Amor

I can’t believe how remiss I’ve been about adding tasting notes. I didn’t even have this one listed as in my cupboard, but I’ve had it for quite a while now…I’ve gone on to two other tea orders since then! Shameful.

This is a good Assam. The aroma — both of the dry leaves and of the tea itself — is really nice (I don’t ever talk about the smell of the wet leaves because for some reason, the smell of wet tea leaves of any variety is sort of gross to me).

I’ve noticed that many Assams have a sort of berry undertone for me. Sinharaja has that same sort of thing going on, despite being a Ceylon. It’s very complementary to additions of turbinado sugar — something in the molasses content blends nicely (though I tend most often to take my teas, even my black teas, straight).

Not the stiffest Assam I’ve ever had, but pretty stiff, and it has that honeyed biscotti sort of flavor that tends to define the ones I like most. Those people grieving the inevitable emptying of their tin of Thomas Samson might consider this as an alternative, with those shared notes…though it’s definitely a bolder cup of tea than Thomas, and may not tickle every fancy.

All right, I admit there’s more to this tea than I noticed before. When I open the pack of leaves and really pay attention to the smell, the built-up aroma is pretty intriguing. This isn’t just straight up Assam. It’s got a hint of the briskness present in a nice Ceylon, for example. I’m still trying to figure out the other aspects of it, as well as the best brewing technique.

I tried ~4 minutes at near boiling with ~2 tsp leaves in ~12 oz of water. Initially, it felt a little weak, but as I was finishing the mug it felt a little astringent. My intuition tells me to try a 3 min steep with a little bit more leaves next time. I’m a bit hesitant to try a 5 minute steep like The Simple Leaf recommends, but I might give it a go if the 3 minute try doesn’t work out. If anyone else has any other ideas on how to bring out the most in this one, let me know.

Brews to a medium amber color. Smells like bread and honey. Tastes mild and malty with a little something like cooked collard greens and a little honey sweetness. A hint of bitterness. Moderate astringency.

I think I brewed this a little too long today. It’s a bit bitter. I love the underlying flavor though and it’s still drinkable. I can’t find the words to describe the flavor at the moment though. I feel like a tea review failure. :P

I still have a number of unopened packets of tea from the Simple Leaf, which I’m pretty sure has been defunct for a while now. I hoarded these teas because Steepster was in love with the Simple Leaf for a while and I expected I’d have a treat on my hands.

And I do. This is a great Assam — it has everything I like about Assams and none of the things I don’t like about them. Whether this has anything to do with the tea’s age is an open question, but let’s assume the vacuum sealing did its job since it’s hard to imagine a tea this flavorful that was stale.

The leaves smell sweet and bready in the packet, like those King’s Hawaiian rolls. The steeped tea is a clear, medium orange-brown. Pretty much what I’d expect.

The aroma, though, is amazing. It has so many layers, so many different notes that mix together into a really delicious whole. There’s a cocoa note, a fresh bread note, honey and even something I’d describe as gingerbread.

And these come together in the flavor as well. There’s a smoothness to the tea that makes it feel lighter than the stoutness I sometimes get with Assams, and that also makes it somewhat easier on the throat.

I’m sad there won’t be the option to get more of this in my future.