VAHDAM, Assam Black Tea Leaves (340g/12oz) 170+ Servings | High Caffeine, Non GMO, Gluten Free | STRONG, MALTY & RICH | Pure Unblended Single Origin Black Loose Leaf Tea | Vacuum Sealed

I recently added the VAHDAM Golden Milk Recovery & Nourishing Latte Mix to my evening routine, and it's been a delightful experience. The blend of turmeric and ashwagandha, complemented by ginger, black pepper, peppermint, and stevia, creates a comforting and aromatic beverage that's both tasty and beneficial.The mix dissolves easily in hot water or milk, making preparation quick and convenient. I appreciate that it's caffeine-free, allowing me to enjoy it before bedtime without disrupting my sleep. The natural sweetness from stevia is subtle and pleasant, without any artificial aftertaste.Since incorporating this latte mix into my regimen, I've noticed a sense of relaxation and improved digestion. It's become a cherished part of my self-care routine. Highly recommended for anyone seeking a natural and soothing drink to unwind with.

Let's start with the packaging: This tea comes vacuum sealed in a nice package that "pops" when you cut the seal. It has a very long neck so that, after you cut it open, you have a nice long top to pour it into the container it's going to stay in. Vahdam has included a thick, dark plastic, zip top bag for you. The bag is folded up inside the cardboard box and unlabeled. But never fear: There is a VERY LARGE full color label that looks just like picture on the box.I peeled this label and applied it to the zip top bag, then poured the pound of tea into it. It seals solidly and is light proof. This is a great addition so the tea will stay fresh for a long time.The taste and smell: Initially I was a little put off by the "flowery" smell of this tea. I have only had a few other Assam teas, so I'm not sure what a very high quality Assam should smell like. This has kind of a sharp note, as opposed to the warm notes I get from Ceylon tea.I initially used about the recommended amount of tea: Approximately 4 grams for 12 to 14 oz of water. The recommendation is 2 grams for 7 oz of water. I use a bigger cup!That cup of tea was flowery at first and then a little bit malty as it cooled. It was fine, but not really what I wanted.For my next cup the following day I used more like 5.5 grams for 12 to 14 oz of water. This cup was very different. Very little flower taste. The malt became much more prominent and increased as the tea cooled. The flower and (very mild) astringency showed up in the after taste. This was a much more satisfying cup of tea for me. I like malt and this muted malt was nice and seemed to keep changing as I drunk it. The last few sips seemed to have a (very mild) chocolate flavor.For me, using a good bit more than the recommended amount of tea is the way to drink it. I like this tea and will be drinking more.So a very nice tasting Assam with the best, most useful, packaging I have ever seen. Recommended!

This tea surprised me in every good way. The packaging was air-tight, vacuum-sealed and came in two separate packs to better divide up the quantity available. Even better they included a storage pouch for the tea once it was opened. It also had a production date on it that was pretty recent, so A+ on that!On to brewing: I brew this tea at oolong temperature which is around 190 degrees for about 3-5 minutes. I would not recommend boiling water as usually that's only good for dried black teas. Even if you set it for longer brewing you won't encounter any bitterness, so feel free to let it set if you want or don't worry if it sets too long. The flavor won't strengthen any further after a certain point and if you set it longer it will just push the mint further to the forefront of the show. I use 2 teaspoons per cup of 12oz water, but you could use less if you want a lighter cup. This will create a dark gold/bronze color tea, but it's not a full-bodied one at all. The point of this tea is not to be heavy so don't expect that from this one.The tea itself was very fresh and had a wonderful minty aroma. Once steeped the leaves are a bright green, further indicating it's freshness, and they were well intact without any signs of pre-dried damage. Typically with loose-leaf tea that have fully steeped you can examine the leaves themselves to determine their harvest quality and it's a good indicator of how the tea was treated prior to drying. This tea has beautiful, completely intact leaves.In terms of flavor it's heavy on the mint and light on the green tea. The only downside I have is the amount of green tea to mint ratio. Because mint is an overpowering flavor it takes a unique balance for you to realize the underlying tea and that's what has happened here. It's not a perfect blend, but it's pretty damn good regardless. If they upped the amount of green tea and dialed back some of the mint it would be perfect. But, that's just me nitpicking honestly.This tea definitely benefits from a dash of sugar. I'd say a teaspoon to a teaspoon and a half is ideal per cup. Don't overdo the sweetener, because mint will enhance the sweetness naturally. Usually I don't consume green tea of any kind with sugar, however this one needs it because the primary flavor here is going to be the mint.I highly recommend this tea as a purely mint tea, but if you are looking for a deeper green tea underlying the flavor then look elsewhere.

This is lighter tea; meaning it is great without sugar and milk. Little bit weak with milk. If you add milk; reduce the milk ratio to half or less to get the taste of tea.The bag says it is a summer pick. Love to get some first flush tea from Vadham. Assuming that around February we should be able to see the first flush. First flush is the fresh set of leaves that comes out after the winter season, which is very delicate and sweet. Drinking with milk one should opt for second flush tea.