Fulfilling Mastress Alita’s Monthly Sipdown Challenge, April 2022 edition, with
A Raisin-y Tea
When I bought from A Thirst for Tea in January?, I wanted to try a variety of tea types spanning their price range. This black tea from Assam is among the cheapest teas on the site at $2.95 for 25g, while the Snow Orchid Dancong Oolong I noted yesterday is $26.00 for the same grammage.
As gmathis sometimes puts it, this is a ‘bog standard’ black in the Assam world. It’s pretty bright, robust and brisk yet smooth with darkwoody-malty taste and notes of raisin and dried sour cherry that waft out of the mid/high tones and into the nose. Sometimes I get some bitterness, but this otherwise makes consistent, highly caffeinated cups both from the sub-boiling water dispenser at work and from actual boiling at home. I can steep it for 3 minutes or the recommended 5-7 minutes and it usually comes out with minimal difference in character.
Informally recommended for the price, consistent brew and the get up and go.
Flavors: Bitter, Brisk, Cherry, Dark Wood, Malt, Raisins, Smooth, Tangy
This sounds like it fits my other favorite adjective … ungoofable.
Essentially yes. The bitterness is more noticeable at work, probably because, ya know, work.