Tea - Mackwoods.

Tea. I love Tea. First thing in the morning it's the best thing. Now I imagine, that like most people, it's Tea-bag straight into hot water. Mash and add milk. But I've been reading a bit about Japanese Tea making recently and they take tea making very, very seriously. It's a huge thing culturally, socially and it's almost taken as an art-form, taking years to master all the stages of the tea ceremony.
Obviously I like drinking all things and since getting into the various types of coffee beans has opened my eyes and taste buds to a new level of coffee goodness it's probably about time to investigate the world of loose tea and teas from around the world. Should make for quite an enjoyable journey away from all those booze drinks I have to taste and sell.

So first up is a tea that was brought back a present from Sri Lanka. This is from Mackwoods Labookellie Estate. It's a single estate and (so they claim) one of Sri Lanka's finest tea gardens situated 2000 metres above sea level in the hills of Nuwara-Eliya. Founded in 1841 by Captain William Mackwood, today the company is owned by a host of companies with a divergent portfolio of interests. Nevertheless they still retain 27,000 acres of plantation comprising 17 Tea and Rubber estates.

Known primarily for their Ceylon tea, but this is a Broken Orange Pekoe variety. I found it medium bodied, not citrusy or perfumed and perhaps slightly nutty, dry with no real big tannins going on. Refreshing and clean. For me I like a stronger, full-on brew for me first cup but this would be a very nice mid afternoon refreshing quaffer.