Premium Taiwanese Assam

A backlog: this tea marks the first time I’ve ever tipped over a mug. I spilled it Everywhere! Blergh. in a cruel twist of fate, enough remained in the mug to take a few sips- enough to know the session was delicious. I can’t believe I did that to this amazing tea. That’s what happens when you try to drink tea and bolt out the house at the same time, Crow. Thus I ran on that tiny amount of tea for the rest of the day.

That first tragic steep tasted of chocolate and hot waffle cones- smooth, malty, and sweet. Second steep, of four minutes, happened hours later when I returned from an adventure around Waterfront and Stanley Park. This cup was an even smoother malt, with an amazing sugary undertone- just the thing to take my mind off of sore feet.

Five minute third steep suffered more abuse, and was consumed cold after taking my grandmother home. This cup was on the muted side, and reminded me of a watered down doughy cinnamon bun for some reason. I didn’t pay too much attention and just gulped it all down.

This tea is easy to drink and definitely makes the permanent list. A few of the Assam teas I’ve encountered have left astringent, dry first impressions; this one seems to be gentler. I didn’t pick up the trademark raisin notes today but I’ll pay more attention tomorrow.

These long charcoal-colored Taiwanese Assam leaves have a sweet raisin and creamy cinnamon flavor, that adds to the fuller malty texture & fruity, honeycrisp apple-like base. I found no astringency or bitterness during the first couple steepings and discovered the quality is high enough to deliver a delicious cup even after infusions 4-6.

When I asked each of my kids what they thought of the smell of the tea, not allowing them to actually see it but lifting the gaiwan slightly to allow the aroma to waft out, they sad – “Is that an oolong??” and “Very sweet smelling” I love to keep them guessing and not always depend on what they see when trying new teas. Poor children, they are already corrupted with the world of tea obsession.

As previously stated by Stacy at Butiki Teas, “In the 1920’s, under Japanese rule, Assamica tea bushes were brought to the Sun Moon Lake area of Taiwan. At the time, the Japanese wanted to compete with the British in the black tea market. Since then this Assam has been refined by the Taiwan Research and Extension Station.” I’d say they found a huge success! This would rank as one of my favorite black teas,and am now worried my recent purchase will not last nearly long enough!

If you have considered in the past whether or not to try this unique tea, let me urge you to move forward. I can think of no reason to delay any further. Splurge. Treat yourself. :)

After a luscious, quiet, obligation-free weekend, I knew it was going to be a tough out-the-door this morning. So I deliberately laid out a “something different” that would dull the yuckies a little.

Wow, is this a something different! Lighter in color than you’d expect in an assam, a sweet mowed grain scent, and a flavor that I would’ve sworn was toasted marshmallow (I’m not that far off; I’m seeing “sweet potato” in some other reviews). As far as strength and kick, I think it’s more of a mid-late-morning-ish-elevensies potency, but that is not a commentary on its sweet excellence.

Thanks, terriharplady, for giving my sluggish brain and attitude a pleasant jumpstart this morning.

oh crap I just copied and pasted an my entire review disappeared. Anyway, this is my 600th tasting note! I can’t believe it… I swear my 500th tasting note was just a couple weeks ago. It seems the more tea I drink, the more I love tea… but I probably said something similar with my 500th note.

I couldn’t wait to try this one as I have been reading so many amazing tasting notes for this one! thank you so much Butiki! Every tea I’ve tried from Butiki has been the best of the best (so every “th” tasting note should be celebrated with a Butiki tea!) The long, black, twisty leaves here have a bready aroma. After a four minute steep, the brew color is a gorgeous deep amber in my clear mug and the flavor is so so good. It seems medium bodied yet the flavor is complex. Bakey, bready, sweet, a bit malty & chocolatey. It’s tough to describe, but it has something very unique about it. A must try!

Also: I swear there was a bit of a strawberry flavor, but I was worried when I smelled the strawberry from the other Butiki tea sample that it was mailed with that it may have contaminated the other teas… even though I stored that one separate as soon as I got them. But maybe this one naturally has a hint of berry? I just noticed Butiki’s description says “fruity”! Or maybe I really should be drinking my samples in plastic baggies faster than others!

Oh wow, why did I wait until now to order this? It is delicious. Malty, with chocolate notes, raisin notes. Soo good. I might “need” more of this on Black Friday, even though I already have quite a bit!

I really am enjoying all the straight blacks that I have ordered from Butiki. There are still more I need to try though, lol

Thank you Stacy for this Sample!

I’ve received my new tea’s from Butiki (dance, dance, dance)!

As always, Stacy lovingly places just the right little packets of samples in my order (and will in yours also).
It never fails to make me smile with excitement when I discover what she has tucked in my box as my free samples!

I have tasted the previous Butiki Assam, but this is a newer one…
a Premium Taiwanese Assam.

My experience with Assam’s has been average.
The one’s I’ve tasted have been of medium body, slightly smoky and a little malty. Good breakfast Assam’s that can hold up to milk in the morning and have mild astringency. Not overly complex tea’s.

What now?
Stacy is always hunting down the best tea’s she can find. Like a sly fox, she scours the tea markets improving the line-up of tea’s she carries, always looking for unique flavors and blends. This is one of the things I love about her and Butiki Tea!

Flavor

Well, this was not like any Assam I’d ever tasted before!
There was a yam, potato flavor right away though not a lot (if any) malt.
I didn’t pick up any smokiness and the astringency didn’t even arrive until the tea was quite cool.

Speaking of cool…
The spicy heat in this tea was followed by a characteristic that I associate with Taiwanese Tea’s…that menthol/minty cool feeling in the mouth.
This was such a great mouth-feel (if you’ve never experienced it before) but subtle.
I was looking for a raisin chocolate taste (which I found), and along the way got distracted by how soft the finish was.
Like a mist the tea evaporated at the end. All the flavors seemed to be up front with a spice-cool shift in the center and then poof, gone.

This was before I added anything to my tea!
You can’t imagine how sweet and nectar-like my tea was when I added
just a little sweetening. (Stacy would say “Add a little natural raw sugar crystals to bring out the flavor”)

Very tasty and delicious for breakfast or anytime!

Lovely Assam!

1 tbsp in 12 oz

Forgot how much I liked this! It seems that Taiwanese black tea can do no wrong as far as I’m concerned. I love every single one I’ve tried. I’ve decided that as a group, they are my favorite kind of tea. Subtle differences between them, but all just the perfect mouthfeel and sweetness level for me. YUM.

OMG soooo much homework! Today was the third day of classes and I had to stay up so late last night for all the reading. I only have 12 credits (and 2 of them are my piano lessons) and I feel like the work load is heavier than when I was taking 21 credits the last few semesters of my english degree AND working part time. So what the big idea here?! Have I just forgotten how to manage?? Times like these I really miss when all my homework was just math. I am not such a fast reader. On top of that, most of the texts are in German and most of my classmates have more years of German study behind them than me. I am not used to being the one lagging behind.

So anyway, I brewed this tea trying to take a quick breather before I prepare dinner. I put some rock sugar (4 pieces) in this time and it came out so good. Or maybe its one of those times when any hot and comforting drink would seem good just because I am so stressed (that does happen. . and then I brew it again later and think “This isn’t the same thing!” lol)

Oh man am I glad to have this back in my cupboard. After a long spell of tea blahs and a hectic tea-less weekend, this is really hitting the spot today. It’s got a little more fruity sweetness than I remember, which is perfect for summer weather. I love the fact that it has so much flavor without any additions. I need to make sure I don’t run out of this again!

Oh my god, this tea is amazing. THIS is what I wanted every time I opened up a new Butiki tea. I wanted to love them as unwaveringly as so many on here do. So far, only the Ruby Pie has been a re-buy for me but this tea is fantastic. I always thought I didn’t like assam. Clearly I just had the wrong ones. This is caramel and cocoa and honey and rich but not bitter with a wonderful lingering smoothness that has a sweet edge like I’ve had some premium chocolate.

I tend to fall hard for Chinese blacks but this has a caramel sweet note that I may not have ever experienced in another tea. Especially in contrast with the disaster that was my previous tea of the day, this is phenomenal. I can only hope that future cups taste as good as this, because this is nectar of the gods right now. I don’t tend to rave about a tea, but this one deserves it. A+! This could usurp Black Dragon Pearls as my favourite black tea.

Now to keep slurping. And re-steeping. And slurping some more. Mmm!