Mackwoods Single Estate B.O.P is a loose-leaf black tea from Sri Lanka, graded as Broken Orange Pekoe and sold in a 200g carton box. It comes from a single estate — unblended and unaltered — and is hand-plucked, then brought to market garden-fresh, as stated on the pack itself. The Mackwoods name has been associated with Ceylon tea since 1841, when British Ship's Captain William Mackwood founded the company, making it one of the oldest mercantile firms in the country.
Broken Orange Pekoe is a grade within the orthodox Ceylon tea grading system, and it describes the size and character of the processed leaf rather than any flavour ingredient. During manufacture, the leaf is broken into medium-sized pieces, which increases the surface area exposed to hot water. This means the tea brews quickly and produces a notably strong, bright cup with the coppery-red liquor characteristic of Ceylon black teas. The term 'Orange Pekoe' carries no reference to orange fruit; it belongs to the traditional grading vocabulary that has governed Ceylon tea classification for generations.
Because the broken leaf releases its character faster than a whole-leaf grade such as Orange Pekoe, the steeping time matters. A short infusion — closer to two minutes than three — gives a bright, clean result; leaving the leaves in longer will draw out more tannins and a correspondingly sharper finish. The tea works well taken plain or with a splash of milk, depending on personal preference.
Mackwoods Limited packs and markets this tea through APL Teas (Pvt) Ltd in Colombo, and the company maintains a presence in London. Founded in 1841, Mackwoods became a member of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce as early as 1847, and its plantation interests have been part of Sri Lanka's agricultural landscape ever since. The 200g carton box format sold here is a distinct product from the cylinder-format version of the same tea, and the details on this page relate specifically to the carton.
