Assam Mangalam

Tea of the afternoon…..

And I am making a guess on this one. We do have a local shop in the fancy shopping area that specializes in Hot Sauce. They also carry bulk spices and a few teas. I have to admit, I am not super confident about how much turn over they have in tea. Since I was there today checking out their teaware (they do have my teapots there!), I figured I had best not leave without purchasing something. Since I rarely eat hot sauce, and I buy my spices at Penzey’s, it had to be tea……and since I am not confident about the turnover, it had to be black. At least I did go with Assam, something I did not have in my cupboard before. It is labeled as “Golden Tips Assam”, but from the looks of it, it is only about 10% or less tips. In perusing the database and looking at the pictures, I am just guessing this is what she stocks. It was stored in a dark glass canister, so kudos to her for that! Definitely tastes like a good quality Assam, but she charges $70 a lb. and the minimum to purchase is .1 lb. $7 I spent….. Should have just ordered Malachi. Oh well. I guess you have to do your part for the local economy, too. Hmmm….perhaps I will just blend this in with some Keemun along the lines of Malachi…..

My first Assam . . . I am pleased to report that this one has lived up to all the hype surrounding teas from this region.

Reminiscent of a good chocolate stout, it begins with a honeyed nose that translates into a bold, malty flavor and finishes with not a little astringency.

This tea has the personality of a wizened and worldly hard-ass.
I’d call it a burly cup.

Next to Assam Meleng or Dejoo, I’d declare Mangalam the Queen of Black Teas! The delicate, honeyed flavor is simply exquisite. Don’t drown this one by adding milk. It’d be a sacrilege! Best made by the pot, I find.

Assams don’t appeal to me all that much, but even I can taste that this one is above average. It has that typical Assam malt with touches of fruit and citrus. It’s slightly bitter, but then I don’t add sugar and will try to stick to a 3 min. steep next time.

This is good. It does have some maltyness to it, which I enjoy. It’s a lovely color, with just a bit of fruityness. Held up well to slight sweetening.