Soula Assam from Golden Tips Tea

Soula Assam from Golden Tips Tea

I am on a quest to find my "perfect" assam.  This is a challenging journey, as unlike Chinese black teas, most single estate assams are a bit more uniform in their flavor profile....which is why I love them in general.  There is something about their wholesome malty goodness that makes a standard favorite cup of morning tea in my home.

Soula Assam is a true representation in the beautiful ways of assams.  The dry leaf smells strongly of warm malt with a touch of dried plum.  There are few golden tips in the medium length dry leaf, which is fine with me today, as it's a chilly morning and a deeper malt tea is exactly what I'm hoping for to chase the chill away!  Soula Assam does not disappoint as a chill-chaser.  The deep malt note is a solid base for the slight fruitiness and mild astringency that this tea offers.  I immediately went back for a second cup to verify the smoothness, and it was still there.  This is a very easy to drink assam, with a straightforward flavor profile, round mouthfeel and ability to take milk exceptionally well.  Soula Assam from Golden Tips Tea is a lovely example of what a single estate assam can offer to someone wanting to move beyond the teabag.  If you are just beginning to explore assams, this is a great place to start.

You can find this tea here: Golden Tips Tea Soula Assam

TeaVivre's Superfine Keemun Mao Feng Black Tea

TeaVivre's Superfine Keemun Mao Feng Black Tea

Just when I think I won’t taste another Keemun that I could love as much as those who have already stolen my heart, here comes another one.  Teavivre’s Superfine Keemun Mao Feng consists of wiry little black leaves that smell of sweet dried fruit and light earthiness. After a 4 minutes steep at 200 degrees f, the liquid is a beautiful amber color and smells of molasses and moss….and it gets better!!! The taste of this tea is much like the leaves… delicate, balanced and completely captivating. It is breathtakingly aromatic, with gentle notes of forest moss, the sweetness of dried fruit and molasses and a touch of light toasty grain to round the flavor profile out. This tea is smooth, fragrant, and not to be missed! 

You can find this tea here.

Flavors: Grain, Molasses, Moss, Peach, Stonefruits, Toasty

TeaVivre's Yunnan Dian Hong Gold Tips

TeaVivre's Yunnan Dian Hong Gold Tips

Yunnan teas were a big discovery for me.  It didn't seem possible that leaves that were golden and smelled like apricot could ever be hearty enough to measure up to a black tea.  BLACK tea. You know, that had black tea leaves.  Boy, was I wrong.  Yunnans, with their wonderful flavor profile of sweet potato, cocoa and apricot, have become one of my favorite teas....and this tea from TeaVivre is a perfect example why. 

The dry leaf of this tea smells of apricots dusted with cocoa. There is a lovely luster to the leaves that lets you know that it's fresh tea. The leaves are long and golden and practically begging to be put into the cup!  So in they go, and wet, the aroma of the leaf is a sign of things to come in the cup...

There is something different about this tea…yes, very yam-skin (more earthy than just yam), yes some chocolate….but behind the honey smoothness of this tea is a different note that I haven’t associated with Yunnan before….there is a wonderful note of ground nuts that is settling in-between the other typically Yunan notes that makes this different than the others I’ve tried. Nuts. It’s definitely a middle note that brings that wholeness of this smooth tea together. Nuts. This tea has no astringency, which suits me on this warm morning with an empty tummy. Nuts. Or am I just…. nah, that’s too easy. Highly recommended.

You can find this tea here.