficient for 6 cups of tea. Use 2 grams of tea for 8 ounces spring water and steep for 5 minutes at 200 F. Strain the tea leaves before tasting. For the best experience use glassware.

Kenilworth Estate FBOP : Kenilworth is a Mid Elevation tea estate situated in the Ginigathhena sub-region of the Nawalapitiya district in Sri Lanka (Ceylon). Low elevation is defined as 1500 – 3000 feet above sea level. It has a very good reputation for producing high quality teas. The climatic conditions in this region is fairly uniform in rainfall with high temperatures during the day and cool nights with less humidity during the night. Growth in the fields can be prolific during the monsoon season May – July. The best teas are made in the period November – March when there is less rainfall and growth is slower. Withering is stretched out for at least 8-10 hours till the leaves are flaccid and conditioned for orthodox rolling. Initial touch pressure and then medium pressure is applied to extract the juices that gets coated on the tea particles which are becoming macerated. Oxidation is an ongoing process of rolling and the tea leaves are dried at the right time depending on the state of oxidation which is determined by touch and ‘nose’. The drying process is about 24 minutes in a convection orthodox drier. The tea leaves are then sorted according to sizes through a series of sieves. FBOP is an abbreviation for Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe. It has nothing to do with Oranges, but is a commonly used term in tea nomenclature. The resulting tea has a nice bouquet with a mild character and medium color in the cup. A touch of flavor is noticeable. This sample contains about 12 grams of tea sufficient for 6 cups of tea. Use 2 grams of tea for 8 ounces spring water and steep for 5 minutes at 195 F. Strain the tea leaves before tasting. For the best experience use glassware.

Lovers Leap Estate FBOP : Lovers Leap is the selling name (mark) of Pedro Estate situated in the Nuwara Eliya region of Sri Lanka. This is the region with the highest altitude in Sri Lanka. A very scenic region with mountains reaching up to 7000 feet above sea level. High elevation is defines as 3000 – 7000 feet above sea level. The name Lovers Leap also refers to a cascading waterfall nearby from which a young couple is supposed to have jumped to their death. Lovers Leap Tea has a reputation for producing very seasonal tea with delicate flowery aromas during the December – March period. This tea has nuances reminiscent of a good Darjeeling tea. This famous tea estate is one of the most visited tea estates in the world and has been featured in our Tea Tours https://empiretea.com/pages/tea-tour much to the appreciation of the participants. Due to dry and cool days and nights the natural withering of the leaves is shorter and the concentration of flavor characteristics is more rapid. Similarly the rolling techniques are adjusted so that combined with a much shorter oxidation period and shorter ‘fluid bed’ drying period the flavor is preserved. As a result this tea will have very much less color in the cup than the other two teas. This sample contains about 12 grams of tea sufficient for 6 cups of tea. Use 2 grams of tea for 8 ounces spring water and steep for 3 minutes at 180 F. Strain the tea leaves out before tasting. You may also try a higher temperature of 195 F and steep for 4 minutes. There will be a change in the taste and flavor of the liquor with slightly more color in the cup. For the best experience use glassware. Enjoy!