Per: https://www.shantitea.ca/sthome/product/strong-assam:
Origin: India / Serving: 2.7 grams per cup / Temp. 100*C / Steeping Time 2-5 Min.
“2 min without milk, 5+ min with milk”
“Ingredients: Tea (Camelia Sinensis)”
Canada Organic – Biologique Canada: http://www.organicbiologique.ca/en/
Technique:
8-oz water with total dissolved solids (TDS) of 26 ppm, heated to 212*F.
2.7 grams verified by My Weigh Durascale D2 660. No sweeteners, milk or cream were added.
Fragrance: This black tea has a fresh earthy moderately strong fragrance.
Dry leaf – Short broken moderately dark brown leaves
Infused Leaf – Clear & coppery
3-min.: Initial observation: Not yet strong enough will step another min.
4-min.: Mild, pleasant, earthy aroma. A strong, malty character, however there was noticeable bitterness and a very dry finish.
Next I tried: 8 oz. / 2.7 grams / 195*F (verified w/DAVIDsTEA digital thermometer):
3-min: Not yet strong enough.
4-min.: A smooth, strong, malty character, without any bitterness or astringency.
5-min Resteep: Just as enjoyable as the previous cup.
Impression: A smooth, strong, malty, invigorating organic breakfast tea when brewed at 195*F.
Thanks to Safiya Motala and Shanti Teas for kindly providing this free sample.
Correction due to new scale: What I thought was 2.7 grams was actually 27 grains. I was in the incorrect weight mode due to the very small font used for the grain abbreviation (gn). Using a Grains-to-Grams conversion, the actual weight was 1.75 grams.
I just brewed another cup: 8 oz. / 2.7 g / 3-min. / 195*F.
With the proper weight in grams three minutes was sufficient for a very enjoyable full-bodied cup of tea. At 195*F there was no hint of bitterness or astringency.
