Tea: Orthodox Long Leaf

Grower: Heritage Tea Assam, led by Rajen Baruah

Origin: Dibrugarh in Assam, India

Cultivation: Natural (Organic, but no certification)

Harvest Date: Winter 2018

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Harvested and sorted by hand, then processed in the Orthodox style with a handroller, this Assam black tea is exceptionally balanced. Bright, malty, and citrusy character with a savory, earthy undertone. Hints of rose and raisin. Brews up a satisfying mid-bodied texture with a soft finish and a sweet aftertaste. Crafted from tea bushes planted from seed, with characteristically long leaves.

The growers and tea pickers in the Heritage Tea Assam community have studied quality tea, and as a result the leaf material and the plucking style provide a good foundation for great Assam tea.

Currently, most black tea from Assam is CTC (Crush, Tear, Curl), which is low-quality, fragmented tea. The region is dominated by large companies that demand these commodity teas. Heritage's founder, Rajen Baruah, had worked for these large tea companies, but came out of retirement to advance quality tea. He is now empowering Assam tea farmers to make more specialty teas.

Heritage Tea grows with locally-sourced vermicompost, and is completely chemical-free. Rajen keeps detailed notes on each garden and educates the growers and pickers, allowing for continued and structured improvement.

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Recommended Brewing Instructions: Use 1.5tsp (~4g) of leaves per 4oz (250ml) of water.
Brew for 1-2 minutes.

- 195F for a soft, smooth profile with sweeter flavors

- 205F for a more robust, full-bodied profile.