Fortnum & Mason Advent Day 12 (Sachet)
My experience with this tea is the opposite of nearly every review here. I saw tippy and golden and thought “hallelujah, an Assam that won’t upset my stomach!” Golden tips rarely bother me because of their natural sweetness and milder flavor.
Steeping it, I was surprised at how light the color was, a golden amber, and put it down to this being golden tip. It was smooth and had a bit of a honey note and some breadiness. Words I wouldn’t put with what I drank this morning are: brisk, astringent, bold, strong. It was a very civilized cup, needed no additions at all, and was very pleasant.
When I tore open the sachet to put the leaves in the compost pail, it seemed like a rather small amount of leaf. They were medium sized, not fines or severely broken. It didn’t lack flavor so I guess they knew what they were doing when they filled the sachets.
There are a number of reviews calling this a bold and strong tea, and most Assam teas are just that to me. This one definitely wasn’t. And that is how I usually prefer it – smooth and naturally sweet without a lot of bite. Nice one. But since my experience is so very different, I wonder if they changed their source or something.
