Tea Reviews | It's All About The Leaf

Posts Tagged ‘Assam Tea’

From the moment at which I remove the pyramid infuser from its cardboard cover, I know there is something different about this Earl Grey. The smell of bergamot is not very strong. In fact, it is hardly present at all. Popping the infuser into my Tea Forte Cafe Cup, I fill the cup with just boiled water and let it steep for four minutes…a happy medium in the 3-5 minute range that was given by Tea Forte’s website!

The tea being now prepared, I take a whiff of the steeping, once again surprised by the smell. It is spicy with a bit of a fruity smell. Intrigued, I go on to try this cup of tea, sip by sip. My first sip is possibly the most astringent Earl Grey I have ever tasted! The bergamot is finally hinted at in the aftertaste, but the tea itself is so incredibly astringent that I wonder if I mistimed this tea. I ditch this cup and prepare to steep a new one.

This second cup I steep for only two and a half minutes. I know this is less than what was suggested, but I figure it is better to be safe. This second cup still smells exactly the first one, which worries me slightly, but I forge onward with this tasting! Still astringent, even after such a short steep time. But it is not as bad as the first cup was. The bergamot flavor is very fake and overdone, which is a bit of a turn-off, considering that this is supposed to be Earl Grey, not cologne.

If hunting for a cup of Earl Grey, this is not the tea to which to turn. I recommend trying a different brand. Sorry, Tea Forte, but this tea needs to go back to the mixing room. On my personal enjoyment scale, I would give it a 45/100.

You can purchase the Earl Grey directly from the Tea Forte website.

The common stereotype of an Assam tea is a  heavy, hefty, malty breakfast beverage. With a little milk, a good Assam should stick to your ribs more effectively than a morning bowl of Raisin Bran. This particular Assam, tagged as a 2009 World Tea Champion, doesn’t fit the common denominator, but it’s still a pleasant exception.

Couldn’t get much of a scent from the little cellophane-pack sample, but the leaves are full with about a third of them golden tips. With boiling water and more than four minutes steep time, it was more coppery than dark brown; more sharp and peppery than smooth and malty. A little more astringent than expected, too. In this case, milk and sweetener would interfere with the flavor, not accentuate it.

A second steep was OK, but a little lackluster. This one is best fresh.

You can purchase the Assam Reserve directly from the SpecialTea Brew website.

The Rani Tea Estate was once a picturesque garden known for distributing orthodox Assam teas to many parts of Europe. The estate adhered to biodynamic farming practices, meaning an emphasis on the symbiotic relationship between soil, plant, and animal. I have often sneered at the biodynamic label as nothing more than quasi-religious, Gaia Theory-borne mumbo-jumbo – a tacked-on label for upping the price of tea. Yet all teas I’ve tasted from biodynamic gardens were of high quality. This was my first Assam from Rani…and unfortunately, it was my last.

How TeaFrog was able to get a hold of this wonderful smelling Assam is a mystery. On first impression, the leaves looked like normal, small-cut black tea pieces with some golden tips strewn about. The smell, though…where to begin?! There seems to be an underlying similarity between some Assams of a higher quality. The aroma reminds me of tiramisu, dark chocolate, and blueberry syrup. I know, it’s an odd combination. I guess that’s what one gets from a SUPER Fine Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe. I just wish I knew what seasonal flush the tea was, but there was no mention of it on the TeaFrog profile.

Brewing instructions on the sample bag called for 1 tsp. of leaves per cup, a water temperature of 100C (212F), and an infusion time of three-to-four minutes. I generally steeped on the light side, which meant I was going for my usual three-minute wait. I measured out 1 tsp. and prepped 8oz-worth of water.

Even on the lighter side of steeping times, the liquor brewed to somewhere between amber and crimson – a lovely yet clear red-gold. The aroma was smoky-sweet with a floral after-scent more in line with a high-altitude Ceylon than an Assam. As for the flavor, to say that I was in awe would be the greatest of all understatements. Most Assams have an underlying profile of “MALT!”. That initial impression has become as much an Assam staple as muscatel notes have for Darjeelings. While some of that was indeed present, it took a far backseat to a fruit/floral lean I sensed in the dry leaves. A bit of dryness did perk up in the aftertaste, but it was mild. What a delightful morning cup.

This was as close to perfect as I’ve seen an Assam come. I find it a bit tragic, however, that there is only a finite supply. In March of 2010, the Rani Tea Estate was burnt to ashes by an angry mob. I won’t go into detail regarding what sparked the altercation, or my thoughts on who was in the right. Point is, a tea legacy has all but vanished. There are efforts to rebuild the infrastructure of the original garden, but a grand reopening is a distant possibility. Quite a loss, considering how perfect a cup the estate created.

You can purchase the Assam Rani SFTGFOP directly from the TeaFrog website.

My uneducated acronym for Assam is A Specially Strong Awakening Morning tea, and this selection from Tea Forte’ fits perfectly.

You’ll find it in Tea Forte’s organic filterbag selections, although my sample was loose, which gave me the opportunity to really enjoy the bready aroma of the small loose leaves.

Steeped toward the five-minute edge, Forte’ Breakfast is a beautiful red-brown color and has the strong and hefty kick you need to boot yourself out the door on a cold morning.  It lives up to the malty and full-bodied adjectives typically connected to an Assam. Need a little milk and sugar? It’ll take it.

Should you feel a need to procrastinate and drink a second steep, you may be glad you did (little less water, little more time). Minus the “boot prints” of the first strong cup, you’ll pick up some lighter, nuttier notes that continue to coax you up and around: “Come on, dear, it really isn’t that bad; take off the ratty bathrobe, splash a little warm water on your face and you’ll be fine, just fine.”

This is a good one: a tea you can spend a whole morning with.

You can purchase the Forte Breakfast directly from the Tea Forte website.

Hattaialli Golden Lion 1st Flush 2010, Assam from Lochan Tea is a nice bold semi-strong black.  It ‘steeps up’ fairly dark and pretty fast. If you are looking for a good old standby black tea – plain and simple – try this one!  It’s perfect for mid mornings, midday lulls, or great with friendly conversation.  Just plain GOOD to have on-hand!

You can find Lochan Teas directly from the Lochan Tea website.