REVIEW: Assam Mangalam, Tea Gschwendner

ASSAM MANGALAM

This is the second cup I wrote, "Meh," on the page. Didn't like it, wouldn't buy it again. But I'm glad to have tasted it!

LEAVES
The dry leaves were black, tightly wound, with golden stripes throughout. It was striking to see the dry leaves next to the previous Oolong, which had silver stripes on the leaves. Wet, the leaves took on a dark, rich brown color.

THE CUP
Drinking this, it took on a mahogany brown color. Apparently, it is considered a "self-drinker," which means it is a tea that has well-rounded quality and flavor and does not require blending. It had a very ordinary, black tea taste. Again, a bit like a Twinings blend or something. I believe that I'm noticing this flavor profile, because about 97 percent of all India teas come from Assam-- something like that; I'm not a numbers person-- whereas only a tiny proportion of the teas come from my favored Darjeeling.

Anyway, this tea definitely benefited from being paired with a tiny creme brulee, the sweetness of which helped me drink this very strong tea. Obviously, not my style.