Meleng Assam FTGFOP1 (SP)

Tea: Meleng Assam FTGFOP1 (SP)
Vendor: Dragonwater Tea
Price: $3.00 / 1/2 oz.
Source: Meleng Estate, Assam, India
Vendor Description: Meleng Assam FTGFOP1 (SP) Tea. High grade Assam from the Meleng estate, FTGFOP1 (SP) (Full-leaf, Tippy, Golden, Flowery, Orange, Pekoe, Grade 1, Special).

Leaf: The leaf for this tea is a very interesting mix of black and gold colored leaves. As is typical with Assam teas the leaf is rather small compared to many other teas and curly. The golden leaves are quite visually appealing.

1st Infusion: The first infusion had a very dark and red color, the shade was almost brown in color. The aroma is very sweet. The flavor matches the aroma nicely, the flavor is as well short and bold. There is a very present richness in the flavor. It reaches an apex rather quickly and then tapers off just as fast. Once the tea is finished you find a very high sense of astringency left in your mouth.

2nd Infusion: The second infusion is lacking the same strength and boldness found in the initial sip of the 1st infusion. Where there was a sense of boldness when first tasting the tea, the second infusion felt emptier on the front end, almost like the initial taste has no tea flavor, and that you can taste the water. After that initial impression though the sweetness and strength still builds up and you experience the strong tea flavor that reached an apex quickly in the first infusion. On the backend though I felt the same emptiness that I found on the front of this infusion as well.

Rating: 5/10

Conclusion: While the flavor was very enjoyable about this tea, it was a bit short and couldn't hold up for multiple infusions well. I enjoyed the taste, but it didn't last long enough. I didn't enjoy this as much as I would in comparison to a Darjeeling.