Description

Kaley´s Mellow Black Tea

Kaley’s Mellow Black is a black tea, handcrafted by the lady artisans of Kaley Tea Garden located near the town of Kotapola in Sri Lanka. The plucking standard consists of one unopened young bud with the two youngest leaves attached. After plucking, the leaves are left to wither for 16 hours in the forest winds in a shady place. Next, the tea leaves are rolled by hand into long twisted tea needles in traditional Sri Lankan “Kulla” baskets. Finally, the tea is dried until reaching a residual moisture content of about 5%.

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The bouquet of the golden-colored cup invites the gourmet’s senses to revel in the tea’s rich cocoa and caramel aroma. In the resulting taste profile, this is complemented by a delicate spicy note woven into fresh hay, a slight floral hint, and a subtle touch of bergamot orange and sweet honey.

Preparation of Kaley´s Mellow Black Tea

Western: in a suitable vessel, first pour 2-3g of Kaley’s Mellow Black black tea with boiling water. Then, steep for 2-4 minutes according to personal taste preferences. After this, a second infusion doesn’t fall behind the first.

“Gong Fu”:  Kaley’s Mellow Black Tea also suits the peparation across multiple infusions with shorter steeping periods, each exhibiting its own unique flavor profile.

Kaley – The Tea Garden

Kaley Tea Estate is a tea garden and factory located near the town of Kotapola in the southern part of Sri Lanka. Tea is grown sustainably and regeneratively in a landscape surrounded by forests that impart the tea’s natural flavor. The Estate’s stated goal is to promote healing through natural processes, and this philosophy is reflected in the teas produced here. Accordingly, all plucking and processing is done traditionally by hand.

Kaley teas benefit extensively from the unique terroir of the tea garden. Part of the land is protected rainforest, while the tea garden itself has been transformed into an agroforestry system. The pristine soils, water from streams and mountain springs, and surrounding forests, including Sinharaja, Sri Lanka’s largest rainforest and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, all contribute to the taste of the tea produced here.

Overall, the approach of organic-regenerative tea cultivation in a forested landscape and the hand-plucking and processing in small batches represents an exemplary holistic artisanal process. The commitment to sustainability and regenerative agriculture, the expertise of the producers, and the unique terroir make every sip a harmonious bouquet of nature in complete purity.

Kaley Tea Estate is a founding member of the CATA (Ceylon Artisanal Tea Association).

CATA (Ceylon Artisanal Tea Association)

CATA is a non-profit organization established in 2016 to promote and support the production of artisanal teas in Sri Lanka and to educate consumers about the unique qualities of these teas. The association represents a group of artisan tea producers specializing in high-quality, single-origin Ceylon teas. The members work closely together to ensure sustainable and ethical practices for growing and processing their teas. In addition, the association also offers marketing and branding support to help its members reach a wider audience. Current members of the group include the renowned tea gardens Amba, Kaley, Monkeytail, Forest Hill, and Ebony Springs.

For more CATA teas @ Siam Tea Shop follow the link below:

CATA Teas @ Siam Tea Shop

And here’s a link to a video introducing CATA as an association along with its member tea gardens:

https://www.facebook.com/CATACeylon/videos/460977588534963?locale=de_DE

Sri Lanka (Ceylon) Tea History – An Introduction

The history of tea cultivation in Sri Lanka dates back to the 19th century. Sri Lanka then went by the name of Ceylon and was under British colonial rule. Initially, coffee was the main export crop until a fungus disease called coffee rust devastated coffee plantations in the 1860s. As a result of that, the British had to look for a replacement crop. They eventually decided on tea, which was already successfully cultivated in India. As a result, in 1867, James Taylor planted the first tea bushes on an estate in the Kandy region. Subsequently, tea production quickly became one of Sri Lanka’s most important economic sectors.

During the 19th century, tea surpassed coffee as the main export product. At the same time, the island became one of the world’s largest tea producers. The British established tea plantations in the hill country and brought Tamil workers from India to work on the plantations. Despite major challenges such as low prices, labor shortages, and political unrest, steady growth characterized the following development of the tea industry in Sri Lanka.

After Sri Lanka gained its independence from Britain in 1948, the government nationalized the tea industry. It took control of the large estates and created a cooperative system for small farmers. In the following decades, the industry faced new challenges, such as changing market demands and competition from other tea-producing countries.

Today, Sri Lanka is famous for its high-quality teas, appreciated for their unique taste and aroma. Tea cultivation and processing remain an important part of Sri Lanka’s economy and cultural heritage. Nevertheless, the development of a market for artisan teas from smaller producers and family businesses is still relatively new. A beautiful example of such a tea is our Ebony Springs Green Tea Cigars!