Ceylon OP Nuwara Eliya ~ TeaGschwendner

After yesterday’s less than stellar introduction to “OP” I’d like to offer a counterexample.

High grown (over 6,000 feet, the magic number) Nuwara Eliya is one of the foremost tea gardens in Sri Lanka. Although I’ve purchased one other tea from Nuwara Eliya, this will be the first time i’m able to review one.

In aroma, Ceylon OP Nuwara Eliya (TeaGschwendner decided to reverse the usual naming order) offers mostly wet autumn leaves with a hint of cardamom. The spent leaves actually have a very unique menthol tobacco-like quality. Ceylon OP Nuwara Eliya has a very similar liquor tone to Organic Nilgiri Korakundah: a warm russet with a greenish sheen along the meniscus. In terms of flavor however, Ceylon OP Nuwara Eliya is the obvious winner. Thanks no doubt to its fuller leaves and its cooler growing climes, Ceylon OP Nuwara Eliya is very sweet and creamy for a Black tea, with a flavor not unlike hazelnut coffee. In terms of texture too, Nuwara Eliya’s tea grit is toned down to a much more subtle syrupy mouthfeel. Honestly, given Ceylon OP Nuwara Eliya’s incredible bold loose leaf, I could not have told you it would turn out to be an OP. Compared to Organic Nilgiri Korakundah OP the differences in refinement and drinkability are as night and day.

1. Aroma – 94
2. Taste – 93
3. Texture – 93
4. Spunk – 94
5. Price – 92 (underpriced imo at TeaGschwendner, but i paid even less when i bought it retail from TeaHaus)
6. Availability – 92
7. Appearance – 93

Mean score – 93%

Definitely a step up for an OP. I can’t wait to try that Lovers Leap I was able to procure from Simpson & Vail.