Organic Assam

wheeeeee! Moar tea! I’m not too sure why I’m so happy today but it’s a good day. One more day to prepare for my client meeting on friday and then it’s the weekend! Which of course will be full of testing and other work related things but it’ll be the weekend! And I can get groceries and spend the rest of the weekend drinking tea at home while i work.

Maybe if i get lucky I can get in one of the games we picked up in the pas 2 weeks that I haven’t had a chance to open yet sigh

Sipdown
This would be a sad sipdown if I didn`t have the premium assam, because it is even better. I really enjoyed this tea. On to better and brighter assams!

It’s a beautiful cool rainy day on the Frontrange. This follows a 91F hot day yesterday so you can imagine how happy us mountain people are feeling today!
Last night my granddaughter Megan (16) conducted her school choir in an original composition that she wrote in Latin about the death of Ceasar. It was fantastic! I am so proud of all the kids…but she’s my kindred spirit.
For breakfast I decided on this Butiki Organic Assam. I love the fact that it is Organic and relatively mild. The tea is smooth like velvet…without astringency or heavy raw edged smokiness. I know there are those who want that more assertive type of robust Assam. Something akin to drinking white lightenin. I really do like my black tea’s strong and sexy…don’t get me wrong…but I like them to have some manners too. When it’s all said and done, I want to remember days later that this tea gave me a good time.

And, this tea is a good time!
(It’s my first choice today of a Birthday tea!)

Once upon a time there was a girl who drank Assam for breakfast everyday. Then she got caught up in comparing various English, Irish, Parisian, & other breakfast blends. She loved them all, & it’s so much fun comparing them, savoring them, but once in awhile it’s nice to go back to your roots!

This is a really nice Assam! It’s everything it should be, Malty, hints of chocolate, & not a touch of astringency or bitterness! Thank you, Stacy, for your lovely teas!

Tea of the morning here… I agree with Bonnie that this has a malty, almost bready quality in the flavor. It has a bit of sweetness too that reminds me ever so slightly of a golden monkey. It has a bit of that sweet potato quality. Not much bitterness in the finish here, it’s good with a splash of soymilk too. Sorry I don’t have time to write much more. I’ve had a few assams I liked better but this is nice.

It’s been a hellacious week at work and I’ve lots of time to try practicing my equanimity and patience a.k.a. – not blowing my top!

TGIF Steepster!

Well then, that assignment took way much longer than it should have. My prof assigned us the wrong questions and I put hours into it before getting an email to do different ones. Ugh. Now it’s Assam time.

This is one fine Assam. I’m impressed by the lack of astringency here. When I smelled the dry leaf, it smelled very unassuming. I was actually worried that it would be on the dull side, but it’s not at all. It’s more subdued than most Assams, but it’s still ultra malty and thick.

Added a splash of soy milk and it’s oh so tasty and comforting. The milk seems to bring out notes of cacao? It’s like a dessert, but yet it isn’t, if that makes sense. Probably due to the lack of astringency.

Very happy with this Assam, I am!

So this is the first tea I choose to have out of order #2 from Butiki.  Yes,  2nd order within the last 3 weeks… Evil Temptress Stacy is to blame for making her teas so incredibly irresistible! 

Just as I was thinking that instead of reasoning myself on order #1, I should have gone for the 75$ purchase at once in order to save on shipping, I got an email from Stacy advising me that a free shipping promo was coming for labor day week on the following Monday.  Since I was missing on that promo cause I had ordered too soon, she offered me to choose another tea free of charge, that equaled the shipping price.

Now, that’s how you keep clients around for a long, long, time!  I chose Exotic pear which does smell fantastic, but this morning, I just had a too strong attraction to Assam… 

I love Assam, I  do like my tea bold and robust, after all I am a Canadian woman! ( comment directed at tunes&tea for his Canadian Breakfast review, lol).

I know this type of black tea is not loved by so many, it is often very strong and can be astringent, but that’s something I seek in the morning as a breakfast tea…

I went 1 minute over the recommended steep of 4min 30sec, and still,  the astringency is close to inexistent. What a nice mellow Assam! It makes me wonder if this is a first or second flush,  I’ve read that second flush Assams are sweeter and less bitter. 

Don’t get me wrong, it might be softer than most Assam I’ve tried, but it’s still very bold with lots of character! 

It is full bodied, nice big dark amber color, rich cocoa feel, malty and sweet with no bitterness.  I have mine straight, but  I have no doubt it would sustain milk and sugar and not get lost in them.

I’d say that if this type of tea normally scares you, this is the one to try.  

Conclusion: Although I can handle a strong black tea, I love that this one will satisfy that need but will also offer a tender, softer side in addition. 

At a special price of $2.80 for one once, I only wish I had ordered more!

In my order, I also got a sample of Taiwanese Assam, can’t wait to compare the 2, the description is mouthwatering!

So often I have found many unblended teas of a single variety to not have a unique, differentiating quality between other vendors. I am sure much of the time this is the case because it is likely the tea was procured from the same distributor. However, I am pleased to say this was nice brew. I found it had subtle character and did separate itself from the pack in a pleasant way. A wonderful surprise.