The Simple Leaf Mountain Malt

Description (from thesimpleleaf.com): Mountain Malt is a classic Assam tea. The leaves are curled into little round balls and yield a bold , full-bodied, strong and rich tasting liquor with that characteristic Assam “malt” aroma. When infused, the liquor takes on a beautiful dark-red hue. [more...]

Review: This is yet another incredible selection from The Simple Leaf. The tiny, rolled-up leaves are beautiful and organized in the generous sample package, and fan out nicely when steeped. I generally am skeptical of Assam because it is so astringent and difficult to drink without sweetener or milk, but this Assam is truly delicious. It's not overwhelming, but strong enough to bring a beautiful, malty, robust flavor and this tea needs absolutely nothing added.

I don't think I've ever tasted an Assam as pleasant and smooth as this. There have only been a few that even had the potential to become daily drinkers, but I cannot wait to spend the next week or so drinking this first thing in the morning. The dark, deep color and the warm, smooth flavor are to die for. Any black tea lover should try this, and try it completely untouched by any additives, in just-boiled water. This Assam is wonderfully pure and naturally sweet, which is relatively rare as far as Assam is concerned (at least to me...many Assams make me pucker from how dry the aftertaste is).

Mountain Malt is a must-try. I'm not sure if it's because it's higher grown, or if every tea Simple Leaf carries really is as incredible as the ones I've reviewed, but there are more coming from this company, and after this Assam's incredible taste, I can't wait for the other blacks they've sent.

The Good: beautiful leaves, dark, robust flavor that's very smooth and pleasant. Pure.
The Bad: nothing at all at all.
More Information/Buy: The Simple Leaf Mountain Malt