Brazil Grandma Ume's Black Tea

Sipdown: Finished this off at work. I think it was a little bit too tannic for me and I didn’t care for the flavor all that much.

I prepared this tea in the Western style. I steeped 3 grams of loose tea leaves in approximately 8 ounces of 203 F water for 5 minutes. No subsequent infusions were attempted.

Prior to infusion, the dry tea leaves emitted malty, woody aromas. After infusion, I found scents of malt, smoke, wood, roasted nuts, cocoa, molasses, and caramel. In the mouth, the liquor was fairly astringent and tannic. I noticed heavy notes of oak wood and smoked pine accompanied by notes of spruce, cedar, wildflower honey, hazelnut, roasted chestnut, and black walnut that eventually gave way to softer, subtler impressions of cream, malt, cocoa, caramel, molasses, nutmeg, and black pepper. The finish was woody, malty, smoky, and nutty, though I could still detect impressions of molasses and wildflower honey.

This was a heavy, punchy tea that had a ton to offer in the flavor department, but it was also not the most drinkable Assamica out there. I found the mouthfeel to be a bit harsh, and at times, it was a little too astringent for my liking. As much as I enjoyed getting to a try an exotic New World tea, I cannot see myself ever reaching for this over a good Indian or Yunnan Assamica. I’m still willing to bet, however, that Assamica fans would enjoy this tea on one level or another.

Earthy malt with some bitterness and astringency. There is a vague note of wood and peppery spice, but very little sweetness. This is a relatively unrefined tea that requires care while steeping.

It’s been much too hot for hot tea which is a shame since I recently got in my whatcha order. I’ve been cold brewing some of it, but I don’t like judging a tea on cold brew alone. I’ve finally had a chance to have this hot a few times now enough to form an opinion on it.

The tea leaves are dark and finely twisted. Quite possibly one of the prettiest assamicas I’ve seen. The bag of tea smells actually kind of like teriyaki beef jerky which is a bit odd. I brewed this with just under boiling water for about 3 min. It ended up a little malty and sweet but also robust, as well as a little…fruity? I can’t quite put my finger on it. There’s a bit of an edge at the end that lets you know you are drinking an Assam. I’m really liking it for breakfast as its bold enough for the morning, but not so much that I feel I need to add anything.