Assam Gold

Thanks for the lovely sample, Cavocorax! I actually dreamt last night that I was reaching over for this sample to give it a go, so when I woke up, I thought that I might as well FOLLOW MY DREAMS.

I also dreamt that I tried to order Butiki’s Taiwanese Wild Mountain Black since I haven’t tried it yet and have been wanting to, but it was out of stock, and I was tremendously sad. Really, brain? I mean, really?

So I steeped this up and took a sip. It’s a classic Assam, malty and full-bodied, but a little on the astringent side, and still not as malty as I would like, since that’s my favourite part about Assams. I added some half-and-half cream and a touch of honey and it’s making a pleasant late breakfast beverage.

When I think of “Gold” in relation to “Assam”, I’m usually thinking of “Golden Lion” varieties where the leaves really are golden-brown in colour, frequently accompanied by what I think of as “lots of golden dust”, a little like the grey/white dust that white tea sometimes exudes. This Assam clearly isn’t one of those – the leaves here are mostly a black/brown colour, with the odd golden-tipped leaf.

Read my full review here: http://sororiteasisters.com/2015/09/21/assam-gold-black-tea-persimmon-tree/

This is the kind of tea I like to serve guests because it has a nice smooth flavor without any of the bitterness or astringency that my non-tea drinking guests dislike. It’s not the type of tea you’ll find me drinking late at night, instead I prefer it as an early morning tea or afternoon pick-me-up. It does pack a bit of a caffeine induced punch. Overall I think this is a great everyday tea that will suit a lot of tastes.

You can read the full review on my blog:
http://www.notstarvingyet.com/index/2015/3/10/tuesday-tea-assam-gold-the-persimmon-tree

Backlog:

This is a delightful Assam, one of the maltiest I’ve yet to taste. It is also one of the few Assam teas that I’ve sampled that doesn’t have that hint of bitterness to it. Usually I taste just a hint of bitterness to an Assam, like a whispered tone that tells me that if I had oversteeped the tea it’d be quite bitter. I’m not even tasting that with this tea.

Rich and smooth from start to finish. Very little astringency. Sweet. Notes of sweet plum, date and raisin. Hints of flower in the distance.

Here’s my full-length review: http://sororiteasisters.com/2014/11/19/assam-gold-black-tea-from-the-persimmon-tree/

Whoa…you know that awesome feeling when you think you’re just trying an ordinary tea and instead are smacked in the mouth with unexpected yum? That’s what happened here. Having not read the description and having just seen the title, I thought I’d be getting a fairly standard assam (especially since teas from the Persimmon Tree Tea Company have been particularly hit or miss for me). But, not only was there really nice depth and maltiness to this, I was also able to get three fantastic steeps out of this by restraining myself and only steeping a couple of minutes each time. Really lovely and something I could totally see myself drinking daily (if it weren’t currently out of stock).

Thanks for the sample, Ost. This is another one you’ve sent me that I never would have picked out on my own but am so glad to have tried!!

Add this one to the list (and everybody needs a supply of these) of morning teas that are no-muss, no-fuss; nondescript, but extremely drinkable. This is not a malty Assam that clouts you over the head. It’s gently bread-crusty instead. Thanks, k s, I liked it.

I seem to really like Assam tea. I got this sample along with the genmaicha sample a few weeks ago. This Assam actually doesn’t feel as malty as others I’ve had. There’s something else to it, but I can’t place it….
Still a good tea, but Tealux already has this one covered. :P

This is one of those introductions to today’s tea that is a little lame, I had a mostly uneventful day today and sadly I have not really had any inspiring thoughts. I did some laundry, had some tea, walked to the drug store, watched some lectures, and did a bit of writing. Also Tao did something clever, she learned that meowing in front of the closed window and trying to pull open the window with her paw was a clear way to get me to open the window. That was my day!

Today’s tea is Assam Gold from The Persimmon Tree Tea Company, a lovely black tea from Assam, India, with a sprinkling of curly, fuzzy, golden tipped leaves. You all know me, you know that if my tea has fuzzy, golden leaves I am immediately happy, I am not too hard to please. The aroma is rich and malty with sweet notes of dried cherries. This fades to a blend of cocoa and tobacco with a touch of cedar at the finish.

After what seems like an eternity of steeping (one of the side-effects of doing a bunch of gongfu brewing, all those short steeps!) the aroma if the wet leaves is brisk and sweet, almost surprisingly sweet! There are strong notes of cherries and malt with a faint finish of molasses. The liquid is richly sweet with a tiny bit of tartness, like a more tart cherry. Accompanying this are notes of malt and molasses.

Well, this is certainly not a mild or unassuming tea! The initial taste is quite bold and bit brisk, with notes of cherries, cocoa, and a touch of oak which adds a bit of astringency. This fades to a rich malt that lingers as an aftertaste. Feeling whimsical I added a bit of cream and sugar, this takes away the briskness and that touch of astringency and leaves a rich and very malty cup. The notes of fruit and cocoa are not as strong, there is more of an earthiness as well. I found this tea quite good both creamed and sweetened and straight, it is a great breakfast tea.

For blog and photo: http://ramblingbutterflythoughts.blogspot.com/2014/06/the-persimmon-tree-tea-company-assam.html

I steeped a teapot full of this tea even though it was after dinner, and I probably should have cut off my caffeine intake at that point. But my mom requested black tea, so who am I to deny her request? She was surprised at how sweet this tea was compared to black tea bags. Cue long conversation in which I explain to her the differences between tea bags and loose leaf and why tea bag tea can be so bitter in comparison.

Anyway, this time around, there was still that mild malt flavor, but I also finally put a finger on the sweetness of the tea. It tastes just like honey. I’m not sure how I missed that before because it was so obvious this time. It’s definitely a mellower black tea, but that is probably a good thing since I drank it so late in the evening. There was some astringency, but it wasn’t too off-putting. I had a pretty lovely time with this tea tonight, and I’d consider repurchasing when I run low on straight black teas (which is going to take a while).

Edit: As the cup cooled down, the honey flavor definitely popped up and became even stronger. Perhaps this would be a good tea to cold brew? I’m putting it on the list.

I enjoyed this – it was very full bodied and had some astringency that I was worried would turn bitter, but it did not. I don’t think I am the biggest fan of such strong bold black teas in general, so I don’t think I would buy more of this. But anyone who likes bolder blacks or really strong tea taste would probably like this.