Hattialli Golden Lion Assam

IDK if this is the same as the Hattialli Golden Paw Assam that’s currently on their website and I have in my cupboard…

So… I like it. A lot. I’d like it more if I wasn’t sick. It’s very similar (might even be the same!) to the tippy Hattialli I steal from my mom when I visit.

Yum yum yum. Malty, etc, good with additives, good without.

This was another surprise sample!

So, no idea what this tea is all about or what it has in it (besides Assam?) but it is rather nice. I guess that should go without saying as it IS a butiki tea. :P

I brewed it to spec and ended up with a dark amber coloured tea that smells almost like it has honey in it. And I’m getting fruity smells in there too. It tastes like a nice medium strength tea with a touch of sweetness in it. I really should drink the Premium Taiwanese Assam I ordered so that I can get a better sense of what this one is like in comparison.

I’ll re-steep and possibly update later!

I really really like this. Partially because the name means Elephant Road (in addition to ducks, I’m pretty crazy about elephants. As is evident by my elephant mugs, and elephant pillow buddy thing among other things) and partially because at the 3:30 steep this tastes a lot like Mi Xian Black + malt which is fantastic!

I think this is the one where Stacy personally recommended throwing an extra minute on the steep time, so I’ll try that for the next cup with fresh leaves. My first cup I went with the website recommendation. I wanted to try both and compare, and pick which way I like better. The three and a half minute steep is lovely. It’s not extremely strong, but it’s still well flavored and fairly robust. I mainly pick up on the apricot notes than anything else, and it has a malty finish.

The leaves are quite different than what I expected. I guess after two different Premium Taiwanese Assams, Mi Xian Black, and Laoshan Black from Verdant, I tend to expect to see twisty bramble like tea leaves now, but these ones are greeny gold and curly. :) Thanks to the strong apricot notes, this is really nice and sweet. Yum! :)

I’m really in love with this already, and will definitely be picking more up on my next order.

Sipdown, 195. This was a surprise sample from my last Butiki order. I am normally not a fan of assams, but I am willing to try anything once, and always happy to have my ideas about types of teas overturned.

Steeped, it smells, well, assam-y. It’s kind of hard to describe. I think its the smell of slight astringency (but it doesn’t smell too strong), coupled with a raisiny note. But yeah, I get the malty, peppery, hay-ish, yunnan-ish notes as well.

Well, this is nice! Definitely reminds me of a yunnan. I taste sweet potatoes and hay and maltiness. Quite a surprise really, this is an assam that I would never guess is an assam. No astringency, not quite bold or in your face. Just the way I like my black teas, smooth and easy to drink.

I appreciate the free sample of this that came with my Butiki order. This is a really nice Assam, and like some others have said, it reminds me of some of the Chinese blacks I enjoy. I had it last night, and should have written a description yesterday for more accuracy. Suffice it to say, I like it enough to re-order it.

Sample sipdown!

Had a headache this morning…opted to try this one over my sample of Good Morning Sunshine, but I think I might save that one for Boxing Day (I work retail).

This assam seemed a bit richer than the Premium Taiwanese Assam, and I think I got more malty and mineral notes. I was pleased that I had very little to no astringency with this one. It did remind me a little of yunnan teas I have had. I think that yunnan and assam are my favourite straight black teas.

I got this as a sample from Stacey with one of my recent Butiki orders. Thank you for allowing me to try this!

I brewed this per the instructions and it just didn’t seem to be for me. I have had some straight assam’s before and nothing has ever been so bitter for me. This just hit my mouth wrong. I wish I had more to experiment with to see if it was just me rushing through the preparation. The tasting notes online sounded really intriguing.

This has a thick texture and malty flavor that makes it very satisfying, and it is smoother, less bitter than most assams. There is an oaky thing going on which is somewhat unusual and very pleasant. With it is some to-be-expected astringency (comes in mainly at the end of the swallow and lingers lightly), but nothing unbearable or even that noticeable. And as always, the dry leaves are beautiful, long and unbroken; these in particular are a bit pale like tiny golden tree branches. Lovely without being so complicated/distracting as to require full-on attention.

When I first got the tea I was taken back by the delicious aroma of chocolate (cacao) and the hint of cinnamon. I was disappointed that I could not taste the same notes in the tea. My first pot was brewed too long (>5min) but the second pot (~4min) was much better.

First cup of the morning. I’ve been drinking this fairly frequently over the last couple of days, and it’s earned a place as one of my favourite assams. Sad that it’s no longer available, but there you go. I used 2 tsp of leaf, and gave it 3.5 minutes in boiling water. I added a splash of milk.

I’d say this is a mid-range assam, not hugely strong/bold, but rich and malty instead. It has a beautiful creamy quality that I really like – it’s so smooth, with not a hint of briskness or astringency. It’s quite mellow to taste, and I can pick out notes of squash, sweet potato, a hint of chocolate, and a light nuttiness. It’s a tasty cup, for sure.