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The 21st Anniversary Reserve
Author: Dilhan, March 1st, 2009
The sophistication and elegance in a cup of fine tea is unequalled by any other beverage. That uniqueness is founded on the sense of place that teas grown in different areas acquire. And amongst teas, none is more sophisticated that the rare and spectacular teas in our Ultimate Estate collection; the most recent amongst those is the Wattegoda Estate FBOP which has the added distinction of being the 21st Anniversary Reserve. It is the aspect of terroir in tea that gives Wattegodde Estate FBOP its distinctive personality. Carefully watched until the perfect confluence of cool evening and mild daytime temperatures, wind, sunshine and light r... Read the rest of this entry » Iced Tea …. really Author: Dilhan, February 28th, 2009
Simply put, they are tea that is made for you, using normal black or green tea – usually the most inferior of these, which offer thick liquor and strength. Once made, the liquid tea is subject... Read the rest of this entry » The Mystery of the Leaf Author: Dilhan, December 13th, 2008 
Having marvelled at the ingenuity of ‘teamen’ who proclaim their disdain for certain grades of tea, little realising that the grade – which refers to the size of the leaf and therefore to the strength and character of the brew - is not a measure of quality, I felt a little clarity may be helpful to tea aficionados.
(more...)...Read the rest of this entry » In the name of tea … Author: Dilhan, September 6th, 2008 We can only watch with amusement the proliferation of tea 'inspired' cosmetics, beverages and foods. But this has to take the cake. IFF is a respected company, but their reference to 'authenticity', the 'emotion' that people have in their affinity to tea and the 'all natural halo' of tea whilst at the same time announcing their tea flavours, goes from the ridiculous to the sublime. (more...)... Read the rest of this entry » Monkey Rock OP1 (Orange Pekoe 1) – Oh what a Author: Dilhan, September 6th, 2008
This OP1 from Rilagala is produced from a small batch of selectively handpicked leaf.... Read the rest of this entry » Inspiration and education in tea Author: Dilhan, September 5th, 2008 There is a special reason why Ceylon Tea came to be known as the best tea; in our little island of around 25,000 square miles, nature has blessed us with mountains over 6,000 feet high with a cool and moist climate, to lowlands with hot sunshine and only occasional rainfall. And then there is everything in between. When combined with that wonderful attribute of terroir, or ‘sense of place’ that nature bestowed on tea, the result is a potent and deliciously different array of tastes, aromas and textures in tea. My father sought to share this wonderful diversity with the tea aficionados around the world who shared his love for tea. The result was Watte. Meaning garden, in our language, Watte is a journey in tea. It starts with the Single Region Teas, Ran Watte (meaning Golden Garden), through Uda (high), Meda (Mid) and Yata (lower) and it continues through the Watte Single Estate Teas with four perfectly made teas from Lover's Leap, Somerset, Doombagastalawa and Nilagama E... Read the rest of this entry » Is that really fair? Author: Dilhan, June 4th, 2008 In my post on Fairtrade - the brand - there was a response to the Organisation's criticism of Dilmah. You can find it here. In this case, and countless others previously, we as producer are being critcised by Fairtrade for not being, Fairtrade. Their reference is to their system of certification of course and not to the concept of fairness in trade but it reveals a sinister arrogance and an irony which seems lost on them. Dilmah pioneered the concept of a priducer adding value to their crop. Before that and to a large extent event today the system is that producers in less developed countries produce, and supply raw material to packers, usually large corporations, who pack. This denies the producer any involvement in the most lucrative aspects of the industry - branding and value addition. Certifying the producer and their raw material, only whitewashes and perpetuates this fundamentally unfair system. The final solution lies not in fairtrade or its heavily marketed brand, but in the p... Read the rest of this entry » Two leaves and a bud Author: Dilhan, April 27th, 2008 The art in tea starts here, with the tender shoots at the extremes of the evergreen shrub, Camellia Sinensis. Flavour and natural antioxidants are concentrated in the two leaves and bud; harvesting it is art because the men and women that pick these need to ensure they pinch off the bush only the two leaves and bud. The third and fourth leaf introduces an undesirable, coarseness to the tea. For this reason, Dilmah stays true to handpicked tea from Ceylon, grown, picked and produced by us the traditional way. Expedients like machine harvesting as done in some countries, CTC manufacture as offered by most of the big brands, are only good for the producer for they do nothing but reduce cost. When the difference between a good cup of tea and an inferior one is just a few cents per cup, is there sense in trying to cut costs? (only if the brandonwer wishes to grow their profit maybe). Enjoy it the way it has been appreciated for centuries, handpicked, produced in the traditional, orthodox manne... Read the rest of this entry » The Beauty of Tea Author: Dilhan, March 19th, 2007 There is no place more picturesque or more naturally calming than the tea country of Sri Lanka. In many parts of the central highlands of Sri Lanka where tea carpets the hills and mountains with its lush greenery, the views from every side are stunning. This is just one of those, taken from the Primary School at Mattakelle Estate.... Read the rest of this entry » |
The irony about the Iced Tea trend - fuelled as it is by generations Y and X and their desire for naturally healthy products – is that most Iced Tea aren’t either natural or healthy. If convenience is what you are after, then go for it, but if it is a soft drink substitute that is natural and good for you, think again. Every Iced Tea in stores today is a very unsophisticated and distant reincarnation of the tea some are used to drinking hot. 
In an earlier post I referred to terroir, the sense of place or the individual personality of fine tea. This month we will offer as a part of the VSRT (Very Special Rare Tea) collection, a tea that epitomizes that individuality. Rilagala – a Sinhala name which means 'Monkey Rock’ - gained its name from the colossal rock which towers over the estate, and the monkeys from the surrounding forest, who are often seen amongst the tea bushes. First established in 1907, Rilagala Estate is home to an assortment of wildlife from wild boar to deer and occasionally leopard, attracted by its biodiversity.Images of Tea
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