Ben: Well Sylvia, it's been awhile, but I think it's time for another tea of the week.
Sylvia: Oh, I think you're right Ben. We've had so many interesting teas in the past month, it seems such a shame that we aren't sharing them with the rest of the world.
Ben: You've got that right. Which one should we profile?
Sylvia: How about the Harmutty Esate Assam?
Ben: You mean, The Breakfast Tea of My Dreams?
Sylvia: That's right; the SFTGTBT.
Ben: Don't you mean SFTGFOP?
Sylvia: No, I mean SFTGTBT: Super Far Too Good To Be True.
Ben: You've got that right! This Harmutty Estate Assam is absolutely incredible. I've been looking for something this strong for ages; a malty heaviness on par with Tao of Tea's Malty Assam, paired with the hearty flavor of a good Nonaipara.
Sylvia: Well, I wouldn't go that far. It doesn't have quite the complexity and unique cocoa overtones of a Nonaipara...
Ben: Okay, okay, but it's definitely much more flavorful than Tao's Assam. It's forceful, and oh so rich.
Sylvia: I'd call it a simplified Baihao Yinzhen.
Ben: Interesting. Simplified, then multiplied by 1,000.
Sylvia: Compacted into a heavy-weight punch.
Ben: Speaking of boxing, I heard NDK's been spending time with Manny Pacquiao...
Sylvia: He's certainly been in the Philippines for awhile. I hope he's taking good pictures with that camera he took along with him, otherwise we'd be snapping shots of these absolutely beautiful leaves.
Ben: The ad shot from Chado will have to do. What a shame.
Sylvia: Let's talk about Harmutty Estate itself though. I know that I know nothing about it.
Ben: I wish I could help you out here, Syl, but I've got nothing.
Sylvia: Hmmm. Well, I'm sure they're FOOD JUST.
Ben: One can only hope.
Sylvia: So how would you rate this one overall?
Ben: What can I say? It's not subtle, it's not intricate, it's not thought-provoking. But who wants all of that in the morning? This is far-and-away the strongest, maltiest, most flavorful breakfast tea I've had in ages. I can't think of anything better to get me started on my charge through the daily grind.
Sylvia: Well said. I'm usually a bit sluggish in the morning, but this Assam has me wide awake like I haven't been in years. I can really feel the heartiness in my bones. I'm buzzing all over. I almost feel like I could fly.
Ben: Don't be ridiculous.
Pick up a bag of Harmutty Estate Assam at any the Chado Tea Room in Pasadena. These guys are good; the staff knows their tea and are super helpful, and at $3 an ounce, you aren't going to get a better bang for you buck. We'll be back next week with even more incredible breakfast teas!
No comments:
Post a Comment