Mangalam Broken Leaf (Mangalam Or 480 FBOP SPL 2010)

I received this in my package from Harney & Sons in the Big-Harney-Mixup-of-2011. It was one of the few without duplication.

The tea doesn’t stand out as the usual, high-quality tea that Harney’s usually has. It’s pretty to look at, dark with lighter color tea leaves interspersed in the tea. It smells rich and kind of nutty. The scent doesn’t translate to the flavor, though. The tea is extremely drying. I felt like I had been sucking on the vacuum the dentist uses to keep my mouth dry at appointments. It’s really uncomfortable. The flavor isn’t outstanding. I don’t see much complexity to it and it reminds me of a regular black. Granted, it’s a step above bagged teas, but not by much. As it cools, it becomes very, very bitter.

What a lovely tea. I’ve been drinking this once a week for a while now. In fact, this is I think my second tin. It’s interesting as I think I like the second tin more than the first, but perhaps I remember wrong since there was a little break between them.

We brew it strong at 2 tsp/cup and at 5 minutes there is no bitterness. The first few sips while it is very hot it seems bland, but as it cools in my 16 oz cup it unfolds nicely. I use a touch of honey to accent the flavors, and a splash of milk. There is wonderful malt, a little cocoa and I think a touch of caramel.

This tea has a light, toasty, slightly sweet aroma. The first sip of this tea was exquisite. The taste is full and round and blooms in the mouth from a robust, toasted, almost meaty flavor to a smooth, honey-glazed sweetness. Its briskness is refreshing and light, not bitter or smoky. The taste experience is full, complex, and lasting, requiring neither milk nor sugar. This really is an excellent tea and I believe it is now my new favorite Assam.

Pleasant aroma and texture, but it still takes like black tea.