REVIEW: Tea Gschwendner, Assam Ananda Second-Flush TGFOP1, 2008

When I review a new tea, I try to be very thorough-- smelling the leaves, watching carefully the appearance of the leaves, detailing all the steps I took, annotating the complex aromas and flavors, and the emotions and memories they evoke.

For Tea Gschwendner's Assam Ananda Second Flush TGFOP1, I will be uncharacteristically brief.

This seems a proper Assam, though not amazing. When piping hot, it's bitter and sharp-edged enough that I would understand adding milk and sugar to blunt its harshness. This is not a characteristic I look for in a tea. It does, however, mellow as it cools in the cup, becoming more drinkable without amelioratives.

I was trying to think of a reason I would buy this tea, but I am not excited about it enough to do so.

>> UPDATE

In retrospect, I find that I like heavier, maltier teas less and less. This means I'm most likely not going to find that I like an Assam, unless it's uncharacteristically light and clear. I don't want to give the impression that I dislike TeaGschwendner, because they have a spectacular array of teas that I do love.