Lover's Leap
Lover’s Leap is a limited edition tea, released each Valentine’s Day since the tea was first created in 2013. With pink rose petals, chamomile petals and a mix of medium-bodied black teas, the blend was originally crafted by Steve Smith himself, inspired by the February 14th holiday and the legendary story of the origin of the tea leaves he used.
The Lover's Leap Estate
Our limited edition Valentine’s Day blend shares its name with the most famous tea garden in the Sri Lankan district of Nuwara Eliya, the Lover’s Leap Estate. The Lover’s Leap Estate received its name from the tale of the star-crossed lovers who lived there long ago. As lore has it, two young lovers began a forbidden affair, and knowing that they could not be together, leapt from the waterfall surrounding the estate to express their undying love.
Nuwara Eliya Tea Leaves
The district of Nuwara Eliya is situated at a high elevation around Mt. Adams in the center of Sri Lanka. These high-grown leaves are not commonly found in the United States, but they are prized in places like Japan and Germany for their unique flavor. Enjoyed for its light body and complex aromatics, Nuwara Eliya tea produces a golden cup color with lively top notes. We are one of the few teamakers in North America that carry this high-grown tea, which is why we are proud to showcase it in our Lover’s Leap blend.
A Loving Mixture
We’d like to think of our Lover’s Leap tea as a triple threat: beautiful in appearance, fragrance and taste. This can be attributed to the ingredients that are lovingly wedded in this blend. Lover’s Leap is a blend that includes four different black tea varietals, giving the mixture a dynamic complexity of flavor. Pink rose and chamomile petals accessorize the aesthetic of the tea while building on the natural floral character of Nuwara Eliya tea as a nod to the holiday of love. Subtle citrus flavor is provided by Italian bergamot oil, adding brightness and creating enticing aromas.
Blended with Love
Once these ingredients are blended together, a delicate, fragrant marriage is born. Medium-bodied with notes of cypress, the red tint of the liquor color reflects both the timing of the blend’s release as well as the relationships of the teamakers at Smith who contribute to the production of this tea. At one time, the Smith Teamaker team included four married couples that spanned across assembly, production, retail, sales and blending. Although this tea is a limited edition that only comes around once a year, you can enjoy other black tea blends that include some of the same tea leaves in our No. 55 Lord Bergamot and No. 23 Kandy.
We can now say with confidence that making good tea together keeps the romance warm, especially in the case of Lover’s Leap. But what’s in a name? See the blend for yourself here.
