In short: New Doralawitiyahena is a low-grown tea estate in Sabaragamuwa Province, Sri Lanka, recorded as supplying Finlays with black tea.
New Doralawitiyahena is a tea estate situated in Sabaragamuwa Province, Sri Lanka, at an elevation of 186 metres above sea level. The estate produces black tea and is recorded as a supplier to Finlays, the multinational tea and horticulture company. The operator of the estate is not currently identified in trade records.
Terroir & Climate
At 186 metres, New Doralawitiyahena falls within Sri Lanka's low-grown category, a designation that typically applies to estates below approximately 600 metres. This elevation band, combined with the estate's location at roughly 6.6° north latitude in the humid southwestern quadrant of the island, generally corresponds to warmer temperatures and higher rainfall than the celebrated high-grown districts further inland. Estates at this altitude often experience year-round growing conditions with minimal seasonal dormancy, which tends to favour rapid leaf growth and high yields.
Low-grown Sri Lankan estates typically contend with greater heat and moisture, factors that can accelerate the metabolic processes in the tea plant and influence both the chemical composition of the leaf and the logistical demands of processing. The Sabaragamuwa Province, which bridges the country's wet and intermediate zones, generally sees significant monsoonal influence; estates in this region often manage harvest schedules around pronounced wet periods that can affect both plucking frequency and withering protocols in the factory.
Tea Produced
New Doralawitiyahena produces black tea. Low-grown Ceylon black teas typically yield a cup profile characterised by strength, body and briskness rather than the delicate aromatics associated with high-elevation leaf. Teas from estates at this altitude often display a darker, more robust liquor with pronounced maltiness and a straightforward, astringent finish, qualities that generally make them well-suited to blending—particularly in contexts where colour, body and reliable caffeine content are prioritised over nuanced fragrance.
Supply Chain & Market Position
New Doralawitiyahena is recorded as supplying Finlays, a vertically integrated business with extensive tea-growing, processing and marketing operations across East Africa and South Asia. Finlays sources from a wide network of owned and third-party estates to serve its global customer base of tea brands and packers. The presence of Finlays as a recorded buyer suggests that leaf or made tea from New Doralawitiyahena enters a supply chain oriented towards volume markets and blended products, where consistent quality and competitive pricing are key commercial drivers.
- Recorded supplier to Finlays
Location & Neighbouring Estates
New Doralawitiyahena lies at 6.5552, 80.5806 in Sabaragamuwa Province, Sri Lanka. Its 186 m elevation is the 35th highest of 75 estates we map in Sabaragamuwa Province. The nearest estates in the TeaTrade directory, measured point-to-point from these coordinates, are:
- KDU, Nilvin View — under 1 km away
- ACU — 4.2 km away
- Nawalakanda — 4.6 km away
- Kahawatte Plantations, Nilagama — 4.9 km away
- Kahawatte Plantations, Poronuwa — 5.1 km away
Estates at a Similar Altitude to New Doralawitiyahena
Elevation shapes how slowly leaf matures, so we match New Doralawitiyahena (186 m) with estates within 150 m of its height that are not its neighbours. Each is shown with its own 2025 climate. New Doralawitiyahena recorded 2,770 mm in 2025, 27% more than the 2,176 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atelier Sueyoshi Seicha Llc | Soo-Shi, Japan | 187 m | 1,811 mm | 21.4 °C |
| Hannam Tea Estate | Seogwipo-si, Korea Republic Of | 185 m | 2,142 mm | 18.6 °C |
| Sirah Kencong | East Java Province, Indonesia | 184 m | 2,832 mm | 29.6 °C |
| Wuyi Jiulong Mountain Tea Base | Zhejiang Province, China | 193 m | 1,469 mm | 24.4 °C |
| Andaradeniya Estate, Devonia | Southern Province, Sri Lanka | 179 m | 2,626 mm | 29.5 °C |
New Doralawitiyahena Compared with Sabaragamuwa Province
In Sabaragamuwa Province, New Doralawitiyahena is drier than 81% of the others by 2025 rainfall; higher than 54% of the others by elevation; cooler than 59% of the others by daytime temperature. The table sets New Doralawitiyahena against the 74 other estates we map in Sabaragamuwa Province, so you can see whether it is typical for its region or an outlier.
| Measure | New Doralawitiyahena | Region median | Region range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 186 m | 164 m | 26 to 1,355 m |
| Annual rainfall (2025) | 2,770 mm | 3,412 mm | 2,018 to 4,839 mm |
| Mean daily high | 29.4 °C | 29.5 °C | 21.5 to 30.9 °C |
| Mean overnight low | 22.2 °C | 21.9 °C | 15.7 to 23.0 °C |
Observed Climate at New Doralawitiyahena (2025)
ERA5 reanalysis data modelled for New Doralawitiyahena’s coordinates recorded 2,770 mm of precipitation across calendar year 2025. The wettest month was November (482 mm) and the driest was February (17 mm). Daytime highs averaged 29.4 °C and overnight lows 22.2 °C over the year; April was the warmest month and January the coolest.
| Metric | 2025 value |
|---|---|
| Annual precipitation | 2,770 mm |
| Wettest month | November (482 mm) |
| Driest month | February (17 mm) |
| Mean daily high | 29.4 °C |
| Mean overnight low | 22.2 °C |
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is New Doralawitiyahena located?
New Doralawitiyahena is in Sabaragamuwa Province, Sri Lanka, at coordinates 6.5552, 80.5806, at an elevation of about 186 metres.
What type of tea does New Doralawitiyahena produce?
New Doralawitiyahena is recorded as producing black tea.
Which buyers does New Doralawitiyahena supply?
Public supplier disclosures record New Doralawitiyahena as supplying Finlays.
How much rain does New Doralawitiyahena receive?
ERA5 reanalysis data for the estate's coordinates recorded 2,770 mm of precipitation in 2025, peaking in November (482 mm).
How does New Doralawitiyahena compare with estates at a similar elevation?
New Doralawitiyahena recorded 2,770 mm in 2025, 27% more rain than the 2,176 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].