No. 49 Assam FTGFOP1 Black Tea from Steven Smith Teamaker

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Black

Where to Buy:  Steven Smith Teamaker

Tea Description:

The legendary breakfast tea from the upper Assam valley of India. Full-flavored, rich and chewy with notes of caramel and malt, this tea is bright and coppery in the cup and makes a great wake-up any time of day.

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

I’ve consumed many excellent cups of Assam tea over the years, but I can think of none that I have enjoyed more than this one.  And that, in no way, is intended to take away from any of the delicious Assam teas that I have tried.  Those that I’ve reviewed positively have been just as good as I described, and I enjoyed each of those immensely.  But, I do believe that this one is my favorite.  This one… is the KING of Assam tea.

It has many of the characteristics that one would expect from an Assam – it is rich, full-bodied and deliciously flavorful.  It has a very strong malty tone to it, and a complementing caramel undertone.  Sweet, but not too sweet.

This is a remarkably bright Assam – it doesn’t taste muddled or heavy or thick the way some Assam teas can taste.  While it is a very full-flavored tea, it maintains a certain purity to it; a cleaner, more vibrant taste that doesn’t inundate the palate with that heavy sensation of “clutter” that can sometimes accompany an Assam tea.  Even with a chewy, sweet, caramel-y malty Assam like this, my palate doesn’t feel overpowered by these heavy flavors.  It finishes clean with a moderate astringency.  The aftertaste is sweet with hints of fruit.

For the purposes of this review, I consumed the cup without additions, and it is delicious this way.  It is also marvelous with a splash of milk or cream, which enhances the malty and caramel-y notes and gives it a very decadent, cozy creaminess.

Truly a remarkable Assam.