Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: M&K’s Tea Company on Etsy
Tea Description:
India Assam region is home to some of the world’s grandest teas. Our Tezpur estate Assam tea is a great, brisk, and malty tea. It’s great for the morning and relaxing in the evening, try it any time.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Oh … lovely. (Imagine satisfied sigh here.)
This is the kind of Assam that I absolutely adore. It’s bold and malty. It’s smooth. It’s not bitter. (I’m sure it would be bitter if it were brewed too long, it’s always important to watch the brew time with Assam teas, it’s been my experience that they’re not a very forgiving sort of tea.)
It’s mildly sweet yet it has a certain invigorating, bracing flavor that I want as my first cup of the day!
To brew this tea, I used my Kati Tumbler. I tend to like my teas a little on the stronger side, and the amount of tea that was in my sampler from M&K’s appeared to be enough for a weak brewing in my Breville or a strong brewing in my Kati, and I opted for the strong brewing in my Kati.
I poured the contents of the sampler into the basket (save just under 1/2 teaspoon which I added to my “breakfast tea” tin – a tin that I keep with small remnants of black tea that are too much to throw away but not enough to brew a cuppa, so I put the small amount of tea into the tin until there’s enough for a pot of tea). Then I heat the water to 205°F (I tend to go with a slightly lower temperature with Assam – remember, they’re a little finicky) and poured 12 ounces of water into the tumbler and let it steep for 2 1/2 minutes. Perfection!
The rich tasting tea doesn’t need additions – it tastes great served straight! But, if you’re one who likes a little honey or sugar and milk in your breakfast tea, this tea would certainly take those additions well. It would make a marvelously rewarding latte!
To brew a latte, I recommend steeping it a little strong – instead of taking out that aforementioned just under 1/2 teaspoon of tea to add to the breakfast tea tin, keep it in the basket so that you have a strong brewed tea. The key for stronger tea that tastes great isn’t to steep it longer, it’s to add more leaf. Steeping it longer will produce a stronger tea, but it will also produce a more tannic brew: tannic = bitter. Use a little extra leaf and steep for the 2 1/2 minutes. Then add the dollop of honey or other sweetener of your choice and some steamed milk for a yummy morning latte!
The sip starts out strong and I taste the sweet, caramel-y notes immediately. Then I start to taste some of the stronger, more rugged earthy notes, hints of leather and fruit notes. The fruit notes remind me of raisin and dried stone fruit – like the sugary sweetness from a dried plum.
As I continue to sip on this tea, the astringency does build. It started out with barely any astringency, but now I am getting a distinct dryness on my palate at the very tail of the sip and in the aftertaste, my palate feels like it’s been patted dry with a soft cloth. Like it’s preparing me for another sip.
The description above suggests that this would make a good evening tea, but, I don’t know that this is a tea that I could drink very late into the evening. It would keep me awake and alert for a couple of hours. It’s got some gusto!
For a breakfast tea though – this is the stuff! It’s awesome!
Apple Brandy Assam from 52Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tea Description:
A Mokalbari Estate GFOP Assam blended with freeze-dried apple pieces, and organic apple and brandy flavors. This rich Assam base has a long and wiry leaf style with some golden tips and makes a beautiful cuppa with the hints of apple and brandy.
Learn more about this blend here.
Learn more about 52Teas’ subscriptions here.
Taster’s Review:
Wow, this review is scheduled to publish mid-January and I’m just now getting into my December teas from 52Teas! Time to get with it!
I steeped this tea in my trusty Breville One-Touch. I love this machine! I measured 2 bamboo scoops of tea into the basket (these were heaping scoops because the pieces of apple are large and took up a considerable amount of space in the scoop!) and I measured 500ml of water into the jug. Then I set the parameters: 2 minutes (it’s an Assam so I use a little less time) and 205°F (again, with an Assam, I take the temperature down from 212° to 205°).
At first I wasn’t too sure about this tea. I wasn’t really picking up on any flavors at all.
I could taste the Assam. It tasted like a wine-like Assam to me – then again, that could just be the Brandy flavoring playing games with my palate – but I can taste a wine-like taste to this and not so much a malty tone.
I do taste some malt, just not as much as I typically do with an Assam. I really like the base, though, because it’s a rich and full-flavored tea. It’s very enjoyable and has a really good flavor to it.
I’m not a big alcohol drinker, as I’ve confessed many times (I’m a TEA-totaler) so I can’t really tell you that what I’m tasting is definitely brandy. But I do taste a wine-like/brandy-like flavor to this and this flavor develops as I continue to sip.
Because as I said at the start of this review, I wasn’t too sure about this tea. It took a while for the palate to start picking up on the flavors of this tea. After a short cooling time and as I now continue to sip (I’m now halfway through my mug of tea), I’m tasting more flavors that taste of brandy/wine.
And I can taste the apple too! The apple notes started to really pop after drinking about 1/4 of my cup of tea. The flavor is sweet and crisp and I like the way it melds with the brandy and Assam.
This is tasty!
Dejoo Estate Assam STGFOP1 Black Tea from Capital Tea Limited
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Capital Tea Limited
Tea Description:
Wiry brown leaves with ample golden tips. These leaves produce a smooth and rich tasting tea liquor with a particularly sweet honey-malt flavour. A very well rounded flavour profile and balanced full body makes this an excellent tea to drink with milk for any time of day.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I received a sampling of this tea from a friend. Her experience with the tea wasn’t as positive as my first few sips of this tea seemed to be and I thought at first that the reason may be because of steep time. I find that Assam teas are quite finicky and temperamental. I don’t usually use boiling water for an Assam tea, I go with just slightly under (205°F) and steep the tea for not more than 2 1/2 minutes. If I’m steeping the tea in my Kati tumbler or a teapot, then I go with 2 1/2 minutes. If I’m brewing the tea in my Breville One-Touch, I go with 2 minutes.
The reason for the different brew time in my Breville? Because the tea maker will keep the liquid warmer than the act of heating the water and pouring it into a separate vessel. Even though the temperature change may be very slight, with an Assam it does make a difference.
My first few sips of this tea were pleasant enough. I picked up on sweeter notes of malt as well as a honey-like sweetness and these two flavors melded together in a nice way.
But as I continued to sip, I started to pick up on this bitter note toward mid-sip. It wasn’t that “oops, I oversteeped the tea” sort of bitterness. At first, I thought it was a savory element to contrast with the sweeter notes. However, I noticed that some of the sweetness that I picked up on early on was beginning to wane and the tannic qualities of this tea were taking over.
I don’t think I’ve ever experienced a tea like this, where I would have a positive experience with it at first and as I continued to sip the experience grew less and less enjoyable, but that’s what I’m getting from this. What started out with a pleasant, mild sweetness has become something more like something that’s gone bad. It was fine for the first five sips or so but as I progressed with this cup, I found that the flavors became less sweet and pleasurable and more tannic.
And now that this cup sits in front of me, I can’t really offer any redeeming words about it. I wish I could.
I do thank my friend, though, for sending me the sampling. I do appreciate it.
Midday Flight Black Tea Blend from Tippy’s Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Tippy’s Tea
Tea Description:
Tippy’s own unique afternoon blend. Drink it in the afternoon or it is really great as an everyday tea. Smooth and well balanced with malty undertones.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I’ve tried a couple of Tippy’s Teas now, and I have to say that I’m very happy with what I’ve tried so far! This Midday Flight is lovely!
When I think “black tea,” generally, I think “morning tea” because I usually enjoy the black teas early in the day and by ‘midday’ I’m usually switching to either green or Oolong tea. But, every once in a while, I want the rich, rewarding flavor of a black tea in the afternoon.
Today is one such afternoon. I need something to give me a little more of a boost (read: caffeine) than I get from a green or Oolong tea, so it’s black tea to the rescue! Specifically, this Midday Flight from Tippy’s Tea.
This is rich and flavorful and very smooth. The combination of Ceylon, Keemun, Assam and Darjeeling is wonderful and I like that I can taste ‘components’ of each tea. I taste the rich, malty flavor of the Assam. I taste a slight smoky character from the Keemun. I taste the smooth, even tone of the Ceylon. And I taste the light, crisp note of the Darjeeling.
The sip starts out with notes of malt and smoke. It starts out with a strong, earthy flavor. There is no mistaking that I’m sipping on black tea the moment I start sipping. It’s not aggressive though. It’s approach is smooth. By mid-sip, I pick up on wine-like notes with fruity notes of grape and citrus. The earthy qualities remain throughout the sip. Beneath these notes, I taste a light sweetness that is honey-esque with very subtle molasses notes.
The finish is dry but not overly astringent. There is some astringency and it does build – the first few sips were barely astringent and now that i’m more than halfway through my cup, I am noting more astringency than I experienced at the start. But it’s not a bitter or jarring astringency. It is as though my taste buds grabbed a little towel and patted my tongue dry so that it could be ready for another sip.
Very satisfying. I’m enjoying this tea immensely. It’s rich and flavorful and very smooth. One of the best Afternoon blends I’ve ever encountered!
North Pole Estate Tea from Tippy’s Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Tippy’s Tea
Tea Description:
A magical tea. Reindeer bitten and handpicked by elves in their off season, this tea is beloved by Santa Claus himself!
Our North Pole estate is a dark, malty black tea blend with hints of cinnamon, gingerbread, cloves, and a touch of chocolate. A delicious holiday tea to keep you warm. Recommended to slightly sweeten. Adding milk or brewing as a latte will add an extra dreamy creaminess.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Yeah, I know that the holiday has come and gone, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t still be enjoying holiday tea blends! I, for one, love the warm, spicy flavors that seem to be a consistent theme for the holiday teas and I think they’re perfectly relevant to be sipping any time you want to feel that warm, cozy feeling!
This is the first tea from this new-to-me company that I’ve tried and I’m trying it in a brand new teacup! Last year, I broke my beloved Starry Night (Van Gogh) teacup and I’ve been using others that I have but I really needed a new big mug teacup that I loved as much as that Starry Night because I love tea – you know I do! But tea tastes so much better when it’s served in something you love to drink out of!
And yes … I’m a Harry Potter nerd. And while there are many parts of the books/movies that bring tears to my eyes, no five words from the Harry Potter world bring tears to my eyes more effectively than these:
“After all this time?” “Always.”
Yep, I’m tearing up right now.
So, let’s talk about this tea.
My initial couple of sips were not quite as spiced as I expected them to be. I let the cup cool for a few minutes, hoping that some time would help bring the flavors forward.
And it does! I am tasting more spice now. I taste subtle notes of cinnamon. The clove is even more subtle. I taste a background note of gingerbread and a hint of chocolate. The spices are not strong here – this isn’t a chai! – it’s an “estate” tea. A North Pole Estate.
Single Estate teas tend to take on the flavors that surround the estate, but usually subtly. The leaves absorb the essences that fill the air. In the North Pole, I’d imagine the scent of warm spice, gingerbread and chocolate permeate the air. And that’s what this cup brings to this cup.
The black tea is a strong blend of black teas from India and China (Assam and Keemun teas). Bold, malty, rich. There are wine-like notes to it along with the notes of malt. The finish is dry.
The cinnamon is the most pronounced of the flavors, with hints of clove dancing in the background. The chocolate is subtle but every now and again, it weaves its way into the sip in a very pleasing way. The gingerbread becomes more noticeable when I slurp the sip and aerate the liquid on the palate.
A really interesting cuppa. I like it.