I bought this box of tea in an Indian convenience store, but the box says that it's marketed by Unilever Canada.

The dry tea smells just like powdered barley malt. It's very sweet with a hint of bittersweet molasses.

The aroma of the brewing tea is rich, but mild. It lacks much of the tannic sharpness of other Assams. The flavor has a nice balance. The tea shows the characteristic bitterness and astringency for which Assams are noted, but both are mild, especially for CTC tea. There's a lot of maltiness considering how mellow the tea is.

Unfortunately, the CTC production style shows its limitations. When the tea starts to cool, the strong initial flavors start to slide toward the background, but it's missing the fruity and brown sugar notes that then appear in better Assams.

I like this tea. It's actually one of the best CTC Assams that I've tasted. Unfortunately, it reminds me of much better teas, but then doesn't deliver. At $7 for a pound, though, this tea is really inexpensive for the quality.

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