Tippy Orthodox GFOP Assam (TA40)

Tea of the morning…… (SRP #10)

This is pretty much just a basic longer leaf Assam. There are definitely some golden tips, and it brews up very smooth with really no astringency or bitterness. It makes a good strong cuppa, which is greatly appreciated in the morning. (It is the second morning of waking up early to get to school after being on our own schedule last week for Spring Break…the bus comes at 6:30am….. Needless to say, my drama club teen was in rare form this morning!) The tea is dark and malty, strong and fortifying. Perfect for a morning like this one. A pulling up by the boot straps kind of tea.

Usual mug method for 3 minutes.

Had this in the morning and it was an ok cup. I may have steeped it a little long or had too much leaf so i’ll need to give it another shot. Perhaps with a bit of milk/cream in it. It was a bit bitter for my tastes.

1 tsp for 8 oz

Been drinking this for my first morning tea with soy milk and sugar. Very decent tea for that purpose. Wouldn’t drink it straight, though.

So it’s been a couple weeks since I’ve received my order from Upton. I’ve ordered four kinds of teas, and so far I’m happy with all of them. Also, the service from Upton was top notch, since I received the teas in the mail in just 5 business days. This was very unusual for something shipped via USPS First Class International so I was very surprised.
Now, about this tea. It’s certainly got its characteristic body to it, but I found it to be lighter than the East Frisian Blend. Also, the malty flavor was somewhat subtle, compared to another Assam I’ve tried in the past. This tea would be great for drinking anytime of the day, but I would definitely lean towards the stronger East Frisian in the morning.

Check out my video tasting: http://healthyprofessionals.blog.com/the-tea-show/

Tippy Orthodox Assam

Leaves: mild smell- mild black tea smell(of the brkfst teas) but sweeter…better smelling(imo)- the leaves are about average size

Liquor: this has a lighter liquor than the breakfast teas, comes off close to an irish breakfast but smoother i guess you could say, also has a full mouthfeel

overall i really like this tea

another sample. had this with cream and half & half. maybe would be good for homemade chai? think I like this a little better than the mincing lane blend.

I have pretty much stuck to single estate assams, figuring I’m too much of a tea snob to enjoy a “best seller.” But I finally tried it – and now I actually realize that while I am a tea snob, there’s a reason this is a best seller. It’s really good. As some of the other reviewers have noted, there’s not much exciting here – but it is a really nice tea for every day drinking. Full taste, just rich enough with a good aftertaste, and perfect for the morning. I’ll be re-ordering this tea.

Really one of my favorite Assam’s. Clean distinct tea. Bit bitter and I like to overbrew but works well for the lunch tea. I am yet to find a better Assam but my quest is never ending.

I’m trying to enjoy this tea while being sick >.< I’m probably the one of the few people that can get sick in summer! Oh, well. This seems like a pretty basic Assam. Well balanced with moderate astringency that builds up the more sips you have. A tad bit malty, but not overly so. There’s nothing that’s a huge wow factor here, but sometimes a simple tea like this is the best tea to drink while you’re sick. Enjoying the next cup with a little bit of honey, hoping it will coat my throat nicely.

Third tea in my tasting this morning (Golden Moon & Harney Irish Breakfast, Upton GFOP). While the GFOP is not marketed as an Irish Breakfast it is an Assam blend like the other two. My notes from the Harney tasting pretty much apply here “not much complexity. It has a typical “strong black tea” flavor but no maltiness, not much interest”.

I think I have been spoiled by the single estate assams and am just not finding these blends very interesting.

Brews up nice and dark, almost like fresh motor oil. Note: I may have let it steep up to a minute too long (6 mins vs 5). Good amount of tanins. Not overwhelming but definitely a caffeinated tea. This is great for morning and anytime you need a pick me up. The flavor lingers for a good 3 seconds after sipping.