Top Teas Of 2006

So many teas...so little time. I've had the chance to taste a few teas this year and, of course, there were more than a few winners in the bunch. Here's the list of those that truly stood out.


Black:
Hattialli Estate GFBOP SPL (Assam) - Upton Tea Imports

Black, Honorable Mention:
Nahorhabi Estate FTGFOP1 SPL CL (Assam) - Upton Tea Imports

Green:
First-Flush Shizuoka Sencha "Hatsumi" - O-Cha.com

Green, Honorable Mention:
Matcha-iri Teabags - O-Cha.com

Other:
Snow Buds (Xue Ya) Organic White Tea - Rishi Tea

Herbal:
Blueberry Rooibos - Rishi Tea

RTD (Ready To Drink):
Anteadote Pure White Tea - Adagio Teas

RTD, Honorable Mention:
Honeysuckle White Tea - Inko's

Image: Rishi Tea

tea, green tea, food, food and drink

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September's Favorite Teas

Here are some of the better teas I've tried this month. They're all from Upton Tea Imports. I've tended to gravitate toward them lately because they have a wide selection ("420 varieties of loose tea") and offer much of what they sell in a sample size.

After all, it's kind of disappointing to spring for a large quantity of tea, only to find out, right from the first cup, that you don't like it. Yuk, I say.

If you've spent much time at this site, you're probably aware that I'm a tireless cheerleader for high-quality single-estate Assam varieties (no milk or sugar, please). I even dedicated the entire month of March 2006 to Assam teas. One variety that stood out among the many I sampled back then was Hattialli Estate GFBOP SPL, which I reviewed here. I recently finished off a 125-gram package and find myself longing for more.

With all my focus on Assam, I tend to sometimes forget that are other black teas in the world - like in China, for instance. I decided to try out a sample of Organic China Yunnan Shui Jiu a few weeks ago and I liked it so much that I ordered a larger quantity. I'm not generally a fan of smoky teas, but this one has just a faint hint of that and it comes across quite well.

I tend to favor black teas, but I'm certainly not averse to a good green now and then. Long-Jing (Lung-Ching) Green (Superfine) is what I would call a good green and one that's definitely worth looking into.

Image: Upton Tea Imports

tea, green tea, food, food and drink, black tea, Yunnan

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Tea Review 72 - Assam, Nahorhabi Estate

Nahorhabi Estate FTGFOP1 SPL CL
Upton Tea Imports

If you weren't hanging around these parts during March, 2006 then you missed Assam Month. This, as you might have guessed, was a month's worth of posts largely devoted to the unique joys of higher end Assam varieties, for which I've become something of a cheerleader.

I tasted some great teas during that month, as noted at the end of this piece. I also tasted some mediocre ones and even a few lousy ones - no need to name names. Oh, and I tasted a decaf Assam that was downright appalling, but that's generally been the case with any decafs I've sampled.

A while back I got the hankering for some more Assam, so I ordered a few sample packs from Upton, as I'm sometimes wont to do. One of the varieties that really impressed me was Nahorhabi Estate FTGFOP1 SPL CL. In fact, it impressed me so much that I did something I haven't really done before - I ordered a larger package (100 grams).

This was a switch. As I've said, on many occasions, I'm very much in favor of sampling as many varieties of tea as I can. With about 60 varieties of Assam in stock at any given time Upton makes that easy to do.

Nahorhabi Estate may not be the perfect Assam tea, but it's close. It's a very robust variety that brews up very dark in the cup but seems to resist going bitter no matter what. Then again, I didn't really experiment with longer brewing times since I didn't want to waste even one cup of this fine stuff.

Nahorhabi Estate has a surprisingly sweet taste, with perhaps the faintest hint of cinnamon or clove. It's a very smooth taste - with no tannins or bitterness apparent to my coarse tongue.

All in all, a great experience. Very highly recommended.

tea, green tea, food, food and drink, tea review, Assam

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In Praise Of Assam

Perhaps it would be overstating the case to suggest that Assam is the Rodney Dangerfield of teas. But, the truth is, it doesn't seem to get much respect.

Assam, if I've got my story straight, is most often used as a component of the various breakfast teas - Irish, English and Scottish. It doesn't really have a reputation for being a high-quality tea - whether deserved or not - and the truth is that I've tasted my fair share of lousy varieties. But there's also plenty of Assam out there that's quite good.

Tea connoisseurs seem to gravitate to just about anything but Assam. Darjeeling, of course, is one of the best known and highly visible of the premium (for lack of a better word) teas. But there's also Pu-erh, which appears to be the favorite of the true tea snobs (you know who you are).

If your tastes lean toward green tea, maybe you'll go with a high quality sencha or even a gyokuro. Or maybe you'll even seek out a rare, delicate (and pricey) white tea. But an Assam?

Sure, why not? The truth is that there are some great single-estate Assam teas out there that, for my money, are the equal of any Darjeeling, Pu-erh, or sencha. Of course, that's assuming you like the eye-opening and very robust flavor that's typically the hallmark of Assam tea. These are black tea lover's teas, friends. No doubt about that. But maybe it's time you tried one.

Assam was our featured tea during the month of March, 2006. Here are reviews of some noteworthy varieties sampled during that month.

Tea Review 53 - Singlijan Estate TGFOP1

Tea Review 57 - Sessa & Sessa (Assam)

Tea Review 60 - Khagorijan & Bukhial

Tea Review 62 - Hattialli & Tippy Orthodox


tea, green tea, food, food and drink, Assam, sencha, gyokuro

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Tea Review 62 - Hattialli & Tippy Orthodox

Hattialli Estate GFBOP SPL
Tippy Orthodox GFOP
Upton Tea Imports

Yerba Mate Month is almost upon us, Assam Month is fading and the tea cupboard is almost bare of the latter. Oh, woe. But we'll usher out the month with a bang - specifically with one of the better of the dozen or so Assams I've tasted lately.

Hattialli Estate gets the best in show award, as far as Assam Month goes. It's not cheap. As a matter of fact, at $4.50 for a 15 gram sample, it's the most expensive of the sixty or so Assam varieties that Upton sells. But it's worth it.

This is one of several varieties that Upton offers from this estate. It's overflowing with nice tips, not to mention an outstanding aroma and flavor and a mouth feel that's smooth as silk.

Here's the full description from Upton's site, to which I say a resounding "amen":

"This renowned estate has produced many top-notch teas in recent years. This example has a beautiful, broken leaf, with a high percentage of golden-copper tips. The fresh, invigorating aroma and thick liquor are backed by the full, complex Assam flavor."

If you'd rather not spend so much but you'd still like a nice tasting Assam you could do a lot worse than the Tippy Orthodox. One hundred grams of this one sells for just a little more than the sample of the Hattialli and yet it ranks right up there with some of the other top Assams I've had the pleasure to taste this month.

Recommended in both cases, but if you really want a thrill cough up a little extra cash and go with the Hattialli.

tea, food, food and drink, Assam

Assam & Norway

No obvious connection between these two parts of the world, or none that I'm aware of. Just two short bits here that I thought I'd combine into one entry.

Assam Month is winding down, but it's not dead yet. If you head over to the Dooyoo site, which is apparently a British consumer reviews type resource, you'll find 19 varieties of Assam and related teas listed, many with reviews. I don't recognize some of the names so I'm gathering it's not all stuff that's readily available on these shores.

As for the Norwegians, a piece came out yesterday in Aftenposten, an Oslo newspaper, asserting that Norwegians are "tops in tea-drinking." The article doesn't exactly provide all the figures to support such a claim, but perhaps I'm missing the point. Anyway, tea is quite the popular beverage in Norway, so let's not quibble over such details.

tea, food, food and drink, Assam, Norway

Tea Review 61 - Three More Assams

Rembeng Estate TGFOP
Romai Estate TFBOP
Season's Pick Assam Dejoo GFBOP
Upton Tea Imports

Assam Month may be winding down but it ain't dead just yet. This review is a bit of an anticlimax, coming after the quite yummy Khagorijan and Bukhial varieties that I expounded upon last time around, but these three aren't all that bad either.

Not to make too much of this price vs. taste thing that I've been going on about, but the Rembeng Estate, the most expensive of these three, was also the one that impressed me the least. Upton says that it has a pleasant aroma with floral nuances and hints of honey. I found the aroma to be a bit on the harsh side and the taste kind of so-so. Not bad, but just nothing to get worked up about. Upton also sells a cheaper tea from this estate, the Rembeng Estate CTC BOP.

The Romai Estate fared a little better. It was surprisingly smooth and tasty and I found nothing to quibble with in Upton's assertion that it's "a rich Assam with raisin-like aroma and robust character." It appears, just from my cursory research, that Upton is the only merchant - or at least the only merchant with a Web presence - to offer tea from this estate.

The best of this bunch, at least in my humble estimation, was also the least pricey. That would be the Dejoo GFBOP, which is "a blend of select lots from the 2005 Dejoo Estate harvest." There are a lot of tips in this one and I thought that it had a rather light taste for an Assam. Perhaps a bit at odds with Upton's description of it as a "hearty cup," but what the Sam Hill do I know anyway? Well, I know I liked it and that's good enough for me. Upton also carries two other, more expensive, teas from this estate - SFTGFOP1S and SFTGFOP1, which might be worth looking into.

Shop For Assam Tea

tea, food, food and drink, Assam

Tea Review 60 - Khagorijan & Bukhial

Assam - Bukhial Estate
The Tea Smith

Assam - Khagorijan Estate STGFOP1 SPL
Upton Tea Imports

Sometimes you do get what you pay for. As I've been working my way through Assam Month, I've had the opportunity to taste about a dozen or more samples of tea from this region. I haven't always found a correlation between price and taste, as a few of the more modestly priced items turned out to be surprisingly good.

But in the case of the Khagorijan Estate there is a correlation between price and flavor. This is one of two teas from this estate that Upton offers. Of the 60 Assam varieties that they currently sell it's the sixth most expensive, just a few notches behind the Khagorijan Estate GFBOP CH SPL, the third priciest.

And it's well worth it, I should add. I'd rank this one at the top of the Assam heap - so far. I'm not too swift when it comes to devising those clever descriptions of what teas taste like, so I'll quote from Upton's clever description - "a top selection with an elegant, flowery aroma and complex flavor profile. The subtle layers of fruit and maltiness are balanced with a gentle pungency, creating a superb cup."

That works for me. A superb cup, indeed. As far as I can tell, from doing some cursory research, it's a superb cup that you won't find too readily. In fact, I didn't find any other vendors who handled it, though I didn't quite break my back looking for them either.

If you're up for another "superb cup" you should take a crack at Bukhial Estate. I obtained a sample of this one from the fine people at Nebraska's The Tea Smith. I'd rank it as only slightly less superb than the Khagorijan and roughly on a par with the Singlijan that I reviewed here.

And don't even think about spoiling the subtle flavors of these excellent teas with milk, sugar and all that rot. Or, if you absolutely have to, keep it to yourself. I don't think I could take it.

More Assam Books

Well, sort of. As I was putting together the list of Assam-related books that appeared here a few days ago I overlooked a few titles. Oh, silly me. Granted, these don't have to do specifically with the Assam region but it's close enough for government work, as the old saying goes.

First up is a work that presents the darker side of tea history, and yes Virginia, it's true - tea is not all frilly and dainty things and wondrous health benefits and all that rot. Like any other commodity that's worth a damn, it has a rather checkered past - and present, now that you mention it.

But it's the past that Roy Moxham deals with primarily in Tea: Addiction, Exploitation, and Empire. I haven't had a chance to read this one yet, but I gather that it covers some of the same territory as Empire of Tea, a quite worthwhile work which I have read and never miss an opportunity to plug.





On a distinctly lighter, and more fragrant, note is Diana Rosen's Chai: The Spice Tea of India. Rosen also brought us The Book of Green Tea, one of many books on this topic. Chai is a lot less likely to bring you down than Moxham's book as it takes a look at the history and background of this distinctive Indian drink, complete with beverage and food recipes that make liberal use of it. Thus far Tea Guy has found himself to be quite resistant to the alleged charms of chai, but that doesn't mean you have to be.





While we're on the topic of tea and spices and history and India and whatnot, why not take a look at Spice: The History of a Temptation, by Jack Turner?

Books On Assam

As Assam Month rolls on here at Tea Guy Speaks, I thought I'd throw out few resources for anyone who would like to find out more about the region. I've already mentioned and reviewed The Empire of Tea: The Remarkable History of the Plant That Took Over the World, by Alan MacFarlane & Iris MacFarlane, a great book that's merits another mention.





Tea - Legend, Life and Livelihood of India, is a coffee-table book by Gautam Prasad Baroowah. It's being distributed in this neck of the world by Cool Grove Press. It's not listed with the big online book sellers yet, but you can find more information at Cool Grove's Web site and in this piece that appeared in the Calcutta Telegraph a while back.

In Villages and Tea Gardens: Forty-three Years of Missionary Work in Assam, by O. L Swanson, is a somewhat more obscure work on the region. At last count there were two copies available at Amazon. You might have some luck finding it elsewhere, as well.





As we veer a little farther from the subject of tea, but still sticking with Assam, there's Ralph Izzard's The Hunt for the Buru. This one tells the tale of a 1948 expedition to Assam in search of a strange reptilian creature.





While we're veering, why not throw out a quick mention of Darjeeling: A Novel, by Bharti Kirchner? I know, it has nothing to do with Assam and perhaps all that much to do with tea, but there is at least a marginal connection to another great Indian tea-growing region.





Back to Assam. Here's an article from Tehalka - which appears to be a regional publication - on wildlife preservation and Kaziranga National Park.

Finally, from Assam.org, an article on the Lalung people of northeastern India.

Tea Review 58 - Fatikcherra Estate GBOP

Fatikcherra Estate GBOP (Assam)
Upton Tea Imports

Here's an organic Assam tea from Fatikcherra Estate, which Upton's blurb says is "well known for producing teas with a strong character." I'm not sure if I know exactly what that means, nor could I quite fathom the comment that "the enticing cup has a solid flavor, which is enhanced by milk or cream." Ditto for "great for everyday consumption."

I think what they're getting at here, without coming right out and saying it, is that this one isn't much to get excited about. And it's not. I wouldn't go so far as to say it's a bad tea, but I guess "solid flavor" is not so far off the mark after all.

This one has broken leaves - quite small ones - as the grading would suggest. I used a slightly shorter brew time to compensate, but still came up with a cup that had a slightly harsh aroma and a taste pretty much to match. Okay, maybe harsh is just a bit too strong, but Fatikcherra definitely lacks the mellow taste and nice smooth mouth feel of some of the other Assam teas I've tasted recently. It reminded me of a certain very well known name brand, which I wont name, but you can probably figure it out.

I wouldn't recommend this for drinking straight up. I'm not a milk, cream or sugar guy so I didn't try that, but I suspect it's shortcomings wouldn't be quite as noticeable that way.

Tea Review 57 - Sessa & Sessa (Assam)

Sessa Estate
The Tea Smith

Sessa B Estate STGFOP1 S
Upton Tea Imports

As luck would have it, I recently found myself with samples of Assam Sessa Estate from two tea merchants. That's luck, as in good luck, but we'll get to that in a minute.

When I decided to devote a month to Assam tea I ordered samples from Upton's Web site. With sixty to choose from, I admit that I was a overwhelmed. So I sorted them by price and picked out ten samples from across the range. Not long after, the fine people at Tea Smith (yes, Virginia, there is good tea in Nebraska) were kind enough to contribute a few samples for Assam Month. Lo and behold, there was a bag of Sessa.

Upton's Sessa is near the low end of the price range and Tea Smith's is also rather affordable. As a general rule, I think we're conditioned that we're going to get what we pay for. Therefore I didn't expect these samples to be anything special. But once again I've found that there is not always a correlation between price and taste (though sometimes that's true). Granted, the Sessa was not up there with some of the better Assams I've tasted - the Singlijan I reviewed here and the Khagorijan that I'll be reviewing soon - but it's not so shabby either.

I was curious to see if the two samples tasted any different and they didn't, though we could check that up to my relatively unsophisticated palate. Both have relatively large leaves and a lot of nice golden tips. Upton suggest trying theirs without milk - always my preference - and say that it "combines a sweet maltiness with a delightful floral note." It may be the untrained palate talking again, but I didn't really catch the latter. I did notice that both tended toward bitterness when oversteeped even a little, something that I've found that a lot Assams tend to be more forgiving of.

But, all in all, these are both good teas, especially given the price. Not quite the top of the heap, but recommended nonetheless.

A Brief History Of Assam Tea

Very brief indeed, actually, but I guess it's better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick. From the Plant Cultures Web site. Read it here.

For a more personal take on tea growing in Assam check out "a site about Jokai Tea Co, Assam, India," located right here.

For a rather more in-depth look at the topic you might want to try The Empire of Tea: The Remarkable History of the Plant That Took Over the World, by Alan MacFarlane & Iris MacFarlane. Check out my review of the book here.

About Assam

As Assam Month continues here at Tea Guy Speaks, I thought I'd throw out a few general resources about the Assam region itself.

The Wikipedia entry for Assam gives a good overview, but only devotes a paragraph or two to tea. However there is a separate Wikipedia article devoted to Assam's most famous product.

For some armchair travel type information on Assam you might want to try the Assam Tourism site, which is a production of the region's Department of Tourism. Their Industry page takes a somewhat more in-depth look at the tea industry in the region.

If you'd like to take a crack at recreating some Assamese delicacies, perhaps to sample along with your Assam tea, try the recipe database at Assam.org.

Carbon Credits & Assam Tea

Haven't got the slightest idea what carbon credits are? Neither did I, at least not until I read a recent article in the Calcutta Telegraph.

Apparently this is a way to encourage countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Countries that exceed their quota for reducing said gases can take their surplus credits and sell them in the global market.

Where do Assam's tea-growers fit into this? Well, it has to do with the "pollution-enhancing coal-fired machinery" that's used in the tea industry. But rather than me rewriting the entire article go ahead and read all about it here.

Tea Review 54 - Decaffeinated Assam

Decaffeinated Assam
Upton Tea Imports

My one-word review of this tea - nasty.

My two-word review of this tea - colored water.

Okay, you get the point.

When I'm reviewing tea I generally try to accentuate the positive and not engage in the "bashing as entertainment" style of reviewing that seems to have its fair share of adherents. But this is just not a very good tea and there's no way around it.

That's too bad, really, because I wanted to like it and I wanted it to be wonderful and and I wanted it to be that elusive tea that has all the flavor of a great Assam without any of the caffeine that inevitably leaves me with that pummeled feeling. But friends, this ain't the one.

I'm beginning to suspect that there really is no way to get the caffeine out of tea without taking with it a substantial chunk of the flavor, but if you have information to the contrary or if you have a recommendation, please do tell.

As for this one, I'm sorry to have to give it a "not recommended."

Tea Review 53 - Singlijan Estate TGFOP1

Singlijan Estate TGFOP1 (Assam)
Upton Tea Imports

For yours truly, the measure of whether a tea is good - yes, I know that "good" is a subjective concept - is how long it lingers in my tea cabinet. I currently have a few items in the old cabinet that have been around for a while and probably aren't going anywhere soon. I can't bring myself to throw away tea, but there are some teas I can't bring myself to finish.

Then there are teas like Singlijan Estate, the first of many Assam varieties we'll be featuring this month. This one vanished from my tea cabinet in no time at all, though I only started with a fifteen gram sampler in the first place.

Here's Upton's description of Singlijan: "The leaves are wiry and well-twisted, with light-golden tips. The cup has an aroma reminiscent of chocolate, and a flavor note of ripe apples with a clean finish. This tea can be best enjoyed plain."

I'd agree with that, for the most part, though my untrained palate wasn't slick enough to pick out chocolate or apples. My verdict would be "a very pleasant aroma with faintly fruity overtones and a very full-bodied flavor, with the same subtle hints of fruit." Something else that I noted was that Singlijan had a very smooth flavor, with not even a hint of astringency or bitterness, not even when it's oversteeped by a minute or two.

I have yet to make it through all the Assam samples on hand, but of the ones I've tasted thus far Singlijan Estate is head and shoulders above the pack. What's interesting to note, if you're looking for a correlation between flavor and price, is that this one is ranked 17th cheapest of the 60 Assam teas Upton currently offers.

I tried to find out something about Singlijan Estate or Singlijan, but didn't have much luck. Here's all I was able to come up with on short notice.

Assam Month Kicks Off

Let's do some Assam.

As I mentioned a while back the month of March here at Tea Guy Speaks will be devoted to India's Assam region and its most famous product. Here's a clue - starts with a "t" and ends with an "a".

I'd like to say that I'm doing this as a way to focus on this part of the world and its many charms and to highlight the importance of tea growing to the region and also to the world's history and economy and all that sort of high-falutin' educated sounding stuff. But if the truth be told, I'm probably just doing it so I'll have an excuse to guzzle a wide variety of Assam tea. Well, so be it.

Be sure to check back as the month unfurls. My goal is to post something Assam-related each and every day, but we'll see how it goes. I'm working my way through a heap of samples right now, and more are on the way. Oh, be still my beating heart. The reviews segment kicks off either today or tomorrow with one of the best Assam teas I've tasted thus far.

March Is Assam Month

Hold on. Don't go running off to check your calendar. As far as I know this is the only place where Assam Month will be observed.

What's it all about? Nothing special, really. I just decided that it might be nice to narrow my focus every now and then. Since I'm quite fond of Assam tea I thought that would be a great way to kick things off.

So be sure to tune in as the vast majority of March's content will be Assam related. If you've got tips on something that might be of interest leave a comment and I'll check it out. If you're a merchant and you'd like to provide a sample of Assam tea for review, let me know. I've got a heap of samples coming from Upton, but you certainly can never have too much Assam tea on hand.

Tea Review 51 - Assam & Assam

Assam - Mangalain Estate
In Pursuit of Tea

Assam Black
Honest Tea

Over the course of the past several weeks Tea Guy has been taking in a lot of black tea, almost to the exclusion of all others. I'd probably still be on that track except that I've exhausted my supply and wasn't quick enough on my toes to make sure that it was replenished. Oh, woe.

Of all the great black teas out there - and I don't think I've met any I don't like - the one I keep coming back to is Assam. There's just something about it. I can't quite put my finger on it. Must be that remarkable full-bodied flavor.

One of the true standouts in this category is In Pursuit of Tea's single estate Assam from Mangalain Estate. As the package points out, the estate is located by the Towkok River in the foothills of Nagaland, in northeast India, where it covers a total of 105 hectares.

Which is right interesting stuff to know about but I'd have been just as happy with this one if it had come in a plain brown paper bag. As a matter of fact, I liked it so much that I was out of it almost before I'd cracked open anything else in the In Pursuit of Tea shipment.

Excellent, and highly recommended.

Honest Tea's Assam Black ain't so shabby either, suffering only by comparison to the Mangalain. This one's a bagged variety that uses organic large leaf tea and comes packaged 18 bags to a box. You could do a whole lot worse and the nice part is that you might even be able to track this one down at your local supermarket. I did.

Also recommended.

By the way, Assam tea purveyors like to mention that it works well with milk and sugar and I suppose that for many people it does. But if you're a milk and sugar person, you might want to try some straight up for a change. Who knows? Maybe you'll like it.