Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: PMD (P.M.David Silva & Sons)
Tea Description:
Sitting proudly above the town of Nuwara Eliya, Lovers’ Leap Estate is steeped in tradition and legend. The Nuwara Eliya district is famed for producing the “champagne of Ceylon teas” and is often mistaken for the British countryside with its red post boxes and colonial bungalows. The estate bears the name from the tragic tale of a young couple that leapt of a waterfall on the estate. Moreover, it was the only tea to be served at the HM Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee in 2012 – a tea for those who enjoy the finer things in life!
Lovers’ Leap teas are reputed for their delicate and elegant characteristics. The estate is home not only to tea, moreover, the abundance of eucalyptus, cypress trees and wild mint bushes give the air a pleasant mentholated fragrance. The tea absorbs the fragrances and when infused it bears a remarkable golden, light green infusion. The flavours are bright, crisp and clean – the pleasant mentholated undertones will leave your taste buds tingling! We recommend Lovers’ Leap to be taken without milk or alternatively with a slice of lemon.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I know that I’ve tried Lovers’ Leap estate teas before, but, I can’t recall ever trying one quite like this one. The description states that this is a Ceylon, and the leaves look like Ceylon to me. But the color of the brewed tea and the crisp, light flavor is almost Darjeeling-esque to me. It’s like a beautiful marriage of the two tea types.
As I said, it’s light and crisp … almost effervescent in flavor. There is something very uplifting about the flavor of this tea. It is sweet, and I taste the notes of eucalyptus and cypress trees that surround the Lover’s Leap estate, as well as the wild mint! These aren’t strong flavor profiles in this cup, but they are definitely present in the many layers of this complex cuppa.
I am really enjoying the different flavors this tea has to offer within it’s layers. Notes of menthol, woodsy notes, grape-like tones, light notes of citrus and sweet whispers of flower are just some of the flavors I’m experiencing here.
The sip starts out with a crisp note. I can taste the notes of wood and flower right at the start. As the sip develops, I notice the mint-like notes – very clean and cool! – and then I taste notes of grape. Toward the end of the sip, there is a brightness to the cup, it’s almost citrus-y and this is noticeable especially toward the finish. These citrus-y flavors linger in the aftertaste. It’s not an overly astringent brew, but I’m experiencing some puckering of the inside of my cheeks toward the finish. If I inhale after the sip is finished, the air that floats over my palate delivers a light mint-y note.
If I were to choose a season to compare this tea to, I’d choose summer, because it has a sunny flavor, reminiscent of a warm day with a gentle breeze blowing through the countryside. The air is clean and invigorating with notes of the trees, flowers and some of the herbaceous tones that surround you.
This is not a tea that I’d choose for a breakfast or early morning tea, mostly because those earliest cups of tea I want to be more hefty and substantial. This would make a stunning afternoon cup, though, and one that I’d serve to guests, because it makes a very impressive beverage.
A bright and beautiful cup of tea! I’m becoming more impressed with the quality of teas that I’m trying from this company – PMDavid Silva & Sons – the more I taste from them, the more I like them!
