As I discover Ceylon teas, I try to understand the differences amongst the teas that come from different areas in Sri Lanka. This BOP1 comes from the southern part of Sri Lanka, which is known as Ruhuna. Its teas are not as popular as the others that come from higher tea growing areas in the centre of the island. However, I did find this tea medium-bodied (in gongfu style) and comforting.
As for its name, just to recap, ‘B’ stands for ‘broken’. OP refers to orange pekoe (only means black tea) while OP1 means wirier than OP.
Indeed, I already posted about a Ceylon BOP1 from Kandy region (middle-grown area) which I found very strong with malty and some astringency notes. This low-grown BOP1 tasted sweet with fruity and cocoa notes in my view, which may be acquired during the roasting stage.
Compared to the middle-grown BOP1, this tea had finer but longer leaves. While the liquor colours of the two teas were similar, it is surprising to find differences amongst the tasting notes.
Tea Profile:
Type: Black tea
Origin: Ruhuna, Sri Lanka
Harvest time: 2020
Leave colour: Dark brown
Liquor colour: Amber red
Tea aroma: Malty with fruit and cocoa notes
Tea taste: Slightly sweet with malty and fruity notes
Steeping/brewing: You can use around 90°C water temperature and brew for up to one minute in gongfu style or up to three minutes in Western-style. You can brew the leaves many times (until the taste is lost). To each infusion add additional time. Experiment for a result that suits your taste.
Shelf life: Up to 3 years (to improve shelf life store the sealed tea leaves in a dry, dark place with low temperatures)