The Tao of Tea, Malty Assam, 4 Ounce Tin

I ordered a tin of this in July and love the flavor. It's a deep black tea, which is what I like. I switch between the English Breakfast and the Malty Assam on most days and occasionally open The Tao of Tea Chai, which is also excellent. For Christmas, I received another tin of the Malty Assam. Since I was almost out of both, I opened the English Breakfast, cutting the seal open. When I reached to cut the seal on the Malty Assam, it had already been cut open on both sides and then had tape placed over where the seal had been broken (see photos). I don't know if someone got it, opened it, returned it and it was sent out again - or what could have happened. I contacted Amazon and they weren't concerned at all that I had a tea canister than had been opened and issued a refund to the gift purchaser. We will try one more time to get an unopened can of tea but if you purchase this, make sure the company seal is in place. You should have to cut it along the line where it opens. This isn't a reflection on the tea which is now my all-time favorite, but on the quality of the shipping process.

It's nothing special but certainly not unpleasant and will drink it until I've finished it. But I most likely will not repurchase it. It has earthy woodsy aroma and flavor with slightly bitter undertones again not unpleasant just nothing special.

I ordered this expecting a robust Assam tea. Made according to the directions on the tin it is pale, insipid, and almost flavorless. Tripling the amount of tea leaves hardly made any difference. Taylor’s Yorkshire Gold has a lot more flavor. I would not recommend.

While there is nothing inherently wrong with this tea, I find it non-exciting. It doesn’t have much of a flavor. It’s kind of a basic black tea. I’ll finish the can but won’t repurchase.