This is a delightful Assam. Malty is right! I don’t think I’ve tasted a maltier tea. It is strong and bold with an undertone of sweet caramel notes. There is a note of bitter towards the middle of the sip – not one of those “I oversteeped the Assam” kind of bitter tastes, but more of a “hint of bitterness that is here to cut through some of the heavier notes of this tea and make things interesting” kind of bitterness that is ever so slight.
Teasnob mentioned a “salty” note to this tea, and I am tasting that too. I didn’t get it in the first couple of sips, but, now that I’m about a 1/4th of the way through this cup the salty tone is presenting itself. It’s a very interesting quality to this tea that I don’t think I’ve really ever experienced before – I like it!
