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Drinking an Assam by itself is like hearing one instrument from a band you know well: the malt that sits inside most British breakfast teas, with nothing blended over it. That is the reason to buy it, and it also explains how to brew it.
One region, heard on its own
The name refers to a region of north-east India whose leaf gives most British breakfast blends their malt. A breakfast blend mixes that malt with other teas for balance and a brisk lift; a named Assam gives you the malt alone. So this box is not a gentler or stronger English Breakfast. It is the loudest ingredient of one, served without the rest of the band.
In the cup that means deep, rounded, almost biscuity malt, a lively briskness sitting behind it and a firm tannin grip. The aroma is quieter than such a heavy tea suggests, warm and faintly sweet rather than perfumed. Twinings, the London tea house, sells it as one of its teas named for where they come from, alongside a Darjeeling and a loose-leaf Assam.
Four minutes, and plenty of milk
Assam gives up its malt slowly, so a three-minute cup falls short. Use freshly boiled water, give the bag four minutes and then take it out, because the tannin keeps building once the malt has arrived. Each bag holds about 2.5g, a size meant for a teacup rather than a large mug; for a big mug, use two bags for three minutes instead of stretching one bag for six.
Milk is the partner this tea is made for. It softens the tannin and lets the malt stand out clearly, which is why Assam and milk have stayed together for so long. Drunk black at four minutes it is heavy going, though a shorter black brew is pleasant enough. One small trick is worth trying once: a little sugar, no more than half a spoonful, seems to bring the malt forward rather than making the tea taste sweet.
Forty bags or eighty
Both boxes hold the same tea in the same size of bag; the only difference is how many. The 40-bag box of 100g suits someone trying a named-region tea for the first time, or a household where Assam is the weekend pot. The 80-bag box of 200g makes more sense once it has become the everyday morning cup. If you prefer a teapot, the loose Assam offers the same region as leaf.
Set beside an English Breakfast, Assam is the heavier, maltier cup, with less of the brisk lift a blend is designed to give. It suits a strong breakfast, a builder's-style mug with milk and anyone who finds everyday blends a little thin. It is a caffeinated black tea, and to our mind it is at its best as the first pot of the morning.
The packs we stock
- Twinings Assam, 40 Tea Bags 100g (barcode 070177137755)
- Twinings Assam, 80 Tea Bags 200g (barcode 070177136512)
What to eat with it
- McVitie's Hobnobs Milk Chocolate Biscuits, 262g: oats and milk chocolate sit comfortably against a malty, milky cup.
- McVitie's Digestives Milk Chocolate Mini Biscuits Snack Multipack, 5 x 19g: small milk chocolate digestives for a quick dunk in a strong Assam with milk.
- Border Dark Chocolate Ginger Organic Biscuits, 150g: ginger warmth and dark chocolate are bold enough to meet a four-minute Assam.
- McVitie's Gluten Free Milk Chocolate Hobnobs Biscuits, 150g: a gluten-free chocolate Hobnob, so nobody at the breakfast table has to miss out.
Elsewhere in the Twinings range
- Twinings Assam Loose Tea, 125g
- Twinings Black Tea Discovery Collection, 20 Tea Bags 40g
- Twinings Darjeeling, 40 Tea Bags 100g
- Twinings Decaffeinated Everyday, 80 Tea Bags 250g
- Twinings Earl Grey Discovery Collection, 20 Tea Bags 40g
- Twinings English Afternoon, 80 Tea Bags 200g
The full range is on the Twinings brand page.
FAQ
What is the difference between Assam and English Breakfast tea? English Breakfast is a blend in which briskness leads the cup. Assam is the region that gives most breakfast blends their malt, drunk on its own, so it is the heavier, maltier tea.
How long should I brew Twinings Assam? Four minutes with freshly boiled water. Three leaves it short of its malt, and much longer only adds tannin.
Should Assam be drunk with milk? It is at its best with milk, which softens the tannin and lets the malt show.
Does Twinings Assam contain caffeine? Yes. It is a caffeinated black tea.
Which Twinings Assam box should I buy? The 40-bag box to try it, the 80-bag box if it is your daily cup. The bags themselves are the same.
Curator's note: Give it the full four minutes and be generous with the milk. With a chocolate Hobnob on the side, that is a proper morning cup. Lee, teas.co.uk, Tunbridge Wells.
In short: Twinings Assam: The Malt Behind Breakfast Tea
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Brand | Twinings |
| Packs we stock | 40 Tea Bags 100g; 80 Tea Bags 200g |
| Category | Everyday Tea Bags |
| Caffeine | caffeinated |
| Brew | Four minutes, freshly boiled water |
| Milk | Yes, generously |
| Best with | Oat or chocolate biscuits in the morning |
More from the tea wiki
- Twinings: Tea Range and Buying Guide
- How to Make Tea Properly: The Eight Step Method
- Caffeine in Tea
- Tea Pairing Principles: Reason, Don't Memorise
- Assam Tea: Taste and UK Buying Guide
- Builders' Tea: The Working Class Story
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