Uva Hand-rolled Black Tea, Gongfu from Sri Lanka
uva hand-rolled black tea: tasting notes
The tea we see here have been dried optimally and without the smell of fuel or smoke, which alone I think is miraculous for the primitive set up. Its infusion has good brisk and sharpness. The careful post-plucking handling is shown in the clarity in taste, which is rare in south Asian productions. Such non-muddy character is a reflection of immediacy in timing, care and management of the process. The aftertaste tells of great malty potential. If I indulge myself for being picky, I’d like to see improvements in-depth, more body and a smoother profile, all of which I believe is achievable as the total experience of Beverly’s team grows.
the processing of black tea is not only about oxidation of catechins
Before I finalize this article, I was discussing in a forum about oxidation (more popularly referred to as “fermentation”) during black tea processing. Many in the trade seem to believe that the process of oxidation of the tealeaves is the concern of catechins turning into theaflavins, the substance that gives the orange colour in the reds (2) of a black tea infusion, and is one of the astringent elements in the taste of a tea (3). Optimal astringency in a tea helps to form briskness and sharpness. It heightens accents and gives pitch to a profile. Too much of it however, makes the tea unpleasant.
In this case, obviously there is already a good amount of theaflavins, so perhaps these other forum members would blame it on the tealeaves? The reality is, they have just over-simplified a very complex process.
“This year we have started to have English lessons in the manager’s house for our workers and the village children. I really enjoy these classes and think that it is important to have the chance to learn new things and improve my knowledge. One of the managers on our estate is an English lady who speaks a little Singhalese but we also all want to be able to communicate better with her.” Thilakawathy, Tamil tea plucker, mother of two.
human vs automation
The manual processing for black tea has been chuckled at for many years in our “Modern era” when automation and quantity output are worshipped. The artistry of hand processing is forgotten by many, if not the absolute majority, of the tea trade. It is easy for most people not in real production to read a few lines of some popular tea books that simplify the process in a couple of key concepts and indoctrinate this naive understanding as the Truth. Others have relied so much on factory-style production which set up is a serious compromise of the original black tea processing principles and techniques. They have taken the abridged method as the original. Simplification can be a falsification of the genuine.
“We use old fashioned ‘tats’ and the wither takes around 20-22 hours.” Karuna, manager, as he turns the tealeaves
For this great quality Ambadandegama Uva traditional black tea, if we are extremely picky, there can be a little room for an increased range of sugars and amino acids for a better body. There also can be more pectin. These substances form in the processing that begins even before the leaf is plucked from the branch. The oxidation of the catechins is only but one group of changes during processing. Actually, the majority of all 300+ substances that make up a tea leaf continue to transform throughout the process. They become 500+ substances in a properly formed whole leaf black tea. Most of these constitute the tea’s taste and aroma. Variations in proportion and the domination or absence of some form the unique taste profile of a tea. In Beverly own words, “Tea making is one ‘story’ I will never get to the end of…”
a holistic and continuing process…
I am sure the good people in the Ambadandegama tea farm see the processing as a whole and understand the continuum of the transformation of the leaf from the tip of the branch to the cup. Deepening of the understanding of the process will bring about modification of the skills that will let the life of the leaf develop into the perfect taste that will win back the laurels of the best of Ceylon black teas for the origin of Uva. This will be one big story in tea making that I look forward to.
