Here's a nice, quality second flush Assam (Indian) tea from K Teas - small, broken leaves, a pleasing color mixture of golden and deep mahogany tones. The aroma of the dried leaf is sweet, with hints of caramel, malt and oak.

A 5 minute brew is recommended with freshly boiled water, which is how I also prefer to drink this tea. 3-4 minute brews also may suffice, and I recommend a single infusion either way. This brew presents the very definition of "a copper colored cup." The flavor in the cup is bold and rich. I generally prefer a tiny splash of cream and a tad of sugar or honey with a basic Assam like this, and this tea bodes well for those additions. It is also quite nice, straightforwardly so, on its own for any fan of pure, black tea.

I get the impression that under different circumstances, I might not deem this tea worthy of the rating I'm giving it here. However, having spent so much time recently with various flavored teas, blends, varieties, and the majority of my tea-drinking-time with rooibos and Yunnan teas, it seems like a welcome, refreshing change of pace to come back to a really nice, basic, cuppa black tea, and this Assam fits snugly into that category at the moment.

— To purchase KTeas Assam Awakening, or for more specific information on ingredients or the story behind this particular tea, click here to go directly to the manufacturer's web site.

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