Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where To Buy: CaryTown Teas
Tea Description:
An elegant blend of Assam, Darjeeling, and Nigliri, with exquisite warm and nutty notes.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
A very nice tea blend – it’s hearty enough to serve as a breakfast tea, but it would also be quite nice to serve to guests at a luncheon (or tea party!) or, as an afternoon pick-me-up when a lighter black tea just won’t cut it.
There is definitely some heft to this cup. It has a strong, rich flavor, but the Darjeeling in the blend keeps the bolder notes under control just a bit, so that it doesn’t become too much. Just a touch of light to what I might otherwise consider a very dark blend … like a candle in an an otherwise pitch black room.
There is a really lovely undertone of sweetness here that is like honeyed caramel. This is further accented by the notes of malt in the tea, as well as the fruit-y notes that are scattered throughout the sip. The description above suggests warm and nutty tones, and I get those as well. The finish is astringent, but nothing too overwhelming. I tasted no bitterness, but, this isn’t a tea I’d recommend over-steeping. In other words: don’t forget to set your timer with this one!
This would make an excellent latte, but I find it quite enjoyable served straight as well … a drizzle of honey is also quite nice in this.
French Blend from New Mexico Tea Company
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black & Green Tea Blend
Where to Buy: New Mexico Tea Company
Tea Description:
This French blend has a bright coppery colour, and Ooh-la-la floral notes from ‘crème de la vanille’, Jasmine and Lavender deliciously blended with flavorful Ceylons, pungent Assams and malty Kenyas. Truly a unique and wonderful tea.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
As I mentioned in one of my reviews for the 12 Days of Christmas countdown with Della Terra Teas, I also hosted a swap on Steepster using the 12 Days of Christmas theme. Basically, participants were to select a tea that would seem inspired by the lyrics of the song, The 12 Days of Christmas. I got Day 3: Three French Hens, and this is one of three teas that I selected to send out to the participants of this swap. (The participants didn’t have to send more than one tea, I chose three teas for a couple of reasons, 1) I couldn’t narrow down my choices to just one, and 2) since I had day three, I thought three teas just seemed to work within that theme … I sent them three “French” teas.)
And as I mentioned above, this is one of the three teas I selected. I chose this tea for a couple of reasons, first, the tea had a blended base of green and black teas, and since the other two teas I was selecting both had black tea bases, I thought the green tea would offer a bit of variation from the others. Second, I wanted a blend with lavender in it, and this tea has it. Third, I like the fact that there are other floral notes to this tea – specifically, jasmine and rose.
I am really happy with this choice. Since it was both a black and a green tea, I chose a lower water temperature (180°F) and steeped it for three minutes. The first couple of sips were rather astringent, but after allowing the cup to cool a couple of minutes, I found that the astringency waned. There is still some dry astringency to this, but it is actually quite nice, as it seems to cleanse the palate a bit.
This is a beautifully floral tea. It is exotically sweet with the notes of jasmine, rose and lavender, and there is a underlying creaminess to it too thanks to the vanilla tones. The base of black and green teas seems to be a goo choice for this blend, the black tea offers a bit of earthiness and a pleasantly rich flavor with hints of malt and even the faintest wine-like quality, while the green tea lightens the cup a bit so that the black tea doesn’t taste too heavy nor does it overwhelm the flavors of the flowers … or the vanilla for that matter.
A very enjoyable cup. I like the way everything is balanced. I can taste each element of this tea: I taste the black and the green tea, and that doesn’t always happen with blended teas such as this; I taste the vanilla, the jasmine, the rose, and of course, the lavender. These floral elements meld together so nicely, they don’t seem to compete with one another, instead, they work together to create a very luxurious tasting cup … like something you might sip at a French cafe while taking in the scenery.
Tiger Assam from Andrews & Dunham Damn Fine Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Damn Fine Tea
Tea Description:
We are delighted to offer you this Tiger, our latest Assam tea. It’s resilient yet refined, gentle yet ass-kicking, crouching yet leaping. Prepare it any way you like and it’ll taste great. Forget it on the counter? Brew it a little hastily in a travel mug? It’ll still taste great. Tigers are like that. They don’t get discouraged. They don’t have off days. They deliver 100% tiger, at all times.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I am in love with this tea! Seriously, I’ve only consumed about 1/4 of my mugful of this tea, and I’m already head over heels in love with it.
I’ve consumed a lot of Assam tea over the years, and I’ve liked some better than others. But this … this is one of the very best I’ve tried. In fact, as I sit here, contemplating this tea and trying to think of other Assam teas that I might enjoy just as much as I’m enjoying this, there is only one that comes to mind. That’s pretty impressive, given the sheer number of Assam teas that I’ve sampled over the past ten years or so.
It is strong and rich … and just like a tiger, it will most assuredly kick your butt. If you are still half asleep when you reach for a cup of this tea, you won’t be after you’re half way through the cup. This tea has that GUSTO that you want from an Assam, it is robust and malty and delicious. It starts out with a smooth, caramel-y taste, slightly earthy, and as it transitions to the finish, there is just a hint of bitterness to the taste. Just a slight intonation… enough to let you know that you’re dealing with a TIGER! The finish is astringent, and this astringency slowly begins to dry your palate … a drying sensation that lasts into the aftertaste.
If ever there was a perfect Assam, I would say that this would be it. It is as close to perfect as it can get! And I love it.
No. 25 Morning Light from Steven Smith Teamaker
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Steven Smith Teamaker
Tea Description:
Awake to a festive gathering of highly sought-after teas, combining floral, nutty Darjeeling with bright, lively Nuwara Eliya, caramelized North Indian Assam and a pinch of fragrant Douglas Fir needles. Whoa, tannenbaum.
Learn more about this tea blend here.
Taster’s Review:
I debated with myself about when I should publish this review. I thought originally that I should publish it on Christmas morning, since the number of the tea is 25 for the holiday, but then I thought – no, since this is a very limited tea, and I was told only one batch was made and once it’s gone, its gone! – I should publish this review early enough so that anyone who might be interested in the tea can have time to order it before it disappears.
And … you really SHOULD try this tea. It’s amazing. I should start with a disclaimer: I love Steven Smith. He is like a rock star, a god, an icon, even! Of the tea world. I love that he is located locally, and that it takes mere minutes for me to get to his tea shop (well, a few minutes drive, after how ever long it might take for me to coax my husband in to taking me to the shop), and I love how every tea that I’ve tried from Steven Smith Teamaker is delicious.
But this … this is really special, even in the array of amazing teas from Steven Smith. It is a blend of three teas: a Darjeeling which gives the blend a sweet, floral intonation, a woodsy note and a hint of lightness to the overall cup, Nuwara Eliya Ceylon which provides a pleasing, even and bright flavor, and an Assam that adds a sweet, caramel-y undertone and a touch of maltiness and richness to the cup. These three teas, together, offer a very full and satisfying flavor without coming across as too heavy. It’s a very palate pleasing combination.
But, Steven Smith didn’t stop there, because a blend of just these three teas might make a very enjoyable breakfast blend, but this was to be a holiday tea… and what would be a more perfect addition than a touch of pine? Douglas Fir needles, to be precise. The needles give the tea a fantastic flavor – a touch of crisp, mountain air – it tastes of pine, of course, with hints of refreshing, invigorating mint.
It’s really good! It’s the kind of cuppa that puts a smile on my face and puts me into the holiday spirit! Which I’ve needed … because I don’t even have the tree up yet! Yikes! I guess there’s no time like the present. And now, thanks to Steven Smith, I’ve got the inspiration I needed to get busy with the task!
Assam Doomur Dullung from Tea Licious
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Tea Licious
Tea Description:
A sweet, malty rich and aromatic black tea.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
There are few teas that I find more rewarding first thing in the morning than a delicious, single estate Assam like this one. It is bold, rich and satisfying, and it has that certain strength to it that I look for when I am choosing my first-thing-in-the-morning tea.
This is sweet and malty, as the description states, although, I don’t find it as malty as some other Assam teas that I’ve tasted. Instead, this has an intriguing balance between malty and wine-like taste. Usually, I find that Assam teas are either malty or wine-like … but this one seems to bring both qualities to the cup.
It is also quite smooth and full-flavored, with a pleasing roundness to it. It does have a little astringency to it, but I find that the astringency here plays to the wine-like characteristics.
A very enjoyable Assam, one worth checking out!