Guisachan Estate Tea
Recently I went on a very exciting trip.
Join me as I tell you about my journey to Guisachan for Scottish tea.
I turned up at 9:15 to help with tea processing. Due to our now Autumnal Scottish weather, the leaves were plucked the day before, which allowed for withering overnight. Sun is not in abundance in the Highlands in September.
Due to the colder weather the tea plants experienced during the week before, a lot of the tea bushes were not growing as much as hoped. The young shoots were stunted. It was almost as if the tea leaves didn’t grow much of a stalk and then it had a sudden bud. This type of growth does not offer the best plucking. Sadly, this meant there was less fresh tea leaf than anticipated.
The tea processing area is a very controlled environment, it’s fantastic to see. Humidity levels, temperature, air flow etc can all be adjusted as needed. It’s fascinating to see the intricate environment the owner has created in such a small space.
As I approached the outside door, the smell of the tea greeted me. Quite something when you consider it was through double doors, a lobby area and another external door. The aroma took me by surprise and was a very immersive experience.
We continued to check on the leaves every half an hour.
The scent that had developed was fascinating. In the beginning there was a strong, fresh grassy smell, but as time passed I began to notice a sweetness. This note was akin to baked apples or baked pears at first. Lingering in the background was that fresh note that had been there initially. From my understanding, for black tea production the object is to wait until the fresh note has dissipated.
On the final visit to check in with the tea leaves Donald said yes, they were ready for the next stage. It smelt like baked plums, caramelised, for a plumb crumble.
Once we, (as in the royal we because it was all Donald’s expertise), were happy with this and all that kind of fresh background note had dissipated and was replaced with the baked plummy notes. It was time for the next stage, drying.
As there were some issues earlier on with evenly drying, Donald has created this ingenious contraption. Instead of stationary shelves, there are baskets layered onto a turntable which turns really slowly so that there’s not concentrated heat focussed on one area of the tea leaves. Next level problem solving, lets just take a minute to appreciate the resourcefulness of this creation. It was interesting to smell that as well.
The leaves were evenly distributed into the 4 layers, then placed into this turning dryer. First of all at a higher temperature for a set period of time.
At this point the leaves around the edges and at the top of the baskets were drier than the middle, so the whole batch is poured into a larger container.
Any knotted tea leaves are gently teased out to help them dry evenly, and they were all mixed together. Once we were happy the leaves were un tangled we redistributed it onto the turntables baskets and put it back in for the final drying time.
As it’s a very long process, sadly this was the time I had to leave to drive home.
The final tea weight was about 300g, taking into consideration that the fresh leaves weighed roughly 1.2kg it highlights how much work goes into such a small amount of tea.
At time of writing I haven’t actually tasted this batch of Guisachan tea but I’m really looking forward to doing so.
I also visited where the tea grows.
The happy and thriving plants are covered in a cosy polytunnel. Here they are protected from frosts or other harsh weather and it also helps to keep humidity levels high allowing them to flourish.
Donald’s first tea plants were planted out in the garden area unprotected, then quickly realised they needed a little help so built walls around them. In these wooden walls he also carefully considered ventilation, with trap doors that can be opened to help with air flow. There are even additional covers which can be pulled across the rows. Such a lovely touch. However, frost is still a concern which means there’s some issues in this more exposed space when late frosts appear and these plants don’t seem to be thriving as much as their brethren inside the polytunnel, which is a shame.
In saying this there are some rows of really happy tea plants, which means there may well be other factors at play such as cultivar, which is the type or strain of tea plant. Some are more temperature robust than others, some can withstand windy spaces, others are so dramatic in wind. So many ingredients to make the tea plants happy, to make good tea.
All in all this was a really fascinating, educational and thought provoking trip. I hope that when you enjoy your next cup of Guisachan, you now feel a bit more connected to it and can taste the love and care that goes into every drop.
