Country of Origin: India
Leaf Appearance: dark, curled with lots of golden buds
Water Temperature: 195 degrees
Steep Time: 2 minutes
Preparation Method: glass infuser
Liquor: reddish amber
Herbs & Kettles is one of my favorite tea companies that I have discovered over the last few years. Abe and Poorvi’s dedication to highlighting and elevating Indian teas is truly admirable. I previously tried and enjoyed their Assam Golden Needle, so I was excited to give this tea a try. It was produced from the second flush harvest in the Sivasagar region by Maddhurjya Gogoi. Sadly, this tea maker passed away in 2024. This is the last batch of this tea that they will have for sale.
Leaf
The leaves of Assam Black Gold were dark and curled with an abundance of golden buds. The golden hairs coating each one made them almost look orange, depending on the lighting. It was obvious that great care had been taken in the processing. They had a pleasantly earthy and sweet aroma. I prepared this tea in a glass infuser using Herbs & Kettles’ recommended parameters of 195℉ water and an infusion time of 2 minutes.
Liquor
Assam Black Gold brewed up a reddish amber liquor. I was able to see trichomes from the fuzzy buds floating on the top of my cup. The taste was malty, sweet, and smooth. Notes of caramel lead into a fruity finish reminiscent of peaches. There was a very slight hint of bitterness that reminded me of dark chocolate in the best way. Using a slightly cooler water temperature helps to highlight that complexity without drawing out too much tannic astringency. This is not the typical punchy black tea you might expect from Assam, but it is lovely. There was a lingering sweetness after each sip, especially during my second infusion.
I would highly recommend Assam Black Gold to anyone who enjoys the more high-end Chinese black teas like Bai Lin Gong Fu. It would be interesting to taste them side by side since this tea is made with the Assamica cultivar P-126. You might even want to try preparing it gongfu style.
Have you ever tried Herbs & Kettles Assam Black Gold? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
Assam Black Gold sample provided for review by Herbs & Kettles.
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