I don’t recall if I have ever had a Green Assam from Socklatinga so I was thrilled to have it in front of me recently.
According to the Tea Swan website – Socklatinga Green Tea is a variant of whole leaf green-tea collected during the second flush of Assam and makes a cup of warm golden-green tea.
Tasting the charming fruity flavor of this tea was a pleasure but I also found it to be a bit grassy-green with a hint of helpful bitterness, too! What kind of fruity notes? Pear – possibly!
As I continued to sip on this tea I wanted to learn more about the tea estate, itself. A brief recap in my research found that the Sockieting Tea Estate produces 4,00,000 kgs of tea in a year and is a HACCP accredited estate. The property was procured from Andrew Yule & Co Ltd and spreads across 223 hectares of land.
This was a tasty tea. I would suggest it for those who enjoy a grassier-green with hints of pear-like-fruit hidden underneath.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Tea Swan
Description
Socklatinga Green Tea whole leaf green-tea collected during the second flush of Assam makes a cup of warm golden-green drink.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Hongyu Hongcha from Fong Mong Tea. . . .
The wet leaf has the most interesting smell.
So much so that I am having trouble being able to put a descriptor to it.
Perhaps its hints of eucalyptus in mahogany sawdust in a mixture of compost and wet leaves.
It’s such a complex aroma! Somewhat medicinal as well but not in a bad way. A silky mouth feel and dark, clear amber in color.
Quite an earthy tea. The aroma carries over into the after taste but the first time the liquid hits your tongue a full force of earthy flavors assault you.
I’m not really sure I would say it’s minty like their website describes but it does have that slight mouth clean sensation that mint gives you.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Fong Mong Tea
Description
Organic Hong Yu Hong Cha, Sun Moon Lake black tea (well-known as Ruby #18) can be declared “Red Treasure“ in central Taiwan. A hybrid from a Burma Assam varietal (mother) and a Taiwanese wild camellia sinensis varietal (father), was researched for years by TRES developing as a unique new cultivar producing carmine and perfectly clear liquor with super high quality in the world. The tea trees are widely planted in Nantou County growing thick and rich tea leaves because of the fertile soil and moderate climate in central Taiwan. Its unique sweet malt aroma and strong cinnamon and mint taste, delicious with hints of fruit, and a little earthy make it truly unforgettable. Rich catechins enrich its character of black tea itself. It is also the best ingredient to make“bubble tea“ (the most famous Taiwanese tea drink on earth).
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Sun Moon Lake Assam from Cameron Taiwan Premium Loose Leaf Teas . . . .
Sun Moon Lake Black tea from Cameron gets its name from its home region of Taiwan. What a celestial and romantic name! Do how did the tea compare?
This was a competition grade assam black tea. The dry leaves were large and flat, darkly colored from the full oxidation process. When I put my nose into the bag of dry leaves it smelled pleasantly like chocolate and dark plum.
Brewed, this tea was smooth and crisp, which was a bit of a surprise. I’m familiar with assam teas with big names like golden tiger which brew up deep and chocolatey, with a robust warm-and-fuzzy feeling.
This assam was much brighter, tasting a little greener. It reminded me of the tartness of a breakfast black tea, with a brisk and refreshingly dry mouthfeel. Though there wasn’t as much of the cozy chocolate notes as I expected in the brewed tea, there were plenty of sweet fruit flavors like apricot and plum alongside the more traditional black tea notes.
Maybe the duality of Sun and Moon come into play in comparing the tea’s scent with its taste. The fragrance of the dry leaves are very much the evening moon, with darker, richer tones of cacao and purple plum. The brewed leaves are much more like the sun, bright and crisp and perfect for breakfast.
This is a great tea if you are looking for a high quality assam that will surprise you. Take a walk on the brighter side of assam and brew up a cup of Sun Moon Lake tea from Cameron.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Cameron Taiwan Premium Loose Leaf Teas
Description:
Sun Moon Lake is located at altitude of 700m, surrounded with mountains and lakes with remarkable environment and typical climate. Heavy moist and stable yearly average temperature make the tea trees grow thick and rich tea leaves which produce carmine and perfectly clear liquor.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Perfect, Cold-Weather Cup: Boisahabi Estate Assam from Capital Tea Ltd
Assam teas are known for their fuller, malty feel and flavor, distinctly different than the tart zing of Ceylon black teas. This Assam from the Boisahabi Estate from Capital Tea Ltd., is a high grade tea (STGFOP (SPL) ) with a mix of black tea leaves and the highly-prized golden tips that bring the complex and delicious flavor.
In the dry leaf, this tea smells comforting and slightly spicy, like cinnamon sticks and fresh wood. Brewed, the tea becomes surprisingly fruity, with lush muscatel flavors like pear and plum. Beneath this fruitiness, the black tea is smooth and full, with toffee tones. Overall, the tea feels very pleasant to drink, with a texture that fills my mouth with a warm, fuzzy feeling, without being too cloying or too sharp.
In the winter season, I seem to be drawn to all the crazy dessert-flavored teas like pumpkin pie or gingerbread cake, but while those teas are fun, their flavors are certainly enhanced by artificial flavors or added sugars and sprinkles. There’s a time and place for those tasty flavored teas, but this Assam from Boisahabi Estate really took me by surprise and felt more flavorful and festive than those other blends.
This tea has a beautiful balance of both bold and delicate flavors, with the lighter, garden-like flavors of stone fruit, and the rich caramel and black tea undertones. Even without sugar or milk, there is a smooth and comforting natural sweetness to this brew, which speaks to the quantity and quality of the golden tips and the tea leaves as a whole.
When you want a mature cup of tea with comforting yet complex flavors, brew a cup of Assam black tea from Boisahabi Estate from Capital Tea Ltd. and stay cozy in the chilly weather.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Capital Tea Ltd
Description:
Sweetly aromatic attractive deep brown Assam leaves with plenty of golden tips. These leaves infuse to a rich, full bodied, and intensely flavourful tea liquor with prominent notes of candy-malt and toffee. Highly recommended as a breakfast tea to drink with milk
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Organic Assam Tonganagaon from Simpson & Vail. . . .
While searching for some pretty unique yet powerful black teas – one MUST try the offerings of Simpson & Vail!
If you have been following the Sororitea Sisters for a while you probably aren’t a stranger to that company and for good reason…they have some pretty fantastic teas!
This time around I would like to share with you Simpson & Vail’s Organic Assam Tonganagaon. It’s not a tea that stayed in my tea stash for long – that is for sure! I sipped it up pretty quick – it’s just that good!
S&V state on their website that – In the northeastern state of Assam in India, along the Brahmaputra River grow the hearty, malty Assam teas. The heavy rainfall and hot, humid day time temperatures in this area create the perfect green house like environment for growth, as well as helping to create the unique taste found only in Assam teas. Their distinct flavor can be enjoyed “as is”; however, Assam teas are often used in conjunction with other teas to create numerous blends, specifically breakfast teas. This small estate is located in Northeast India near the Namdapha National Park, which is recognized as one of India’s richest areas of biodiversity.
I fully agree with their assessment that this is a delicious Assam! The medium-black, slightly tippy leaves brew to a medium amber cup with a delightful, well-bodied malty taste…just what I look for in an Assam!
Yet another WIN for S&V and for ME as I continue to sip!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Simpson & Vail
Description
In the northeastern state of Assam in India, along the Brahmaputra River grow the hearty, malty Assam teas. The heavy rainfall and hot, humid day time temperatures in this area create the perfect green house like environment for growth, as well as helping to create the unique taste found only in Assam teas. Their distinct flavor can be enjoyed “as is”; however, Assam teas are often used in conjunction with other teas to create numerous blends, specifically breakfast teas.
A delicious Assam! This small estate is located in Northeast India near the Namdapha National Park, which is recognized as one of India’s richest areas of biodiversity. The medium-black, slightly tippy leaves brew to a medium amber cup with a delightful, well-bodied malty taste.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!