ARIEL Orange Pekoe Dimbula

A classic single-origin Ceylon black tea from the Dimbula highlands of Sri Lanka, built for menus that need a brisk, full-bodied black tea position. Available in 100 g loose leaf tins for shelf programs and in 1 kg loose leaf bulk for foodservice operations running by the cup. Stands up to milk and sugar, takes well to lemon, and serves cleanly hot or iced – a versatile workhorse for café and hotel programs alike.

Tasting Notes

The cup pours a deep amber-red with a brisk, fragrant aroma. The character is full-bodied and assertive, with a clean citrus lift on the front, malt and honey notes through the middle, and a crisp, slightly drying finish typical of high-grown Ceylon. Holds its profile against milk; bright enough on its own to serve unaccompanied.

Origin

The Dimbula region sits in Sri Lanka's central highlands, between roughly 1,000 and 1,600 metres elevation. The Western Quality Season – January through March – produces the brightest, most aromatic cups, when dry monsoon winds and cool nights concentrate flavour in the leaf. Orange Pekoe is a leaf grade designation in the Sri Lankan and Indian tea systems, not a flavour reference: it indicates long, wiry, whole-leaf tea picked from the upper bud and leaf rather than the broken or fannings grades used in mass-market tea bags.

Brewing

Steep 2.5 g per 250 ml at 95 °C for 3 minutes. Black tea is the most thermally tolerant of the true teas; full boil is appropriate. At commercial scale, a 1 kg bag yields approximately 400 portions at 2.5 g per cup. Each 250 ml serving contains zero calories.

Additional Information

• Ingredients: Whole leaf black tea
• Formats: 100 g loose leaf tin, 1 kg loose leaf bulk bag
• Certifications: Kosher
• Foundation: Humaniterra Foundation
• Type: Black tea, loose leaf