Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Canton Tea Co.
Tea Description:
We have waited a long time to bring in our own house Assam. Now we have one to shout about and have made it a Canton signature tea. It is a blend of two, high grade, Khongea Estate teas – one of which has just won the North American Tea Championships in the Assam category. That’s how good it is. The family-owned estate is known to us and we are delighted to be working closely with them. Do what Assam is made to do and steep the leaves for several minutes to get a really good, strong, dark liquor that is smooth and rich with notes of fruit. Not heavily malty, but brisk and full-bodied making it a classic breakfast tea which works well with milk. As with all of our teas, it can also be brewed light and quick and enjoyed it without milk. The golden tips you can see in the dry leaf is the higher grade CL.GFBOP: Clonal Golden Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I don’t think that Assam teas are actually my favorite type of black tea but I can’t deny that when I find an Assam tea in my stash of teas to try, I’m a happy sipper. Assam teas may not be my favorite, but a good Assam tea is certainly always welcome in my teacup – I love that rich, robust, malty flavor that it provides.
And this Canton Assam Black Tea from Canton Tea Co. has what I typically look for in an Assam tea, although it is a little different than what I would normally expect.
This Assam is a bit smoother than I’m typically used to in an Assam – it isn’t quite as astringent. But the trade-in for that is that it does lack a little bit of the strong, hefty body that I usually expect from an Assam. It’s not quite as strong or sturdy as a typical Assam – although this would still make a great breakfast tea. It’s still a robust, bold tea – but it’s a little lighter and smoother than what you might be expecting from an Assam.
It’s also not quite as malty as I usually expect. There is still malty notes here and hints of caramel. It’s still pleasantly sweet. But, I’m getting more sweetness from a stone fruit (plum) note than I am from caramel or malt. I also taste hints of raisin that are quite nice.
It’s still a full-bodied tea – it’s just not quite as rugged as I usually experience with an Assam. But that’s OK – it’s still really good and it reaffirms for me just why I get excited when I am offered a new-to-me Assam to try.
I like that I can try a tea and have an idea of what to expect and get something a little different than I expected. That’s one of the great things about tea and why I encourage people to try different teas! Even if you’ve tried Assam teas in the past (and this applies to any other type of tea as well) – and even if that experience wasn’t all of what you wanted, you shouldn’t give up on Assam. Try new teas and you might just find one that you not only like, but LOVE! It’s a journey well worth taking when you find that tea that becomes your new favorite.
So if you’re looking for a new Assam to try – you should consider this one! It’s lovely!
