Loose leaf Assam black tea with curled dark leaves scattered on white background, by Yerba Buena Tea Company.
Brewed dark red Assam tea in clear glass mug with black pouch packaging behind it, by Yerba Buena Tea Company.
Assam loose leaf black tea in a sealed black canister with gray label band, by Yerba Buena Tea Company.

Organic Black Tea | Bold & Malty | High Caffeine

Organic Assam Black Tea

Grown in India Bold Malty

Single-origin from the Brahmaputra Valley. The malty, brisk, high-tannin breakfast tea that holds up to milk and earns its place alone.

Ingredients: Organic Black Tea.

$18.00 USD
$18.00 USD
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Size: Tea Tin
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About Assam

The breakfast tea built to stand alone.

Assam is an organic black tea from the Brahmaputra Valley in northeast India, the low-lying floodplain region where Camellia sinensis var. assamica grows naturally. The leaf oxidizes fully during processing, which develops the deep amber liquor and the malty character Assam is known for. High tannin content gives the cup its brisk, astringent finish. High caffeine gives it the morning lift. The tea holds up to milk without disappearing, which is why blenders the world over build their breakfast blends on an Assam base.

Why the valley matters.

Assam accounts for roughly half of India's total tea production and grows at elevations between 100 and 500 feet above sea level. The low elevation, combined with the region's monsoon climate and mineral-rich alluvial soil from seasonal flooding, produces a tea plant with larger leaves and higher caffeine content than high-grown teas. The result is a robust, full-bodied cup with less floral delicacy and more malt-forward strength. The same conditions that make the region one of the wettest places on earth also make it one of the most productive tea-growing regions in the world.

How to brew it.

Full boiling water. 1 teaspoon of leaf to 8 ounces, steeped 4 minutes. The high tannin content can turn bitter if oversteeped, but within the 3-to-5-minute range, the cup stays brisk without crossing into harsh. Add milk to round the tannins and bring out the malt sweetness. Drink it black to feel the full astringent wake-up.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Deep and warming. Toasted grain, dark honey, a touch of dried fruit.

In the cup: Bold and malty. Full-bodied, with notes of biscuit, raisin, and caramel. The tannins give the cup a brisk, astringent edge that wakes the palate.

With milk: The milk fat rounds the tannins and brings the malt sweetness forward. The cup softens into something creamy and comforting, closer to malted milk than black tea.

Finish: Clean and brisk. The astringency lingers just long enough to signal the caffeine is coming.

Why You'll Love It

The coffee drinker's tea: Assam offers the robust body and serious caffeine that coffee drinkers miss when they switch to tea. A strong cup carries roughly 50 to 90 mg of caffeine, below drip coffee but near the top of the tea range, and tea delivers it alongside L-theanine, an amino acid found in almost nothing else we eat or drink. Former coffee drinkers tend to describe the difference in one word: steadier.

The English Breakfast backbone: Most breakfast blends use Assam as the base and add Ceylon or Kenyan teas for brightness. This is the pure, unblended version. Single-origin from the Brahmaputra Valley, celebrating the unique terroir of the region that produces half of India's tea.

The morning anchor: Steep it strong, drink it with milk, pair it with toast and eggs. The tannins cut through butter and grease. The caffeine wakes the body. The malt sweetness rounds the whole ritual into something that feels like home.

Assam loose leaf black tea in a sealed black canister with gray label band, by Yerba Buena Tea Company.

Assam

$18.00 USD
$18.00 USD
What's inside

Key ingredients

The botanicals at the heart of this blend, and where in the world they're traditionally grown.

Black Tea

Camellia sinensis

Assam, India & Yunnan, China

Black Tea

Camellia sinensis

A fully oxidized tea leaf with the caffeine to wake you up. Bold and malty.

In the cup

Black tea is the most oxidized of the true teas. The leaves are left to darken fully before drying, which deepens the color and the flavor into a brisk, malty cup with the body to stand up to milk. It also carries the most caffeine of any tea, the reason it is the classic morning brew. Most comes from Assam and Yunnan.

Traditionally grown in Assam, India & Yunnan, China

Shop Black Tea teas

1 of 1
TeaAssam, India

Organic Assam Black Tea

Steep strong. Sip bold.

Caffeine: High
8.0 oz
Water
212°F
Temperature
1.0 tsp
Leaf
4 min
Steep Time
Re-Steep · Up to 1×
4 minutes at full boil. The high tannin content can turn bitter past 5 minutes, but within the sweet spot, the cup stays brisk without crossing into harsh. Add milk to round the astringency, or drink it black to feel the full wake-up.
1
Cup

Craft Your Cup

A few notes from our teamakers.

Builder's Tea
Brew 1 heaping teaspoon in 8 ounces of full-boil water for 4 minutes. Add a splash of whole milk and 1 teaspoon of sugar. The British working-class breakfast tradition, named for the construction workers who drank it on job sites. Strong, sweet, comforting.

Iced Assam with Honey
Brew double-strength (2 teaspoons in 8 ounces, 4 minutes). While the tea is still warm, dissolve 1 tablespoon of honey into the cup. Pour over ice. Top with a squeeze of lemon. The malt sweetness and the honey meet in the middle. Drinks like a refined Southern sweet tea.

Assam Chai Base
Use Assam as the base for a homemade chai. Simmer 2 teaspoons of Assam with 8 ounces of water, 4 ounces of whole milk, 3 crushed cardamom pods, 1 cinnamon stick, 3 black peppercorns, and 1 thin slice of fresh ginger for 5 minutes. Strain, sweeten with honey or jaggery. The bold, malty base holds up to the spices without disappearing.

Loose leaf Assam black tea with curled dark leaves scattered on white background, by Yerba Buena Tea Company.

Your Questions About Assam, Answered.

How does this compare to coffee?

Assam is the closest tea gets to coffee: thick mouthfeel, bold malty flavor, caffeine near the top of the tea range. A strong 8-ounce cup brews to roughly 50 to 90 mg, still below drip coffee's 95 mg or so, and many former coffee drinkers describe the lift as steadier. If you miss the ritual and the robustness of coffee, this is the tea to start with.

Why does Assam have more caffeine than other teas?

The plant itself carries more caffeine. Assam grows Camellia sinensis var. assamica, a larger-leafed tropical variety that naturally runs higher in caffeine than the var. sinensis found in cooler, higher gardens like Darjeeling. The hot, humid Brahmaputra Valley, at just 100 to 500 feet above sea level, is where assamica thrives. Steep it a full 4 minutes at a boil and the cup lands near the top of the tea caffeine range.

What foods pair well with Assam?

Assam is bold enough to stand up to rich, fatty foods. Pair it with a full English breakfast (eggs, bacon, toast with butter), buttery pastries like scones or croissants, or dark chocolate. The tannins cut through the grease and the sweetness, which is why it has been the traditional breakfast tea across the UK for over a century.