In short: Coolbawn is a black tea estate in Sri Lanka's Central Province, operating at 618 metres elevation and recorded as a supplier to Finlays.
Coolbawn is a tea estate located in Sri Lanka's Central Province, at an elevation of 618 metres above sea level. The estate produces black tea and is recorded as a supplier to Finlays, one of the world's largest tea and coffee trading houses. The operating company behind Coolbawn is not publicly documented in current trade records.
Terroir & Climate
At 618 metres, Coolbawn occupies what is typically classified as low-grown or low-mid elevation territory in Sri Lankan tea nomenclature, well below the high-grown threshold of 1,200 metres. Estates at this altitude generally experience warmer ambient temperatures and more consistent year-round growth, with less pronounced seasonal dormancy than their counterparts in the central highlands. The Central Province's geography encompasses a wide elevation band, and at this lower tier the growing cycle tends to favour vigorous flush and higher yields, though the leaf character is typically bolder and less delicate than that from cooler, high-altitude gardens.
The latitude, just north of seven degrees, places Coolbawn firmly within Sri Lanka's equatorial belt, where day length varies minimally across the year and two principal monsoon windows—the south-west from May to September and the north-east from December to February—shape the wet and dry rhythm of cultivation. Estates in this elevation range often contend with higher humidity and more intense solar radiation during dry spells, conditions that can accelerate leaf maturation and influence the balance of polyphenols and catechins in the plucked shoots.
Tea Produced
Coolbawn produces black tea, and estates at this elevation in the Central Province typically yield a cup that is full-bodied, malty, and assertive in character. Low-grown Sri Lankan blacks tend to offer deeper colour, robust astringency, and a straightforward, sometimes brisk flavour profile that performs well in blends requiring strength and consistency. While high-grown Ceylon teas are prized for brightness and nuance, teas from gardens such as Coolbawn—operating in the warmer, lower belt—are often valued by blenders and packers for their body, reliable colour, and the ability to stand up to milk, making them well suited to mainstream retail and food-service applications.
Supply Chain & Market Position
Coolbawn is recorded as a supplier to Finlays, a vertically integrated multinational with extensive tea sourcing, blending, packing, and distribution operations across Asia, Africa, and beyond. Finlays purchases leaf and made tea from a wide network of estates and auctions, consolidating volume for own-label packers, brand owners, and food-service clients in Europe, North America, and the Middle East. The relationship indicates that Coolbawn's output meets the quality and traceability standards required by a tier-one buyer operating at scale, and suggests the estate is integrated into global supply chains serving supermarket own-brands and branded blends where provenance, consistency, and audit compliance are baseline expectations.
- Recorded supplier to Finlays
Location & Neighbouring Estates
Coolbawn lies at 7.0229, 80.4838 in Central Province, Sri Lanka. Its 618 m elevation is the 79th highest of 94 estates we map in Central Province. The nearest estates in the TeaTrade directory, measured point-to-point from these coordinates, are:
- Hatton Plantations, Kenilworth — 2.4 km away
- Liverpool — 3.9 km away
- Broadlands Tea Factory — 7.7 km away · Kalugala-Laxapana Rd
- Yuillefield Tea Estate — 7.8 km away · Western Province
- Kahawatte Plantations, Craighead — 7.8 km away
Estates at a Similar Altitude to Coolbawn
Elevation shapes how slowly leaf matures, so we match Coolbawn (618 m) with estates within 150 m of its height that are not its neighbours. Each is shown with its own 2025 climate. Coolbawn recorded 3,346 mm in 2025, 26% more than the 2,651 mm average across these estates: at the same height, local weather and exposure matter as much as elevation.
| Estate | Where | Elevation | Rain 2025 | Mean high |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yahalatenne | Central Province, Sri Lanka | 625 m | 3,098 mm | 27.2 °C |
| Badamtam Tea Estate | Weste Bengal, India | 608 m | 2,753 mm | 27.2 °C |
| ESPERANZA | Mulanje, Malawi | 643 m | 1,677 mm | 26.9 °C |
| Ancoombra | Central Province, Sri Lanka | 591 m | 3,329 mm | 27.2 °C |
| Kawalazi Tea Estate | D44, Malawi | 653 m | 2,396 mm | 27.2 °C |
Coolbawn Compared with Central Province
In Central Province, Coolbawn is wetter than 58% of the others by 2025 rainfall; lower than 84% of the others by elevation; warmer than 80% of the others by daytime temperature. The table sets Coolbawn against the 93 other estates we map in Central Province, so you can see whether it is typical for its region or an outlier.
| Measure | Coolbawn | Region median | Region range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 618 m | 1,203 m | 37 to 1,924 m |
| Annual rainfall (2025) | 3,346 mm | 3,152 mm | 2,071 to 4,839 mm |
| Mean daily high | 26.7 °C | 23.1 °C | 19.1 to 30.1 °C |
| Mean overnight low | 18.8 °C | 16.4 °C | 12.4 to 22.2 °C |
Observed Climate at Coolbawn (2025)
ERA5 reanalysis data modelled for Coolbawn’s coordinates recorded 3,346 mm of precipitation across calendar year 2025. The wettest month was November (914 mm) and the driest was February (32 mm). Daytime highs averaged 26.7 °C and overnight lows 18.8 °C over the year; May was the warmest month and December the coolest.
| Metric | 2025 value |
|---|---|
| Annual precipitation | 3,346 mm |
| Wettest month | November (914 mm) |
| Driest month | February (32 mm) |
| Mean daily high | 26.7 °C |
| Mean overnight low | 18.8 °C |
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Coolbawn located?
Coolbawn is in Central Province, Sri Lanka, at coordinates 7.0229, 80.4838, at an elevation of about 618 metres.
What type of tea does Coolbawn produce?
Coolbawn is recorded as producing black tea.
Which buyers does Coolbawn supply?
Public supplier disclosures record Coolbawn as supplying Finlays.
How much rain does Coolbawn receive?
ERA5 reanalysis data for the estate's coordinates recorded 3,346 mm of precipitation in 2025, peaking in November (914 mm).
How does Coolbawn compare with estates at a similar elevation?
Coolbawn recorded 3,346 mm in 2025, 26% more rain than the 2,651 mm average of estates at a similar elevation.
Data sources: public supply-chain disclosures (Ethical Tea Partnership member lists, Rainforest Alliance certificate holders and retailer supplier disclosures); climate figures are ERA5 reanalysis modelled for the estate’s coordinates via Open-Meteo (calendar year 2025); coordinates and elevations from geocoded records. Spotted an error? Email [email protected].