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.
Red Hot Chai from 52Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tea Description:
If this doesn’t warm you up on a cold day, you better check your pulse.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I think I’ve mentioned this before here – at least once! – but I love red hots. They were definitely one of my favorite candies when I was a kid. I loved that spicy cinnamon flavor.
So, I have to admit that I was slightly disappointed the first time I brewed this. It was a delicious chai, but it didn’t have the spicy hot cinnamon flavor that I wanted. But, I’ve come to realize the fault was not with the chai, but with me. I was a bit distracted, and before I took a moment to sip it without additions, I added some warmed, frothed milk to it to make a latte. The milk – unfortunately – muted the spicy cinnamon flavor. Delicious, but not quite what I expected from a “Red Hot Chai.”
So this time when I brewed this tea, I decided to go non-latte, and see what happens. It is MUCH better like this. I can now taste a bit of the red hot-ness going on. Very cinnamon-y! I can taste the other spices here too, however, they become more of a supporting cast to the starring role of the cinnamon. Especially nice is the cardamom, which brings in a hint of citrus-y flavor which accents the cinnamon nicely; and the anise which offers a whisper of licorice-y flavor in the distance. This isn’t a strong flavor, but I like how it teases the palate as I sip. The black tea base is also discernible amid the strength of the cinnamon, providing a solid, robust flavor.
Overall, a very tasty chai. It isn’t my favorite chai from 52Teas (still loving the Gingerbread Chai, Frank), but, it is quite enjoyable and definitely has a cinnamon kick!
Organic Fair Trade Assam from Hampstead Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Hampstead Tea
Tea Description:
A uniquely strong, full bodied malty tea from the sun drenched region of Assam.
Ingredients: Fairtrade black tea
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Do you ever wake in the morning, only to wish that you could sleep longer? Of course! Don’t we all? Truth be told, I experience that just about every morning!
On the days when I can’t hit the snooze button, this is the kind of tea that I need in my tea cup. It is a strong, stout kind of tea, with plenty of gusto to help me wake up and get focused.
This full-bodied cup has a rich, malty character, and takes the addition of milk and honey quite well, if you care to add them. These additions will help take that Assam “edge” off just a little. I find this to be quite enjoyable without additions, as well. Very bold and spirited, yes, but sometimes, that’s just what I want from a tea. This one delivers.
I do recommend exercising caution when brewing this tea, though. I found that 2 minutes is the perfect time for this tea … any longer and you may wind up with a cup with a bitter bite to it. Assam tea is celebrated for its strength and rich flavor, but not for its forgiving nature!
This is the kind of Assam that you want to have on hand for when you need that extra push in the morning! One of the strongest Assam teas that I’ve yet to encounter!
Chocolate Caramel from 52Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tea Description:
Ingredients: Premium black teas, organic cacao nibs, natural flavors.
This tea is part of 52Teas Box of Chocolates sampler.
Taster’s Review:
OK… this is the one, the one I’ve been waiting for! The one that I saved for last, hoping it would be the best. I mean, yeah, it’s no secret by now, I love chocolate, but, if there is one “sweet” that I love just as much as chocolate, that would have to be caramel. And when they’re together in one confection, it’s almost heaven. (To reach heaven would require the addition of salt on said confection, or perhaps peppered bacon … yes, yes, I’m a sweet tooth, and I love flavor contrasts like salty and sweet, or even better would be salty, spicy and sweet)
Anyway … I’m happy to say that this tea did not disappoint. Of the six new-to-me chocolate teas in this Box of Chocolates sampler, this tea is my favorite (followed closely by the previous favorite: Cherry Cordial). It has a very pleasing level of chocolate and caramel flavor, and the very first flavor that I tasted with my first sip was that yummy burnt-sugar caramel taste. Mmmmm!
The black tea base works quite well with these flavors. The hint of malt from the Assam offers some dimension to the caramel flavor, while the overall flavor of the tea gives a pleasing depth to the chocolate notes. The tea tastes rich and satisfying, and the sweeter notes of the caramel seem to soften the astringency a bit, creating a smooth, well-rounded taste from start to finish.
This cup of tea made the entire Box of Chocolates sampler worthwhile to me. Yes, I love it that much!
Almond Happiness from 52Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tea Description:
Ingredients: Premium black teas, almond slivers, organic cacao nibs, coconut, natural flavors.
This tea is part of 52Teas’ Box of Chocolates Sampler.
Taster’s Review:
This is the fifth “new-to-me” tea from 52Teas’ Box of Chocolates Sampler, and I think that this is the one I was the one that elicited the most excitement from me when I first opened the box. I think I actually squealed when I saw the tea through the lid of the tin, and then turned the tin over to read the name.
When it comes to chocolate, I generally have pretty expensive taste, but, in a pinch, I’ll settle for a readily available candy bar and this tea is created with one of my favorites in mind (I don’t really need to tell you the name of that candy bar, do I?) So, needless to say, I had high expectations when I brewed this tea.
The aroma wafting from my tea cup at the moment is absolutely delicious. I can smell the sweet almond. YUM! I do wish there was a bit more coconut both in the fragrance and in the flavor. That’s not to say that it isn’t a noticeable flavor, because it is, but in the candy bar, the coconut is the strongest flavor, and that isn’t the case with this tea. Here, the almond dominates, followed by the chocolate and then the coconut.
So while I am enjoying this cup (immensely, I might add!), I do think it could be improved with a little more coconut flavor … and perhaps just a touch of vanilla to amplify the creaminess factor. Because while that candy bar may be for those who feel like a nut… its that creamy coconut that most of us really crave.
I also believe that by increasing the coconut flavor, it would help soften the black tea base here, which isn’t bitter but it is quite astringent, and I think that this takes away from the “joy” just a little bit.
Overall, it is still a VERY good tea, but, I think it could still use a little tweaking to make it even better.