I finally got to track down an Assam with gold tips. I happened to be in SE Portland and stopped into the main shop to test out a pot of this. Some Twitter friends mentioned that it might not taste different than other Assams and that “flecks” of gold tips were added to up the premium price. I think they were wrong. What I got was a black tea with a mildly astringent foretaste, followed by straight nectar; a comparison I usually reserve for Yunnan Golds. With the malty kick added, this was more in line with a Golden Monkey – another partially tipped tea that I enjoy. I can finally notch this off my list.