India "Assam" Black Tea

Description

Assam tea is desired for it's bold and malty flavor; it pairs well with milk and sugar, making it a popular choice for black tea blends found in boba tea shops and British "breakfast blends". This Assam tea is a lot of flavor and value for this price point.

• ORIGIN: India
• DESCRIPTION: A popular, full-bodied black tea often enjoyed with milk and sugar. Assam is used as a base for many breakfast teas
• FLAVOR: Bold, malty, brisk

What is Assam tea?

Assam black tea is named after the region it was originally cultivated; Assam, India. This region is unique because, unlike many other high altitude tea-growing regions, Assam is a lowland and its elevation is near sea level. 

Assam black tea is also unique because it is cultivated from the Camellia Sinensis var. Assamica - Camellia Sinensis var. Sinensis is the more common cultivar, and what you would expect to find throughout China and Japan.

Assam black tea, like many other black teas, is highly oxidized and processed with dry heat. It's characteristic malty flavor is a primarily a result of Assam's tropical climate and rich soil, but enhanced by the processing method.

How to enjoy Assam tea

Assam black tea is full-bodied, bold, malty, and brisk. It's strong flavor is very complementary with other strong flavors, such as milk, sugar, or citrus. Assam is also great on its own, but very commonly used in black tea blends such as British "breakfast blend" teas or special flavored blends, like Earl Grey or Thai tea.

Author's note: I personally really enjoy black milk teas with brown sugar, and the malty, chocolate notes from Assam are a great addition to my favorite black milk tea blends. I'd recommend trying Assam tea in the morning, brewed hot with milk and sugar with a hearty breakfast to start your day.

-Ricky, Co-Founder of Camellia Rd Tea Bar & chocolate fiend

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assam_tea

https://web.archive.org/web/20120421021544/http://www.tocklai.net/Activities/tea_class.aspx