There're a couple of cafes in town that serve a surprisingly good selection of loose leaf tea. One of them is Smitten, and by default, Henry Congressional. Besides dependable robust coffee, I love having the well-curated teas here. Clearly it doesn't have the vibes of a traditional teahouse. It's all condensed into the form of the cafe-concept now. Smitten doesn't have comfy seats for you that way either. But I don't really care. The utilitarian benches work fine.
On an afternoon vacillating between coffee or tea, I was persuaded to try a 2011 Assam (second flush) from Mokalbari Estate. I was hesitant because I'm not fond of Assam teas in general, but happy to try a few cups to add to the reservoir of knowledge.
Went to watch the process of brewing. Lots of buds in the packet. Oooh. That explains why it's costly. Deep amber, a whiff of it indicated that it's going to be decent. It's smoky without being overpowering, leaving a delicate fragrance in its aftertaste. It isn't as heavy as the aged pu'er or the lapsang souchong. But it's a great choice if you're not into floral or light teas, and don't want a strong brew.
No comments:
Post a Comment