FRENCH NAME  ORANGE PEKOE IMPÉRIAL
BLEND NO.  3550
A regal tea steeped in the rich history of the House of Orange. A blend of estate high-grown Ceylon black teas, producing a medium-bodied cup with deep copper liquor.

Sri Lanka (formerly known as Ceylon) is the world's fourth largest producer of black teas and has an ideal climate for rich, complex black teas.  Climate is rich in humidity with cool temperatures and abundant rainfall.  Tea was first grown in 1867 by James Taylor, a British tea planter, in the Loolecondera estate.  Most tea is cultivated using the contour planting method, whereby tea plants are planted along the contours of the land.  Tea leaves are primarily picked by hand, which avoids the inclusion of twigs and branches common in mechanized harvest. 

Our Orange Pekoe blends incorporate important regional mid-grown teas: Nuwara Eliya and Uva harvests, which are blended for clarity and the unique complexity found only in Ceylon varietals.  Our blenders prefer higher-elevation teas (above 1200m elevation) which are more delicate and subtle and dominate this Imperial grade.  Following the traditional classification, we only use FOP (Flowery Orange Pekoe) and GFOP (Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe) grades to make this connoisseur version of Orange Pekoe.

LOOSE TEALEAVES
AROMA: Slight fruitiness
PALATE: exquisite brisk Ceylon highland note
LIQUOR: Golden yellow infusion
LEAF DESCRIPTION: delicate young leaves, twisted

Ceylon & Lemon Tea Granite  

200 g sugar  
1.25 litres water 
30 g Ceylon tealeaves
juice and grated zest of 3 lemons

1) In a saucepan, heat sugar with 250 ml of water over low heat until dissolved.  
2) Boil syrup 3 minutes and let cool.
3) Boil remaining water and pour over tealeaves and infuse for 10 minutes. 
4) Strain and mix with syrup, juice and zest.  
5) Freeze mixture until slushy.
6) Whisk until smooth and freeze again. 
7) Repeat until firm and the texture is grainy. 
8) Freeze for at least 1 hour.
9) Serve piled in chilled stem glasses.