Ceylon Lover’s Leap Estate ~ Simpson & Vail

Nuwara Eliya, the Southern of the central three Sri Lankan tea growing regions, boasts the country’s highest grown teas. As such, Nuwara Eliya is also cooler, with frost occurring at its highest elevations (though it tends to have consistent humidity year round). Nuwara Eliya doesn’t contribute much to the total Sri Lankan tea output, but thanks to its elevation its teas probably have the most character. It’s foremost premier style is “Adam’s Peak White”, which sadly i have yet to get my hands on.

In the Northern wilderness of Nuwara Eliya, sits Lover’s Leap Estate and eponymous cliff side (arguably Nuwara Eliya’s most famous tea garden). When I saw how dense this forest was, and read that Lovers Leap Estate teas are supposed to have a “forest note”, i really wanted to test that advertisement. It turns out it be probably accurate, at least in the case of Lover’s Leap Estate.

This one’s a keeper.

Although it doesn’t mention it anywhere on the site, I’m willing to bet Ceylon Lover’s Leap Estate is at least an OP, if not a GFOP. I’m really impressed with this one.

Ceylon Lover’s Leap Estate piney, flowery aroma is warm and inviting. It has a glorious marmalade-gold coloring that really swings. In flavor, Ceylon Lover’s Leap Estate is reminiscent of a Darjeeling FTGFOP: a gooey, barky Ceylon Black of exceptional caliber with a hint of roast. In texture Ceylon Lover’s Leap Estate is similar to a Tippy Nepal or Sikkim: smooth and flakey with a medium grit that lingers pleasantly on the tongue. Ceylon Lover’s Leap Estate is the kind of tea i would serve to guests who like Black tea (assuming i ever had any of those).

1. Aroma – 94
2. Taste – 93
3. Texture – 94
4. Spunk – 95
5. Price – 92
6. Availability – 90
7. Appearance – 94

Mean score – 93%

Not hard to come by or necessarily all that rare or expensive, but highly representative of the character and style of Ceylon Black.