Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where To Buy: The Persimmon Tree
Tea Description:
This smooth, malty infusion is the perfect alternative to coffee. Assam Gold can be steeped multiple times while retaining its flavor. Golden in color, this import from Northern India is a thick, comfortable black tea brew that warms and energizes after a tough, bitter, cold day.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Mmm! I love this Assam Gold! So much malt in one little mug!
Well, OK, my mug isn’t that small, but there’s a whole lot of malt flavor going on in it right now.
I brewed this Assam in my Breville One-Touch. I know I talk a lot about my tea maker, but seriously, if you drink even half as much tea as I do … even a fourth of the amount of tea that I do (I drink a lot of tea), you really should invest in one of these!
So, yes, I brewed this tea in my Breville, adding 2 bamboo scoops of tea to the basket and pouring 500ml of water into the jug. I set the parameters for 205°F and 2 minutes. I generally go just a little lower with both the temperature and the time when it comes to brewing an Assam in my Breville. Assam teas can be temperamental, and I find that by lowering the temperature just slightly and cutting back on steep time, this reduces the chances of bitterness.
And I don’t know if it’s my brewing, or if this is just one of those Assam teas that is a little less temperamental than others can be, but I’m not even picking up on a hint of bitterness at all with this. This is smooth from start to finish, and there’s very VERY little astringency to this cup. That is to say that unless I’m really focusing on trying to detect astringency in this tea, I’m not noticing any. Only when I’m really focused on it do I pick up on a slight pucker of the inside of my cheeks and a very slight dry sensation.
Mostly what I am experiencing here is MALT! Sweet caramel-y tones. A smooth texture – like silk. (Perhaps spun gold would be a better descriptive for this particular tea?) There are notes of fruit to this, reminiscent of sweet plums (no tartness to the plum notes), dates and dried raisin. I am not really tasting so much “raisin” as I’m tasting the sugary sweetness that you might experience form biting into a piece of dried fruit, and a slight “wine-like” note from the grape-y-ness of the raisin.
There are floral notes to this too – off in the distance. I’m envisioning the gardens where this tea has been grown to be edged by some flowery field and when the breeze comes by and picks up on some of that flowery essence, it delivers that essence to the awaiting tea leaves. Not a strong presence of flower. Just a whisper of it. A breezy note of flower.
This is a really good Assam. If you’re one who yearns for that malty flavor of an Assam, put this on your to-try list, I think you’ll be pleased with the malty character of this one.
Baker Street Afternoon Blend from Upton Tea Imports
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Upton Tea Imports
Tea Description:
A bit of Lapsang Souchong is blended with Keemun and Darjeeling, yielding a mildly smoky tea. Perfect for an afternoon uplift. Another special (whole-leaf) blend from our London source of fine teas.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
As I’ve confessed many times, I’m not a big fan of Lapsang Souchong so when I receive a blend with Lapsang Souchong in it, I’m a little timid. I don’t hate Lapsang Souchong, but there are so many other teas that I’d rather be drinking. The overwhelmingly smoky note is just … well, it’s overwhelming.
When I first opened the pouch, I noticed the smoky notes right away. But I was happy to find that the smoke is not an overbearing presence in either the dry leaf or in the brewed tea. It’s there – it’s definitely there! – but it doesn’t overpower the blend.
This Baker Street Afternoon Blend from Upton Tea Imports is actually quite nice. The smoky notes are not overwhelming. It is mildly smoky and I’m enjoying the mild level of smoke here. It’s allowing me to enjoy the complexity of the tea.
And that’s important because there are three teas in this blend: Lapsang Souchong, Darjeeling and Keemun. I like that I can taste the fruity notes of the Darjeeling and Keemun. I like the way these two teas create a lovely wine-like flavor and the smokiness of the Lapsang adds a really interesting dimension to that wine-like quality.
To brew this blend, I used my Kati Tumbler. I heated the water to 205°F. I added 1 bamboo scoop of the tea blend to my tumbler infuser basket and I poured the hot water over the leaves. I let this tea steep for 15 seconds and then I strained off the leaves and discarded the liquid. (Yes, I did a rinse. There is Lapsang Souchong in this blend and I find that Lapsang Souchong – even when in blends – is much better tasting to my palate when I do a rinse.) Then I replaced the basket and refilled the tumbler with 205°F water and steeped it for 3 minutes.
Overall, a very enjoyable cup of tea. It’s called an “Afternoon” tea and it has a medium to full body to it, making it a nice choice for afternoon sipping, especially on a cooler afternoon like this. (I’m so happy that autumn appears to have finally arrived! I actually wore a sweater today!) It’s warm and cozy and it has a certain comforting element to it too. It’s a little more robust than a typical afternoon cup but that edge can be softened by the addition of milk and honey (if you like it in your tea), or you can save this for the afternoons when you need a little more than a gentle pick me up!
Organic Vanilla Almond Black Tea from Boston Tea Co.
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: The Boston Tea Co.
Tea Description:
As you open the envelope of this certified organic tea, the luscious scents of vanilla will surround you. A silken sachet filled with our premium organic blend of Chinese and Inidan black teas, slices of organic almonds and vanilla. This tea will soothe your soul with every sip.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This Organic Vanilla Almond Black Tea from Boston Tea Co. is certainly fragrant! The scent of vanilla and almond is getting my taste buds happy! I steeped one of the pyramid sachets in 8 ounces of boiling water for three minutes, and this produced a flavorful, aromatic cup.
The black tea base is a blend of teas and it’s a rich, full-bodied cup that not only supports the strong flavors of almond and vanilla well, but is able to stand out and be tasted in the presence of the flavors. There is some astringency to the cup, I’d categorize it as a moderate, dry astringency.
The vanilla and almond are well matched. It’s sweet, nutty, and warm, evoking thoughts of autumn – and at this point with all this way too warm weather, I’m wondering when autumn will finally get here! I’m ready for it and this tea is reminding me of how much I miss it.
The flavor combination of almond and vanilla give this an almost “cookie” like flavor, and the smooth, delicious flavor of the tea complements that profile. This is a tea that is strong enough to serve as the first cup of the day and would take the additions of milk and honey well if you want to add them (I liked it just fine served straight up though!) It would also make a nice afternoon cup or a tea to serve to guests. It’s a warm, welcoming type of flavor.
This tea tastes alright iced, but I think I prefer it hot. Especially since the taste is so cookie-like! I like my cookies when they’re still warm, and I prefer this tea when it’s still warm too.
Organic Cranberry Lemon Black Tea Blend from Boston Tea Co.
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: The Boston Tea Co.
Tea Description:
Enjoy this tartfully-sweet tea whether it’s morning, noon, or night! The perfect blend of our premium organic Chinese and Indian black teas with organic cranberries and lemon will leave you taste buds dancing with delight!
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I wasn’t sure how I would like this blend, because even though I’ve enjoyed many cranberry flavored teas as well as quite a few lemon flavored teas – to have these two tart fruit flavors together in one tea seemed a little too tarty for me.
But this is alright. It’s not my favorite tea that I’ve tasted from Boston Tea Company, but, I’m enjoying it. The flavors of cranberry and lemon go together surprisingly well. I usually see cranberry and orange as a combination but seldom do I see cranberry and lemon. And it’s a nice combination. Yeah, it’s tart, but it’s still tasty.
I think what really saves this tea for me and makes it tasty instead of way too tarty is the black tea base. It’s a smooth, robust black tea. I taste sweet notes of malt and these sweeter notes of the tea as well as it’s strong, bold taste seems to take some of the attention off the fact that we have two sour fruit flavors in this blend.
Not that the tea base overpowers the fruit notes, but, it manages to curb some of the really sour notes so that it tastes just a little less tart than I anticipated it to taste. So I’m able to experience some of the sweeter notes of the berry and the bright, refreshing flavor of the lemon without feeling that urge to pucker when I take a sip.
I steeped one of these silky pyramids in boiling water for 3 minutes. It produced a flavorful, aromatic cup that is not too tart, but it is a bit more tart than it is sweet, so if you’re one who fancies a sweeter cup, you might want to add just a pinch of sweetener to soften the sour just a bit. I enjoyed it as is, and I tend to be a little sensitive to tart flavors. This tea just “toes the line” at being a little too tart. It’s very tart but not quite there.
Overall, a pleasant tea – this makes a really tasty and refreshing iced tea. I think this is even better iced than hot – the tart notes mellow out just a little bit and make for a very smooth and juicy tasting drink.
Star of India Black Tea from ArtfulTea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: ArtfulTea orArtfulTea on Etsy
Tea Description:
A blend of black teas from three of India’s premiere growing regions: Assam, Darjeeling and the Nilgiris. This tea has all the highlights of India’s best black teas in a flavorful, coppery-colored blend that is similar in style to an “English Breakfast” tea.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I’m always excited to try teas from Etsy sellers, because I used to sell my tea blends on Etsy. I like to support these artisans – and yes! Blending tea is an art! I also always check Etsy first when there’s something that I need like a new set of pot holders (I just purchased some recently similar to these lovelies!)
So when I found the seller ArtfulTea on Etsy, I decided to try some of their teas. I purchased this sampler, and I think I mentioned it in an earlier post. The sampler is so beautifully packaged. The box was lined in brightly colored tissue paper, and the loose leaf samples were pre-measured into unbleached paper DIY teabags which you can opt to use or you can empty the tea into a small brewing vessel to let the tea steep loose.
Everything about this experience was lovely – and I have to admit that it reminded me a bit of when I was a tea purveyor on Etsy … I took a lot of care in my packaging too. It is a practice that is often overlooked, and one that I personally appreciate when I order teas online.
This Star of India is not the first tea that I’ve sampled from ArtfulTea, but I think it might be my favorite thus far.
My first reaction after taking a sip of the coppery liquid? Wow! It’s a very well-rounded cup of tea. My palate seems very satisfied with this tea. It’s sweet but not too sweet, it’s smooth, not overly astringent, and it has a rich, flavorful taste. It’s not bitter (although I wouldn’t advise oversteeping it!) and it’s got a substantial flavor without feeling or tasting too heavy.
The blend is crafted using Assam, Nilgiri and Darjeeling teas, and I really like this combination of tea leaves. The Assam and Nilgiri offer a pleasing malty flavor with a nice caramel-y undertone. Sweet and rich! These both are hearty teas, and I like how the Darjeeling rounds them out, lightening the overall flavor and texture of the cup so that it feels less heavy. It would make a very agreeable afternoon cup, or if you’re looking for a nice weekend breakfast tea, this one would do nicely.
Along with these malty notes and flavors of caramel, there are sweet, fruity notes that contrast with an earthy, woodsy note. The flavors seem nicely balanced with one another. There is a light cleansing astringency toward the finish, and it leaves the palate feeling refreshed in the aftertaste.
It’s not a tea that I’d add milk to (I just don’t really care for milk in my Darjeeling teas because it overwhelms the delicate nuances of a Darjeeling, in my opinion), but it would take a dollop of honey nicely if you want to add that, or perhaps you’d like a thin slice of lemon, that would work well here too. I found that I preferred this one hot. As the tea cooled, it ended up tasting a lot like an average black tea, but while hot, I could taste a lot of the subtleties that this tea offers. It’s a pleasant, complex blend that should be explored!