SPL

BudlabetaEstateAssam

Tea Information:

Leaf Type: Black

Tea Description:

A quality broken-leaf selection, with a pleasant and complex aroma in both the dry leaf and cup. The liquor has a medium body, with notes of dried fruit and a pleasant finish.

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

I had to wake up early today, and I am still feeling a little sluggish as it nears the afternoon, so, I am in need of a good, hearty Assam. I chose to try this Budlabeta Estate Assam GBOP SPL from Upton Tea Imports … and I’m hoping it will do the trick and shake me out of this nagging, dragging feeling!

The first thing I noticed, right off the bat, is how smooth this Assam is. The delivery is smooth from start to finish … tasting sweet – like the somewhat sugary sweetness you’d experience from dried fruit. The fruit notes remind me a bit of raisin and dried currant. There is a touch of malt to the flavor as well as a hint of wine-like flavor that is especially noticeable at the finish and in to the aftertaste.

I chose to brew this Assam for just 2 minutes, and I based this decision on the fact that the leaves were on the small side. When it comes to Assam teas, my general rule of thumb is that when brewing smaller cut Assam tea leaves, it is wise to cut back on the brew time just a bit to avoid bitterness. I think I made the right decision with this tea because I’m not experiencing bitterness with this tea.

It is mildly astringent and a bold tasting tea. It has a certain rigor to it – this would be a good “wake me up” kind of tea to enjoy first thing in the morning … or if you’re like me and one who doesn’t typically enjoy mornings (I think I’d like them a lot better if they started later), this also makes a good first thing in the afternoon tea! It has an edge to it, so if you want to soften that edge, a dollop of honey will do that and this tea takes the addition of honey well – and milk too, if you want a latte! As for me, I took a few sips of it straight up, and decided I wanted a slightly softer edge, and I added about a quarter teaspoon of turbinado sugar. This was enough to curb that sharpness without making it too sweet, because I really do enjoy the natural sweetness of this tea.

Another fine selection from Upton Tea Imports!

liberteas

Anne (aka the Mad Tea Artist) has celebrated her 29th birthday for many years now. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her hubby and her youngest daughter. Her oldest daughter is married and has bestowed Anne with the proud title of "Gramma" and her grandson is about the cutest boy you ever did see. Anne started her journey with tea as a casual drinker and became more serious about her tea drinking when she realized that she couldn't drink coffee. Shortly thereafter, she started becoming obsessed with the beverage and she started creating small-batch, artisan blends of tea that she sold online as LiberTEAS. After a few years, she realized she wasn't cut out to be the sole proprietor of a business so she closed LiberTEAS and started reviewing teas online. She met Jennifer through another blog that they both reviewed for and they decided to start their own review blog. This review blog! Throughout her journey as a tea reviewer, she discovered 52Teas and became enamored with the idea of creating a new tea every week. When the founder of 52Teas decided he wanted to move on, he offered the business to Anne but knowing that she wasn't cut out to be a sole proprietor, she instead offered the company to her oldest daughter who employs her as the Mad Tea Artist for 52Teas!

This post was posted in Black Tea, Tea Company, Type Of Tea, Upton Tea