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Cameron B. drank Organic Assam by Harney & Sons

4330 tasting notes

I just have a couple of samples left to try from my Harney & Sons order, and this is one of them! I’ve been becoming more and more interested in both Assam and Ceylon teas since I tried some really yummy examples. So here’s another Assam for me to sample! First off, the leaves look like they were small to begin with, and they’re also very broken. Dry scent is amazingly rich honey along with some malt. I was originally going to steep this for 3 minutes, but I went to check on it early and saw that it was quite dark already, so I took it out at 2.5 minutes instead.

The steeped tea smells malty and sweet with some raisin and a touch of honey. Wow, I’m glad I didn’t let this steep longer. It definitely has that Assam-like intensity that borders on bitterness but isn’t quite the same. The dried fruit aspect is fairly strong with this tea, which is nice. Sadly, I don’t really taste much honey, especially given how strong the dry scent was. Otherwise it’s just strong on the malt and a touch astringent. A perfectly nice Assam, but I think I would’ve appreciated it more if I hadn’t smelled the dry tea first! :P

Flavors: Astringent, Dried Fruit, Honey, Malt, Raisins, Sweet

Preparation

200 °F / 93 °C 2 min, 30 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

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Bio

Hi, I’m Cameron!

I’m a 30-something software engineer currently living in Austin, Texas with my husband and our two pugs, Gobo and Ume. I tend to cycle between my different hobbies, and they include piano, knitting, video games, board games, miniature painting, planners, bento, Korean skincare, and – of course – TEA! But really, what I’m best at is “collecting” hobby-related things… ;)

~ 2025 SIPDOWN CHALLENGE! ~
- February sipdowns: 5
- Total 2025 sipdowns: 39

I prefer my tea lukewarm or at room temperature and without milk or sugar. I steep Western style, and fluctuate between using big mugs or small teapots depending on the season.

I am always up for a swap! Just let me know if you’d like to try something in my cupboard.

Tea Preferences:
I enjoy both flavored and unflavored teas in many forms. These days, I drink mostly flavored teas, and I tend to gravitate most toward black, green, oolong, and herbal varieties. I do have a special fondness for straight Japanese green teas, however.

I do not sweeten my teas, and pre-sweetened teas are usually too sweet for me. I also do not enjoy stevia (or monkfruit, etc.).

I tend to reach for fruitier flavors rather than desserty ones these days, but I do have favorites from both categories. Willing to try anything once! There are a few ingredients/flavors that aren’t generally my jam, such as coconut, rose, lavender, and chocolate flavoring. But I also have teas that I love with some of those things, too! :)

Favorite Companies:
3 Leaf
Bird & Blend
Dammann Frères
Harney & Sons
Kyoto Obubu Tea Farms
Lupicia
Old Barrel Tea Co
Simpson & Vail
Taiwan Tea Crafts
TeaVivre

Tea Rating Scale:
90-100: Outstanding! Permanent cupboard resident
80-89: Great – a possible staple
70-79: Good, but I wouldn’t buy it
60-69: It’s decent
50-59: Meh… I may or may not have finished the cup
40-49: Ick. Couldn’t finish it.
00-39: Repulsive, I spat it out

I will sometimes refrain from rating a tea if I feel I’m too biased due to my personal dislikes, or if I suspect the sample has been compromised by age or scent contamination.

Cupboard Spreadsheet:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ZEuKf1-ppR-VXajO4vV39zU1N3zjFJteEPAynqD2yl0/edit?usp=sharing