Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Starglory on Amazon
Tea Description:
Black Tea is consumed because of its natural flavour and for refreshment. Excellent cup of black tea helps a person to start a day positively with full of energy. At the end of a hectic, tiresome and busy day if a perfect black tea is taken , it will re energize and refresh oneself. This is one best Orthodox Black Tea sourced from Upper Assam Gardens.
Learn more about Starglory Tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I love Assam black teas, so when I was asked by Starglory Tea to try their FOP Assam Black, I was only too happy to oblige!
Immediately upon looking at the dry leaf, I can see something distinctly different with this tea versus other Assam black teas. Most Assam teas that I’ve encountered tend to be a smaller cut or broken leaf. But these beautiful, long, wiry leaves of chocolate brown appear to be whole! When Starglory says “FOP” (which stands for Flowery Orange Pekoe – which basically means that the tea consists of large, wiry, and mostly unbroken leaves), they mean it!
To brew this beautiful Assam, I measured out 2 1/2 bamboo scoops of tea (I added an extra half a scoop because the leaves are so large and bulky) into the basket of my Breville tea maker and poured 500ml of freshly filtered water into the vessel. I set the parameters for 2 1/2 minutes steep time at 205°F. I used a slightly lower temperature because it’s been my experience that Assam teas can be somewhat temperamental and a slightly lower temperature can mean the difference between a perfect tasting cup of tea and a bitter brew.
And this tastes perfect!
It is rich, delicious and malty, just like I want from an Assam. But this tastes much smoother – no bitterness whatsoever! Not even a hint in the background. Just sweet, caramel-y notes that meld deliciously with notes of malt to create a thick, luscious flavor that not only entices me with its delicious flavor but also invigorates me.
The sip begins with a sweet note that becomes very caramel-esque as the sip progresses. I begin to pick up on the malty notes almost right away. There are notes of fruit and floral notes in the background. It’s got that “chewy” sort of flavor to it, thick and delicious like the crust from a freshly baked loaf of bread. Mmm! It’s a very satisfying tea.
This tea doesn’t require any additions – it tastes great as is. But, if you prefer a bit of honey or milk in your tea, this tea would take those additions well. It would be great with a thin slice of lemon too. Another great idea is to drop a piece or two of crystallized ginger into your tea. This adds a little sweetness to the cup as well as a hint of ginger’s peppery flavor. (Plus you get a tasty treat at the end of the cup!)
If you’re looking for an Assam that delivers the flavor of the Assam without so much of the harshness that is often associated with it – this is the Assam you’re looking for!
Organic Korakundah from Butiki Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Butiki Teas
Tea Description:
This green tea originates from the Korakundah Estate in Nilgiri, India and is grown at an elevation of 8,000 feet. Organic Korakundah is an FOP (Flowery Orange Pekoe) grade. The Korakundah Estate is biodynamic, pesticide free, and socially responsible. This tea is very unique and almost difficult to describe. Notes of bitter greens and baby spinach are present with some smokiness. It is lightly astringent yet somewhat sweet.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I’ve had this tea a couple of times now, and I’ve really enjoyed it. It’s a refreshing change from the sweeter Chinese green teas that I’ve tasted. This has a sweet flavor to it too, but, it’s quite different from the sweeter, creamier type green teas that I so often review.
This tea has a very interesting balance between bitter and sweet. The flavor is quite vegetal, with notes of grass, smoked spinach and dandelion greens. Yes, that’s right, I said “smoked” spinach, rather than steamed spinach. It has that mild, sweet flavor that one would experience with steamed baby spinach, but there is a smoky tone to this too, so imagine if the baby spinach were smoked instead of steamed … what that might taste like. That’s what I taste with this tea.
I love the complexity of the “green” flavor of this tea – it doesn’t just taste “fresh” or “vegetative” … it has a palate-pleasing sweetness that contrasts nicely with bitter tones, and a hint of smoky flavor that is also quite “green” tasting. There is a smooth astringency at the tail that is quite different from the astringency in other teas too. I often suggest an astringency is “dry” or “tangy” … but this is different. It is smooth with a hint of sourness to it … almost tangy, but not quite. It leaves the palate feeling clean and very refreshed.
A lovely green tea – uniquely different from the Chinese and Japanese greens, but every bit as interesting.
Craigmore English Breakfast FOP from Deckan Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Deckan Tea
Tea Description:
A delicious black tea from the Nilgiri Mountains of Southern India that is very fragrant, fruity and ideal through out the day.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This tea surprised me a little. When I read the label and saw “English Breakfast” on there, I thought “ok, a breakfast blend, probably a blend of Assam and Ceylon.” I figured I was in for the “usual standard fare” when it comes to English Breakfast blends. But upon closer inspection, I noticed that this doesn’t appear to be a blend at all. It appears to be a pure Nilgiri, from the Craigmore Estate, no less!
And wow! This “breakfast” tea is wonderful. It has managed to strike that balance between an invigorating “get up and go” type of tea and a “slow down and enjoy the amazing flavor” kind of tea. It is rich and robust, delicious, malty, a little earthy, and possesses that highly prized biscuit-y kind of quality, but still has a bracing, stimulating effect to help wake and refresh you.
I prefer most of my breakfast teas hot, but I think that this would be absolutely delicious served iced too. When served hot, it takes the additions of milk (or cream) and honey (or sugar) quite well, but is also delicious served straight with no additions. When served iced, enjoy it with a sliver of lemon or perhaps a sprig of mint.
An unexpectedly wonderful English Breakfast!
Green Mashdana FOP from Deckan Tea (aka Deckan Coffee Co.)
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Deckan Tea
Tea Description:
Green tea from the Nilgiri’s of Southern India. Very rich in anti-oxidants with a smooth, subtle smoky aroma. Only use half a teaspoon per 8 oz cup of water and steep for one minute. Enjoy it plain with a squeeze of lemon drops, hot.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
When I opened this package and peeked inside, the tea leaves looked a little bit like a Chun Mee tea as well as a bit of a Gunpowder Green tea. If you were to somehow marry the two tea types, this tea would look like the offspring of the two.
It possesses a smoky aroma, a bit smokier than some Gunpowder green teas I’ve encountered, but it isn’t as smoky as say, a Lapsang Souchong or even a Caravan blend. The smokiness melds with the essence of the green tea leaves in such a way that it comes off as a savory smoke that is really quite enticing. The fragrance of the brewed tea is quite similar, but, it might even be a tad smokier than the dry leaf.
The flavor is incredible. It is smooth and sweet, but also quite savory. In fact, I’d say that the savoriness of this tea outweighs the sweetness, but, the way the two flavor elements meld together is really quite delightful. It tastes like a mild green vegetable that has been smoke-roasted, which brings out the sweetness of the vegetable but at the same time imparts a savory quality that tantalizes the taste buds.
It isn’t what I’d call grassy, though there is some characteristics of this tea that can be considered “grassy.” So to explain my position on it, I’d say that it is more savory than a sweet grass taste, and not at all that bitter green grassy kind of taste. It is an interesting savory grassy taste that is quite unlike anything I’ve tasted before. And I am really liking it.
This is a very different approach to green tea, quite unlike a Chinese green or a Japanese green, and definitely one that I’d recommend to those who like green teas and are looking to expand their horizons a bit.
Organic Korakundah Estate Nilgiri FOP Black Tea from Arbor Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Arbor Teas
Product Description:
This very fine black tea is produced at the Korakundah estate in the Nilgiri region of southern India, surrounded by pristine streams and virgin forests and nearly crowning the Nilgiri ranges at 8,000 feet above sea level. This organic and Fair Trade Certified tea is composed of twisted leaves of uniform size and deep brown color. As is typical of high-quality Nilgiris, the infusion offers a straightforward but delicate flavor, floral and brisk.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This is a delicious Nilgiri.
It brews to a beautiful coppery color, and the flavor is bright. I would classify it as a full-flavored tea that falls somewhere between a Ceylon and an Assam: not quite as bold as an Assam, but with a bit more gusto than a typical Ceylon. It has some of those deep, baked-bread kind of flavors that I would typically taste in an Assam, as well as a crispness (briskness?) that reminds me a bit of a Ceylon.
There is also a fantastic floral note in the background. Not overly floral, but, it certainly evokes thoughts of a flowery meadow growing somewhere near the tea estate, gently weaving hints of flavor into the breeze that then lightly caress the tea leaves.
Something I did not know, but, learned today as I visited the Arbor Teas website to read more about this tea, is that Nilgiri tea is an ideal tea to prepare as an iced tea as it is less prone to cloud. Interesting! This would taste great iced, too, as I find the flavor tends to smooth out as it cools … this is even tastier chilled than it is hot. It would be lovely with a thin slice of lemon or lime!