Merkaba2

The other drink of the Highlanders. Malty, full bodied character with bright flavory notes and hints of cask oakiness. A bracing Highlanders
cup of tea. Blended for the soft waters of Scotland. A great way to start the day.

Ceylon, or its contemporary name, Sri Lanka, is a beautiful tropical island that lies just 22 miles off the southern tip of India. Sri Lanka
supplies about 25% of the world's tea. The nearly six hundred thousand acres of tea under cultivation provide well over half of the island's
export earnings.

Ceylon grew no tea until 1867, when James Taylor, the Scottish manager of Loolecondera tea Estate, first planted some. His timing was
fortuitous, as just two years later a fungus disease descended on the island's coffee plantations, ruining what had been Ceylons leading
industry. Those who could afford to, turned to growing tea.
Ceylon tea is grown from sea level to altitudes exceeding 7000 feet. The best Ceylon teas are harvested at altitudes above 4000 feet. Here
the bushes grow more slowly and yield far less, not to mention being more difficult to harvest. Most high grown Ceylon teas come from
gardens so steep that the newly picked green leaves must be conveyed to the estate factory by means of aerial ropeways.

The Ceylon tea used in our Breakfast blend comes from the southwestern area of the island, the Dimbula region, which is one of the
original tea producing areas in Sri Lanka. Most plantations in the Dimbula region are 5000 to 6000 feet above sea level. The
Kiruwanaganga Estate, located in the Kukulagala hills, produces this particular Ceylon. This large pekoe leaf (generally referred to as
curly pekoe) is typical of a high grown tea with fine character, smooth rich flavor, and golden color in the cup.

The longer you allow this tea to brew the stronger it becomes. This tea is best enjoyed with milk since the casein in milk renders the
tannins in tea insoluble and reduces the characteristic bitterness of strong teas.

Regarding the addition of milk, there is the age old argument of when to add the milk to the cup -before you add the tea or after.
Milk-firsters argue that adding milk last scalds the milk noticeably and therefore the milk should be warmed slowly with the addition of tea.
Milk-lasters argue that adding milk after the tea has been poured is the only way of judging the proper amount of milk to add by watching
the color of the tea change. Non users of milk regard the whole issue as silly.