Assam Tea - Organic
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Commercial Description
Strong flavour, full body.
Ratings & Reviews
Page 1 of 1 page with 2 reviews
70 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 4/5Difflugia (170 reviews) on Dec. 9th, 2018
I bought this tea as a grey market item from a nearby Indian grocery store. Lately, I've tried and enjoyed a number of teas from Indian brands and this one is no exception.
As far as appearance, the dry CTC "crumbs" are larger and slightly lighter in color than those of most other CTC teas. The brewing tea reminds me more of a Ceylon than an Assam, smelling of dark bread crust or maybe pumpernickel. Classic malt is there when I sniff for it but it's in the background.
The tea is bitter and astringent, I'd say about medium for CTC tea. It's less bitter than Red Label or PG Tips, but more bitter than Taj Mahal or Tata Gold. Those sensitive to bitter flavors might not like this one without milk. I find it to be nicely balanced, especially later in the cup when more flavors open up as the tea cools to lukewarm. There are spicy notes of clove and cinnamon along with a sweet fruitiness like date or dried fig. I can also taste the wood that Alex mentioned and now that I look for it, I'm pleasantly reminded of sucking on a popsicle stick after the popsicle is gone. Though the flavor is strong, the tea isn't as rich as other Assam teas and I'm still reminded through the cup of Sri Lankan teas.
I paid $2.99 for a 100g box with a heavy, sealed inner pouch.
73 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 4/5Alex Zorach (1448 reviews) on Jan. 29th, 2017
A solid-quality CTC Assam that would make a good breakfast tea.
My roommate purchased this at a local Indian store. The date on the package shows it was packed last May, and we just opened the package the other day, so I know I was trying this tea while still very fresh. My rooomate enjoys this with almond milk and, although I do not drink tea with milk, I can see this one working well with milk and/or spices.
The dry leaf is not very aromatic.
The brewed cup is very dark, the aroma is mostly toasty, less malty than I expect for an Assam, and there are notable notes of wood and leather. Flavor is very pleasant: pleasantly bitter and never too much so, exactly what I want in a strong CTC Assam tea. I also found the body of this tea to be just tannic enough to be pleasantly strong, but not too much.
This would make a great breakfast tea. I've become a bit picky with CTC teas lately as I've tried some top-notch ones, and this one wasn't quite on par with some of the top-notch ones I've tried, but it's also pretty inexpensive, and also organic certified. I especially recommend this for people who like strong toasty notes in a tea's aroma.
I liked a 3-minute steep; this yielded good strength without too much bitterness or astringency.
Page 1 of 1 page with 2 reviews
