Tea Cultivar · Hybrid
Cy9
- Origin
- Sri Lanka - Tea Research Institute of Sri Lanka (St. Coombs)
- Primary use
- black tea, ceylon
Overview
Cy9 is one of the foundational clonal cultivars released by the Tea Research Institute of Sri Lanka at St. Coombs, Talawakelle. Selected and stabilized in the mid-20th century from the genetically diverse Ceylon tea population (a mix of original Chinese sinensis introductions and later assamica plantings), it became one of the standard high-grown Ceylon clones for orthodox black tea.
Characteristics
A hybrid cultivar combining sinensis hardiness and aromatic complexity with assamica vigor, well adapted to Sri Lanka's high-elevation tea districts (Nuwara Eliya, Dimbula, Uva). Leaves are medium-sized, glossy, and moderately serrated.
Flavor profile
Classic high-grown Ceylon character - bright, brisk, lemony, with a clean amber liquor, light astringency, and the characteristic 'briskness' that has made Ceylon tea a global benchmark for blending. Uva-grown Cy9 develops the distinctive wintergreen and menthol note of the cachan winds; Nuwara Eliya plantings express more floral, almost jasmine-like character.
Where it grows
Sri Lanka (Nuwara Eliya, Dimbula, Uva)