Assam Rembeng TGFOP

The generosity of the folks at Arbor Teas is appreciated greatly.
Thank you for providing so many samples.

Again, as with most teas from Arbor, this one is organic and Fairtrade.
It is relevant to me because I am writing yet another research article about Fairtrade, so stay tuned if you would like to spend the time to read a few pages of research.
I am a proponent of Fairtrade and do what I can to promote and defend the organization. They have had to deal with bombardments of scrutiny from critics that is unnecessary and unjust.

This tea is from the Rembeng estate in Assam, and carries the grade of TGFOP...(Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe)
This tea is properly graded, as you can see by the scattered amount of golden (and perhaps a bit of silver) buds within the dry leaf.

As with most Assam teas, this one has quite the malty aroma, along with wood and grain. Some people describe this malty/grain aroma as cereal, but I would not want any readers thinking that this tea smells of Cheerios or Fruity Pebbles.

The liquor is unsurprisingly heavily laden with malt, but maple and buttered toast arrive on the scene.
Any tea that smells of buttered toast should definitely be consumed during breakfast.

The first sip reveals the brisk nature of this tea. A citrus note (more tart) plays on the palate for a short while.
A favorable astringency followed by a cereal flavor follows.
To round this tea out; sweet maple.

This tea is well balanced, bright, clean and quite refreshing.
I wouldn't suggest adding milk, in part because I am a purist, but mostly due to the fact that it would not blend well with the bright citrus (tart) quality of this tea.

Assam teas are not complex and do not call for too much time or description.

They are blunt, arrogant and will treat one well if treated well themselves.


~billy

Vietnam Nam Lanh

The wonderful folks at Arbor Teas were generous enough to send me another round of samples. I apologize to them for the late reviews. It is difficult for me to find time and sit down for a long while with a tea anymore. This saddens me, but it must be so. School will take one far.

This is only about the 4th, single estate Vietnamese tea I have had the privilege to spend quality time with. I enjoy different regions and the characteristics that they present.

This is a tea from the Nam Lanh tea estate. I know nothing of estates in Vietnam, so if this means anything to you readers, be kind enough to inform a novice if you so desire.

The dry leaf has malty qualities up front, but inhale deeper and one will find rose, caramel and oak. It is interesting to find even the slightest hint of a floral smell coming off of these heavily oxidized leaves.
Another surprising thing about this tea is the quality of the dry leaf. By looking at it, I would say it is comprised of about 30-40% tea buds, which in my book is fairly high.
I would not have thought that Vietnam was yet producing such high quality (perhaps orthodox) teas.

Coming off of the top of the steaming cup are hints of dark chocolate (cocoa), vanilla and black currants.
Again, the tea throws me a surprise. The fruity aspect is quite enjoyable and leaves me wanting a taste of the supposed sweet liquor.

Wheat and barley are the first tastes to strike my ready palate. As the liquid sits, the malty astringency is felt.
On the exit; black currants dominate.
The liquor is quite sweet and absent of bitterness.

Now mind you, I did say that the tea revealed astringency, but not bitterness. People oft confuse these two descriptors.

From the taste and look of the leaves, I would say that this tea is made mostly from the assamica cultivar.
The sinensis cultivar would not have contained the malty, wheat-like taste.

This tea did solve a mystery for me in the end.
A while back, a trip to France encouraged me to purchase some "French Breakfast" tea.
This tea resembled the taste of that very tea, and for the longest time, I could not figure out where the malty chocolate taste of the "French Breakfast" came from. I can almost guarantee that it was a Vietnamese tea that comprised the base for the blend.

This would make sense, due to the French colonization of Vietnam (1887-1954).

So many conclusions in one single cup.
Just another magical aspect of the tea leaf.



~billy

TeaTra.de

If any of you follow Leafbox Tea, you are probably aware of the Admin's new project; TeaTra.de.

The concept will be a major benefit to the tea community if more passionate tea lovers are aware of the resources that will be available to them through this platform.

Companies selling tea.

Individuals selling tea.

Everyone selling tea either bulk or in small quantities out of their personal stash.

There will be a vast collection all in one single place.

Another benefit of this is that I can host my blog on a Wordpress format. So all of you who cannot follow my blogger, perhaps this will be of use to you.

Visit TeaTra.de for more details on this revolutionary new concept.



~billy