Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: SpecialTea Brew
Company Description:
Ingredients: Assam Black Tea
Taster’s Review:
This is an absolutely wonderful Assam tea.
It is full-flavored with a crisp, pure taste that I don’t normally associate with Assam teas. Ordinarily, an Assam tea is brisk with a malty characteristic and a strong, pungent edge. This tea is also brisk and malty, and has a strong pungency, but, it isn’t quite as edgy as some Assam teas can be. It has an undercurrent of smoothness to it that is sweet and caramel-y and this curbs some of the edgier notes that I often get with an Assam.
Assam teas – that is, most Assam teas – while they are sweet and delicious in their own way, they can become a bit bitter if they are left to brew too long. It isn’t often that I come across an Assam with a little less of that “grumpy” edge to it.
That is not to say I dislike the grumpier, edgier Assam teas – I’m quite fond of them too, because they have their own charm to them. But it IS nice to come across an Assam that is smoother and sweeter – and this Assam IS smoother, sweeter, and has made me rethink what “Assam” tea means! I like it when a tea challenges me this way.
And I like this tea!
It is delicious hot or iced. A drizzle of honey will highlight the caramel-y tones to the tea, but, it is quite good without the sweetener too. And while I usually take my Assam tea with a splash of milk, this one doesn’t need the dairy to soften it – it’s the teddy bear of Assam teas! It is comforting yet bold – lovely!
Vanilla Bean from SpecialTea Brew
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: SpecialTea Brew
Company Description:
Black Tea, Flavor, Vanilla Pieces
Taster’s Review:
This tea is so smooth and delicious!
The vanilla flavor here is very nicely pronounced – it isn’t too subtle or underwhelming. It has a nice richness to it. It is sweet and tastes creamy and it tastes authentic, no artificial vanilla flavoring here!
The black tea base is strong enough to hold its own though, and is not overpowered by the strength of the vanilla. While it is not exceptionally brisk or malty, I don’t know that I would want it to be, because then I wouldn’t be enjoying the vanilla notes that I taste right now. That is to say that this tea is just so delicious just the way it is that I don’t think I’d want to change a single thing about it. It has a silky smooth – almost indulgent! – luxurious flavor to it that I am really enjoying.
While this tea would make an excellent candidate for a latte, complete with the warmed, frothed milk, I found it quite enjoyable plain. It is perfectly sweet without adding anything to it. It is also quite tasty chilled!
This is the first tea I’ve tried from SpecialTea Brew and based upon this very positive experience, it won’t be the last.