Premium Taiwanese Assam

Ohh, I continue to be so pleasantly impressed with the Butiki Teas I ordered. Quality straight teas, that come with so much in-depth information about their region and tasting notes… that is enough to soothe my soul. But combined with this tea? Well, there are few words.

It has a sweet, honey-like aroma that makes me feel home. The flavor is smooth, mellow and gentle.. It’s almost a little sweet, which I like. Apparently those Taiwanese knew exactly what to do with assam – I love it. This is a malty, sweet black that will make a permanent home in my tea cupboard for sure. I wouldn’t dare brew it for any less time, nor would I ever add sugar or milk. This is a straight tea that deserves to be enjoyed straight.

Got a sample of this from Stacy in my last Butiki order…I made another one yesterday and I’m so excited for it….

Anyway, brewed up my perfectly measured sample today and it is LOVELY! I perfect black tea. The kind you don’t even want to add a sweetener to because it would just ruin the purity of it. I could drink this every morning. No bitterness. Just smooth tea. Good stuff. Thanks Stacy

My preference is a strong tea and this Taiwanese Assam did not disappoint. Smooth and earthy.

Yummy! Malty, smooth, and satisfying with a sweet aroma and aftertaste, and a gentle toastiness. I’m getting baked bread, honey, and chocolate. Reminds me a bit of Laoshan Black but less complicated and distracting—like Sinharaja, you can enjoy this and appreciate its depth without having to put aside everything else and concentrating on it.

Sip sip, happy happy!
Super Assam, rich, flavorful and the aroma is wonderful! It lingers with raisins, cherries and plums, dipped in honey and sprinkled with nuts. Love it! A perfect morning tea, or mid day re-energizer. I’m definitely ordering more of this one soon.

What can I say about this wonderful black tea that has not been said already…Well, probably not much, but I will try to add to this collection of reviews with my impressions.

Sipping this tea has in many ways brought me back to my childhood. No, I was not raised in Taiwan, and am not Taiwanese, but this tea reminded me of the tea that I sipped at 12 years old when visiting family in the mountains of Syria. As i’m sure the tea that i’ve had there is not what i’m drinking here, I cannot help to be taken back.

This tea is a rich and delicious black tea. I taste the hints of chocolate in it, and it has a nice subtle astringency. I am not seasoned in describing teas, so I will stick to my emotions. When drinking this, I feel calm…a smile comes across my face and I take a moment to enjoy the present. However, I think that I can also enjoy this on the run, but I would not try to make this my quick on the go drinks. It’s too good for that, if that makes any sense……The leaves themselves…well, I must say that they don’t have much of a scent, but after being brewed, the tea has a nice hint of honey (no I did not add it in).

To conclude, I am very happy to have ordered this tea, and am thrilled that shipping is pretty much next day to my area :). Will certainly be ordering again!

The opening taste matches that scent perfectly, with chocolate and raisin dominating.

obviously tea is LIFE

A typically am not a fan of Assam, but this cup was one of the tastiest I’ve ever had! It’s perfect for those cold winter mornings!

This is a spectacular cup. So very smooth with several levels of something approaching chocolate made with oodles of clotted cream.

Thank you, Tigress_al, for sharing this stellar thing. Delicious.

Edit—The first two steepings were truly truly lovely, but the third one just didn’t make it. I wonder whether it is the age or the tea. It doesn’t matter really because the first two were over the top memorable and for that, I am profoundly grateful.