Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Golden Tips
Tea Description:
Assam is a celebrated tea growing region in the world and there is no doubt over the fact that Assam black teas are the most sought-after in the world. However, even in Assam, there are those rare and special days when ideal climatic conditions backed by intuitive manufacturing excellence garnered by years of experience prepares something as rare as this Halmari Gold Clonal Black Tea.Handpicked from superior P126 clonal bushes at the Halmari Tea estate, the opulent appearance of the tea is characteristic of an almost equal combination of black and golden tipped leaves with a smooth texture. Carved out selectively from specially plucked tender young shoots, the tea brings in a unique rich maltiness which is only found in select Assams during the peak second flush tea growing season. The flavor is exhilarating with a perfect balance of strength, full-body and smoothness. This unique clonal tea brings in a sweet fruity finish in the mouth with a lingering aftertaste. The highest grade GTGFOP1 CL leaves prepare a sharp infusion which can be brewed several times. A bright golden amber liquoring cup greets your eyes when you strain out the royal dark brownish infusion.An absolute luxury, the finest of the finest and clearly one of the best Assam black teas.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This is a second flush Assam from Golden Tips Tea, picked in June 2014 on the Halmari Tea Estate. The dry leaf smells sweet and malty with a rich, nutty undertone, and it’s a treasure to look at. The leaves themselves are fairly thin and a little curly, mostly dark brown but with some lighter golden tipped leaves, and some pure golden leaves, scattered throughout. I used 1 tsp of leaf for my cup, and gave it 3.5 minutes in boiling water. The resulting liquor is a bright reddish-brown, and I added a splash of milk.
When I read the name of this tea, I was hoping that it would be a “Golden Lion” variety. These Assams have a lot in common with Chinese Yunnan black teas, which I absolutely adore. Judging by the scent of the wet leaf, it looks like my wish has been granted. Sweet potato and chocolate notes abound!
To taste, this one is an absolute delight. The initial sip is quite strong – very, very malty, with a strong squashy, yam like flavour. It’s also quite tannic, so perhaps to be avoided on an empty stomach. Successive sips show this to be a very smooth tea, although I’m pretty sure the milk is helping to round out what might otherwise have been quite rough edges. The chocolate notes emerge towards the end of the sip, and add an extra layer of sweet creaminess to what is already a sweet, smooth, malty cup. This is certainly a full-bodied tea; rich and flavourful, and immensely satisfying as a mid-afternoon pick me up.
This is a tea I’d recommend to all Assam fans – relative newcomers and experienced aficionados alike. It’s a very punchy cup, and certainly doesn’t hold back, but it’s also a good, solid example of the variety. I’d also recommend it to those who enjoy Chinese black teas, since it shares some similar characteristics. I really enjoyed my time with this tea, and it’s definitely one I’d look to repurchase in the future.
Hattialli Golden Lion 1st Flush Assam from Lochan Tea Limited
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Lochan Tea Limited
Product Description:
This particular tea is not currently available on the Lochan Tea Limited website, so I was unable to get a product description. Watch for the 2011 first flush!
Taster’s Review:
This is a delicious Assam. Very flavorful!
The sip starts out with a sweetness that is caramel-y. In fact, that was my first reaction to my first sip: “Sweet!” There are hints of fruit – plum? These flavors make for an interesting introduction to this full-bodied, robust tea.
About mid-sip, a hint of savory bitterness comes along – just at the right time, to cut through the sweetness and make the taste even more interesting. The sip ends with a strong astringency – almost a pucker-y astringency! This is a hefty black tea with the strength to get you going in the morning.
The malty note to this Assam is also there – I would categorize it at a medium amount of malt. Not as much malt as some Assam teas I’ve tried, but then, a little more than some others. The malt together with the biscuit-y quality of this tea gives this a well-rounded taste.
This is my first sampling of a tea from Lochan Tea Limited, and I’ve quite enjoyed it. The leaves are of good quality and the proof is in the flavor. Even though this particular flush is no longer available from Lochan, I recommend watching their website for the 2011 flush … it will be well worth the effort. This is a good Assam!
