Assam Gold

Love me my Assams, and this is a nice one. It’s on the lighter/brighter end of the flavor spectrum. Golden wheat toast instead of pumpernickel. Has a medium weight in the mouth and (though it’s a little early to tell; eyes aren’t fully open yet) a caffeine tug instead of a caffeine roundhouse kick. Two for two on Tea Merchant varieties.

YAY for samples of new tea in the mail! So yesterday my two samples from the Tea Merchant arrived – the perfect ending to a very long day! I love the wax seal on the packaging, honestly the simple things make the difference. I also have to say, I also really like the labels on the bags. The colours and information work well for me.

So, on to the tea! I chose this one and Yunnan’s Fable more because I haven’t yet had a golden assam and because my experience with Pu-erh has been limited. I suppose i could have gone with two teas I KNEW i would like but I wanted to try something new.

I have to say the colour of this tea is really nice. I was sad to have to put it in my travel mug to take it to work. This tea works for me. I’m managed to burn my tongue twice now (no I don’t learn) trying to drink it! I don’t have any other experience with “assams” to be able to offer a comparision but I’d order this one again and try other teas from the Tea Merchant if that’s an answer :)

Sample package label:
“The Perfect Tea for the coffee lover looking for a healthier alternative. This impossibly smooth malty organic tea comes from the Assam region of Northern India. It brews a rich golden infusion with lots of character and may be steeped multiple times.
Ingredients: Organic black Tea
USDA Organic, Caffeine: Medium, Steep: 3-5 Minutes”

Thanks to Joey Landford, The Tea Merchant, for the additional recommended brewing instructions: A little less than 1 tsp. / 205*F / 8oz.

Technique:
8-oz water with total dissolved solids (TDS) of 21 ppm, heated to 212*F and allowed to cool to 205*F – verified with DAVIDsTEA digital thermometer.
1 scant Tevanna teaspoon, without sweeteners, milk or cream.

The fragrance of this tea has hints of tobacco
Golden hue

First cup:
3-min: Smooth but light-bodied I then steeped it an additional min.
4-min: Improving
5-min: Smooth & medium bodied. There was zero hint of bitterness or astringency. Since this is an Assam, I suspected more tea was needed.

2nd Cup – 1 Rounded Tsp.:
3-min: Smooth and medium-bodied.
4-min: Smooth and full-bodied.
5-min: Smooth & full-bodied with a malty character. There was zero hint of bitterness or astringency

6-min re-steep:
Smooth & lighter than the first infusion.

Impression: This Assam is a full-bodied, malty tea without any bitterness or astringency.

Thanks to Joey, The Tea Merchant, for providing this generous size free sample.