Assam... Undecided

[entropyembrace]

I know I said I didn't like Assam...

but I was tea shopping at a local tea house today and took a sniff of the Bukhail estate TGFOP and was lured in by strong notes of black currant backed by cinnamon and pepper.

Sipping it as I write and the mouthfeel is smooth and refreshing with taste matching the aroma nicely and that unpleasant aftertaste I associated with Assam is completely absent.

So I'm converted, that's at least one Assam estate I enjoy!

[shardy53]

I like Irish Breakfast tea which contains a lot of Assam. It isn't as one dimentional tasting as straight Assam. That being said, the only Assams that I have tried are the Adagio Assams. I don't know if there are better ones out there. I am open for suggestions.

Steve

[leiche]

I've never met an Assam I didn't like, and I never add milk or sugar. Mine definitely gets brewed like rocket fuel -- the stronger and maltier the better!

On the other hand, you can all keep your Darjeelings and Yunnan blacks far away from me.

[Beidao]

I just wanted to pop in and say that Imperial Teas has some good Assam, including Joonktollee and Mangalam. They also have some real expensive ones that I feel very tempted to buy as samples.

[sneakers]

Along with Ceylon, Assam is my "meat and potatoes," even though I don't eat meat. I don't care for smoky or green teas. I'm still not sure what "malty" is, and we debated that at another thread, but I like it.

THIS IS VERY SUBJECTIVE, so I don't want anyone jumping on me here and saying I'm simplifying the 3000 varieties.To my own palate, greens and oolongs taste vegetal, Darjeelings are astringent, many Chinese teas are smoky. Assams and Ceylons give me a sense of smoothness,cleanness, and those are not a very good descriptives. Aside from malty, any other suggestions?

I agree with leiche, but I'm trying to be open, and at Silver Tips in NY this week, I had my first pot of Yunnan, sipped it a long time and swished it around, and thought it was earthy. It was aptly name "Ancient Forest." Reminded me of moss and soil. Tried a pot of fine oolong, one I couldn't afford to buy by the ounce, and found it, aptly, vegetal, like green. (Hey it was my birthday, and my friend was paying Bought 5 different Assams, Ceylons before I left.

Tea is a matter of taste. De gustibus non est disputandum (There is no arguing about tastes.) Come on over to my place. leiche.

[leiche]

As long as I can bring some roasted oolong, which is actually my tea of choice!

[sneakers]

As long as I can bring some roasted oolong, which is actually my tea of choice!

Fine; I have several teapots.

Seriously, how is roasted oolong different in taste from non-roasted?

[Dresden]

I started this topic I having only tried 1 assam (assam melody). That is still the case.

I've always been a very openminded kinda guy. Just to be fair I will try another assam before saying, "I'm not a fan of assams."

What would be good pick for me?

Mike

[Cinnamon Kitty]

As long as I can bring some roasted oolong, which is actually my tea of choice!

Fine; I have several teapots.

Seriously, how is roasted oolong different in taste from non-roasted?

Oolong can be roasted to different degrees. I am guessing that the oolongs that you have sampled have been greener oolongs since you described them as vegetal and similar to green teas. A green oolong has little to no roasting. The more roasted the oolong, the less vegetal it will taste. The more prominent flavors that I get from roasted oolongs are burnt sugar, caramel, chocolate, berries, and toast, compared to the greener oolongs which, as you described, can be vegetal.

Just to keep the thread slightly on track, I've tried both of Adagio's Assams, as well as their Irish Breakfast and at least one other blend with Assam in it that was not from Adagio. I definitely enjoyed the Assams more than the Darjeelings and Yunnans that I have tried though not as much as the Glendale Nilgiris from TeaSource.

[Beidao]

I started this topic I having only tried 1 assam (assam melody). That is still the case.

I've always been a very openminded kinda guy. Just to be fair I will try another assam before saying, "I'm not a fan of assams."

What would be good pick for me?

Mike

Out of the ones I have tasted I would say: Assam Mangalam, Assam Joonktollee, Assam Pengaree. I think Doomur Dullung, Hatialli, Naranyanpur and Marangi should be good too. Go for one that has a lot of golden times and is whole leaf and do not choose the cheapest one out of those either

[sneakers]

... I definitely enjoyed the Assams more than the Darjeelings and Yunnans that I have tried though not as much as the Glendale Nilgiris from TeaSource.

You can come on over also, Cinnamon. I like Nilgiris too.

I've had only one pot of Oolong, pricey stuff ($106/lb) at my local tea shop. But I didn't like the green taste. It's described in their catalog as "Less oxidized than other oolongs," meaning more green. I'm willing to try a more oxidized one. Don't want to get in deeply here, as this is an Assam thread.

Back to Assams

[teamaster]

I love Assam tea. Been having it since years. Love the deep red color. I make it half water, half milk. Makes it less strong.

[Intuit]

If a "standard" Assam (*not the spendy estate teas harvested from higher elevations) is purchased as a daily drink and you find it a bit too malty, try decreasing both the tea leaf weight and the infusion time. Also, wait just a tick or two before adding your tea after brining it to a vigorous boil.

You should find a subtle difference in the tea, not so much "in your face" (unless you are swilling it like coffee for the caffeine).

[sneakers]

Just tried a pot of Assam Sessa Estate TGFOP at my local tea shop, Silver Tips. I found it too strong, but I think shorter steeping would help. But my friend, who uses sugar, was very pleased with her first Assam. I've also had their Assam Rembeng Estate BOP - Organic/Fair Trade, and it's become a favorite, one of my staples. Silver Tips (silvertipstea.com) also sells online, and as the owner is also an importer, and the turnover is very rapid, the tea couldn't be fresher. [/color]

Intuit wrote: If a "standard" Assam (*not the spendy estate teas harvested from higher elevations)...

It's ME, Intuit! javascript:emoticon(':lol:') Please distinguish between the 2. Have I been buying pricey Assams without being aware of it?

[sdancer]

I found Assams to be really hit or miss. Some are downright prissy when it comes to steeping time and water quality. Reducing the recommended steeping time by 30 seconds often helps to keep it "friendlier" though, and I often do that since I don't really like it too strong.

So far, I found a nice GFBOP Towkok second flush (broken does not necessarily mean bad, but I draw a line at CTC ) that is light on the aftertaste and doesn't get bitter too quick. It's also relatively cheap. Another Assam that I really enjoy is what Ronnefeldt offers as "Teavelope", which is the best bagged tea I've ever had.