Portsmouth Loose Tea comes from Assam, blended as a broken pekoe grade — the leaf style that gives Assam its characteristic body. Assam sits on either side of the Brahmaputra river and has been growing tea for roughly two centuries, young by the standards of Chinese tea, which stretches back some 5,000 years. The industry there traces to 1823, when a Scottish merchant named Robert Bruce found a variety of the tea plant growing wild in the region, later classified as Camellia sinensis var assamica. That discovery gave rise to an industry spanning hundreds of estates.
In the cup, this one leans rich and malty, with notes of lemon, date, honey and malt, plus a milkiness that rounds out the profile. The liquor runs coppery and light rather than dark. It sits comfortably among Assam's smoother, maltier black teas rather than the brisker end of the spectrum.
Brew it loose leaf with freshly boiled water, letting it steep for three to five minutes. It takes milk well, and sugar, honey or lemon all suit it if you want something sweeter — or drink it black to let the malt come through on its own. Black tea has long been drunk as part of an active, healthy routine, though any wellness effects are traditional lore rather than settled fact.
