When a beautiful black box with “Assam 1860” written on it in bold green font arrived at my doorstep around a couple of weeks back, I had grand plans of trying it out in different ways and also churning up a couple of recipes with it. But as luck would have it, a couple of family emergencies, viral fever, a minor accident and a phase of gadget apocalypse kept me busy and indisposed for the last fortnight and none of my plans saw the light of day. My first cup of Assam 1860 was had in a rather unceremonious manner in which I allowed the tea bag to soak in the boiling water forever. And when I took my first sip of it 10 minutes later, it had turned slightly bitter than how I would have liked. But the robust taste that I could garner even from that cup gone wrong gave me the hope that once seeped for the right amount of time this bag could yield one of the best cups of tea I’ve had.
And then I had it properly. Dipped a teabag in boiling hot water for around 70-80 seconds, added a tsp and a half of sugar, waited for a couple of minutes for it to cool down a bit (nope, I can’t stand ultra-hot beverages) and drank it to glory. The flavour that hit me was strong but not harsh and had a character of its own. What really impressed me were the small mesh teabags in which the tea was packaged. But on the flipside I found the tea lacking a bit in aroma. The usual expectation of fresh smell that is normally associated with tea brewing was sadly missing.
With the loose CTC tea leaves I made milk tea for my family. Brought 2 heaped tsp of tea and 2 cups of milk to a boil and later sweetened it to the drinker’s preference. The result, I was told, was neither too strong no too mild. Does that mean perfect? Well, you have to drink it to find out.
After all, Assam 1860 dates back to more than 150 years. Plucked, processed and packed in the picturesque Thowra Estate, a chai bagan set up in 1860, these leaves ensure quality and freshness that is unparalleled.
You can order your share of this freshness with a heart warming depth of flavour from their website and also read more about them here.
PS: This is not a paid review and the post is completely a personal account of the blogger based on her experience.