When I think of Canton tea, I usually think of fine Chinese teas, which seems to be their specialty. So their Assam White tea offering was a bit of a surprise to me. CTC describes their product as such: "A rare and exquisite Indian White Assam from the Mothola Estate, one of the only White Assam producing estates in India". The dry leaves are long and downy, with a nice blend of tan and green shades. I followed the recommended brewing instructions by infusing the leaves in 185-degree water for 4.5 minutes. The resulting tea is a delicate yellow color. Now before I get into the description of this tea, I should state that I have never been one of those people that gets too excited about white tea. Truthfully, I usually find their flavors bland and uninspiring, although never unpalatable. This particular offering stands a bit above your average white tea although it is still a very delicate and mild tea that requires attention to detail to really fully appreciate. This tea blends subtle hints of malt, hay, and fruit to create a drink that is clean and easy-drinking. The maltiness is a testament to the tea's Assam origins, but the intensity of this tea's malty flavor is a far cry from that of its black tea counterpart. CTC also mentions a floral note, but I have to say that I didn't pick up on that myself. While this tea was enjoyable hot, I preferred it cooled to room temperature, where the flavors seemed to be a bit more apparent.
CTC advises re-steeping the leaves at least four times. It is pretty impressive that leaves will get you through four infusions, but that it always a benefit, especially in more expensive teas, such as this one, when you want to get the most bang for your buck. I was only able to take the leaves through a second infusion, but I was very much pleased with the outcome. The color was just a shade darker and the flavor was only a bit weaker. As with the first brew, there was no astringency.
Overall, this seems to be a fairly unique white tea that is very different from most other white teas I have had. It is a bit on the pricy side, but given that it can go through multiple infusions, a small quantity of leaves could conceivably last you a long time.

— To purchase Canton Tea Co. Assam White, 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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