This is my favorite Assam I've tried yet, excepting a few wholesale-only samples.

Aroma is very complex, suggestive of bread, dried fruit (raisins?), sweet rice, and a hint of wintergreen. There's a lot going on in the aroma; I found myself sipping it slowly and enjoying the different tones that developed.

Very smooth flavor. If you like strong teas, I recommend steeping at least 5 minutes--this tea won't get that bitter. 3 minutes produced an average-strength tea and that was how I preferred drinking it.

The only objectionable quality to this tea was that it was somewhat astringent if brewed strongly. It's not particularly sharp the way some Assam is but it does leave a bit of a rough feeling on the palate if you brew it very strongly. I've had smoother Assams and smoother black teas, although none that I preferred to this as a whole.

The price is quite reasonable for a tea of this quality, and it's a bonus that it's organic and fair-trade certified. So far, this is one of the teas I've tried from Arbor Teas that I think offers the best value.

Add your own review

Login or Sign Up to comment on this review.