Organic Assam

So this is the first tea I choose to have out of order #2 from Butiki.  Yes,  2nd order within the last 3 weeks… Evil Temptress Stacy is to blame for making her teas so incredibly irresistible! 

Just as I was thinking that instead of reasoning myself on order #1, I should have gone for the 75$ purchase at once in order to save on shipping, I got an email from Stacy advising me that a free shipping promo was coming for labor day week on the following Monday.  Since I was missing on that promo cause I had ordered too soon, she offered me to choose another tea free of charge, that equaled the shipping price.

Now, that’s how you keep clients around for a long, long, time!  I chose Exotic pear which does smell fantastic, but this morning, I just had a too strong attraction to Assam… 

I love Assam, I  do like my tea bold and robust, after all I am a Canadian woman! ( comment directed at tunes&tea for his Canadian Breakfast review, lol).

I know this type of black tea is not loved by so many, it is often very strong and can be astringent, but that’s something I seek in the morning as a breakfast tea…

I went 1 minute over the recommended steep of 4min 30sec, and still,  the astringency is close to inexistent. What a nice mellow Assam! It makes me wonder if this is a first or second flush,  I’ve read that second flush Assams are sweeter and less bitter. 

Don’t get me wrong, it might be softer than most Assam I’ve tried, but it’s still very bold with lots of character! 

It is full bodied, nice big dark amber color, rich cocoa feel, malty and sweet with no bitterness.  I have mine straight, but  I have no doubt it would sustain milk and sugar and not get lost in them.

I’d say that if this type of tea normally scares you, this is the one to try.  

Conclusion: Although I can handle a strong black tea, I love that this one will satisfy that need but will also offer a tender, softer side in addition. 

At a special price of $2.80 for one once, I only wish I had ordered more!

In my order, I also got a sample of Taiwanese Assam, can’t wait to compare the 2, the description is mouthwatering!

Tea of the morning here… I agree with Bonnie that this has a malty, almost bready quality in the flavor. It has a bit of sweetness too that reminds me ever so slightly of a golden monkey. It has a bit of that sweet potato quality. Not much bitterness in the finish here, it’s good with a splash of soymilk too. Sorry I don’t have time to write much more. I’ve had a few assams I liked better but this is nice.

It’s been a hellacious week at work and I’ve lots of time to try practicing my equanimity and patience a.k.a. – not blowing my top!

TGIF Steepster!

Well then, that assignment took way much longer than it should have. My prof assigned us the wrong questions and I put hours into it before getting an email to do different ones. Ugh. Now it’s Assam time.

This is one fine Assam. I’m impressed by the lack of astringency here. When I smelled the dry leaf, it smelled very unassuming. I was actually worried that it would be on the dull side, but it’s not at all. It’s more subdued than most Assams, but it’s still ultra malty and thick.

Added a splash of soy milk and it’s oh so tasty and comforting. The milk seems to bring out notes of cacao? It’s like a dessert, but yet it isn’t, if that makes sense. Probably due to the lack of astringency.

Very happy with this Assam, I am!

Backlogging from Friday before we went camping for the weekend. I didn’t really have any good tea on the weekend, other than this one.

This is a lighter assam, not as bold as other assams I have tried. It is also less astringent than others, which is a plus. Sometimes it is nice to have a breakfast tea that doesn’t kick you in the face! It is malty and smooth.

I added a splash of milk halfway into the cup because I feel any Assam or English Breakfast really needs that milk to taste really good. The milk brought out the malty flavours to this tea even more.

I am glad that I picked this up while it was on sale. Less than $3 for an ounce!

Mmmmm! I purchased this tea when it was on sale, wanting to be able to compare Stacy’s Assam with another Assam that I have. Im not sure why I hadn’t opened it until today but I’m certainly glad that I did. I think I actually may prefer this one to the other black tea from Butiki that I’ve tried. This tea is bold while also being smooth and satisfying. There are malty tones in this tea, but not as strong as say, loashan black from verdant. This tea is a nice easy wake up in the morning. I love my black teas and this is no exception. While not a knock your socks off HELLO OMG WAKE UP TEA! It is a smooth, black tea with no atringency. Nice work stacy!

Once upon a time there was a girl who drank Assam for breakfast everyday. Then she got caught up in comparing various English, Irish, Parisian, & other breakfast blends. She loved them all, & it’s so much fun comparing them, savoring them, but once in awhile it’s nice to go back to your roots!

This is a really nice Assam! It’s everything it should be, Malty, hints of chocolate, & not a touch of astringency or bitterness! Thank you, Stacy, for your lovely teas!

First Review. My First Ever Assam I had to highlight this so I can find it among my reviews since I do go on and on…blah blah blah! Anyway, I was so glad to add this to my recent Butiki order since I keep running into people commenting on how much they love Assam as a staple in their Tea Cupboard or how much they dislike Assam. There seems to be no wishy washy feelings here. It’s a dramatic like or dislike. My vote on the matter was going to be cast. I was going to have to judge an Assam for myself.
I did not read any notes on Assams before tasting just to be fair to my easily influenced sponge brain.
This was my breakfast tea today and it is a very fine misty Frontrange morning.
There is first a fine malty, bready fragrance. I had steeped 4.5 minutes before pouring and added a bit of sweetening (not too much) and some cream. The liquor was nice and dark which I like when adding cream. The flavor is super rich and malty without astringency or sourness which would ruin the homemade bread quality of this tea. My daughter makes bread and the aroma fills the air when baking. Her sourdough is super fine. This tea reminds me of homemade bread but without being too yeasty or sour. I think it’s something about the crust or crumbs that I’m reminded of in the tea. I drank a 24oz pot of tea and was disappointed. Ar…I wanted more. I’m going to make another pot before going to Church later. This will keep me sharp! I am voting a YES on Assam…or at least on this Assam!