I wanted to give you a taste of a high-grown, rain-rich Ceylon green to show you the contrast of the flavor In green tea. This tea Is a Biodynamic green from the garden I have visited the most (and where my wedding was hosted :)). While this garden Is special In that Its the highest altitude In Sri Lanka for tea production, It's organic, fair trade, and Biodynamic as well but what's most Interesting Is that Sri Lanka Is not typically a green tea producer.
Ceylon aka Sri Lanka Is known primarily for Its black teas which are famous the world over and considered the most brisk and finest for moderately priced black tea. This garden Is up the road from "Lipton's Seat" which is where Sir Thomas Lipton, a Scottish tea magnate who owned tea plantations in Sri Lanka (formerly known as Ceylon) in the late 19th and early 20th centuries once owned the entire area where this tea is grown. During the exodus of the English, the area fell Into disrepair and this garden was left In shambles after being ravaged by the use of pesticides and fertilizers that stripped the soil of Its resilience. A high Buddhist priest was given the land and eventually he donated It to a group of visionary tea farmers (our grower family!) who spent the last 35 years making It the most pristine organic tea estate In the world. It's now considered the gold standard of all Ceylon tea estates and Is a learning garden for other growers who want to learn how to use nature's cycles and strengths to naturally harmonize rather than use chemicals.
It is located at an altitude of 6,500 feet and Is In my opinion the most beautiful place on earth :) Like Hawaii meets Big Sur meets a tea garden In China, this Is the place where the magic of tea truly entered my heart.
The region is filled with lush tea fields, small villages, and dense forests. This garden Is at the very top of the vista, where breathtaking views of the surrounding hills, valleys, and tea estates, span the vast views and It Is also a wildlife preserve now so beware of jaguars and monkeys!
