Kirkoswald (FBOP) Estate Black Tea is available in 50 and 100 gram amounts plus a 10 gram sampler.
Serving Instructions:
HOT TEA: Put 1 slightly heaping tsp. of loose tea for each 7-9oz./200-260ml. of water in the teapot. Pour freshly boiled water over tea. Steep 3-7 min. Add milk & sugar to taste.
ICED TEA: (1L/QT) – 6 slightly heaping tsp. loose tea into teapot. Pour 1 ¼ cup (315ml.) boiling water on tea. Steep 5 min. Quarter fill serving pitcher with cold water. Pour steeped tea into pitcher straining the tea. Add ice, top-up with cold water, garnish & sweeten to taste.
Tea profile:
The Uva district of Sri Lanka peaks in quality during the Southwest monsoons from July to September. As the monsoon winds blow across the Indian Ocean they pick up moisture during the 3000 mile journey to Sri Lanka. As the warm moist air rises into the cool mountain air, condensation occurs and there is heavy rainfall on the western side of the island. Kirkoswald is in the Malwatte valley also known as the heart of the Uva tea district. The pungency that this tea exhibits is particular to this district. Kirkoswald is classed as a high grown estate in that it's bushes grow in a band between 4000 -4500 feet above sea level. Kirkoswald is a medium sized estate for this region, covering 326 hectares. The yield of the estate is about 1600 kilos per annum per hectare or about 1.1 million pounds per year (this is enough to fill 175 million tea bags!). Because Kirkoswald produces such high quality tea, only about 50% is used for tea bags and the rest is bought by discerning tea people around the world. Kirkoswald was established as a tea factory and tea estate in the 1880s a few short years after the tea industry began in Sri Lanka. The current estate manager Mr. Y. Wadugodapitiya Is justifiably proud of his wonderful tea. Teas that come from high grown estates, provide superior flavor and the best quality because of cooler temperatures, generally better soil conditions, more sunshine and generally slightly less rainfall. These conditions cause the bush to grow more slowly and the goodness and flavor is concentrated in the new shoots.
