Ahmad Assam Black Loose Leaf Tea, 100g Packet

Absolutely superb tea, of unmistakable quality! For starters, the flavour far smoother or milder to Earl Grey. This tea has whole tea leaf rolled, you can see them when the tea is brewed, no tea "dust", or sub-par mess, like twigs, just the whole tea leaf. The flavour of the tea itself is smooth - it might be Ceylon tea, but far softer and more rounded than even Ahmad's own Ceylon tea. And the orange blossom flavour is a touch of pure magic to this tea! Love, love, love! Purchased it now 3 times, and now it's my go-to tea, along with Ahmad "Jasmine green" tea.All in all, well worth the price, and worth a try.

I started drinking tea again fairly recently after having stopped years ago. I wrongly assumed my tastes had changed, but it was tea from the main brands in the UK that had changed for the worse, be it Yorkshire, PG Tips, Typhoo, Tetley etc, they sell weak Tea with poor quality flavour. Clipper sell very decent tasting teabags, but it's not as cheap as buying loose tea. This Ahmad breakfast tea is superb, one of my faves. It's lovely and strong but without the astringent bitterness some loose teas have. I recommend people go back to loose tea, it's the way we drank tea for generations and works out at a fraction of the cost of tea bags.

I have like green and flavoured green teas for a long time and have grown to prefer loose leaf tea over tea bags. Yes, it does take a little while longer to prepare a brew but I feel the results are worth the effort.This tea is nicely packaged in a metal caddy with the tea arriving sealed in a container inside. On opening, there was a subtle fragrance and the leaves looked and felt dry and fresh.This tea needs a good 4 minutes to brew and allow full flavour to develop. One teaspoonful is sufficient for a large cup/small mug for one person. I did test with 1.5 and 2 spoonfuls but the brewed flavour was not really much different so I'm sticking with 1 teaspoonful. After brewing, the leaves could be seen to have expanded to more than double their size.Taste - this was a nice, light tea with a refreshing taste and no dry aftertaste. It is definitely one of the better teas I have tasted over the years and is far superior to green/flavoured green tea bags. This is a tea that is perfect for any occasion.I would certainly buy this tea again in the future when I am looking for a light-tasting beverage in a small quantity. However, and the biggest disappointment for me, is that the jasmine flavour was far too mild for my taste. It is certainly there, even in the perfume, but I would prefer a jasmine tea that really tastes heavily of jasmine. I have given this product a 4 star rating only because of the mild jasmine taste. As a green tea, it is worthy of 5 stars and I can certainly recommend it for people who enjoy a light-tasting beverage.

Top quality blend. Probably the best I've ever had and that includes Fortnums, Whittards and Twinings. I finished the tin and have bought the 600g refill. Excellent price and superb fresh flavour. I couldn't rate it more highly.

Lovely tea, fragrant and light, but now I find tea bags disgusting. Get used to better and you can't go back to rubbish.I just buy this brand now.

I didn't know what to expect with green tea, but to my surprise it tastes like regular tea. Very delicious.Great price too. I'll use it as a base for mixing other things like peppermint tea for some variety.

I understand that Sri Lanka is having a hard time - which may explain why standards have fallen. I found the look of this tea to be good but the colour and flavour of ceylon tea has taken a bit hit in recent years. Those of you who used to buy tea at the UKs "Ceylon Tea Centres" will know what I mean.Sadly - that effect is also seen across a wide range of UK teas and leaves me hunting for a black tea that reminds me of the glories of Ceylon Tea of the 20th century.I find it way easier to get good coffee in the UK at affordable prices comparedto finding tea - a reversal of even just a decade ago. Will it recoveror is tea finished as a mass consumer drink? Perhaps not - Ceylon tea (Sri Lankan tea) production has faced multiple significant problems in recent years, leading to declines in both output and competitiveness in global markets.Key challenges include:- **Fertilizer Ban and Input Shortages:** A sudden government ban on chemical fertilizers in 2021 severely reduced yields, with production dropping by around 20% and quality affected due to nutrient shortages. Though the ban was later lifted, imported fertilizer prices soared, remaining many times higher than pre-crisis levels, restricting full recovery- **Fuel and Energy Crises:** Shortages of fuel and energy disrupted field operations, tea processing, and transportation from estates to export points, resulting in spoilage of leaves and missed market opportunities- **Rising Costs and Inflation:** High inflation and increased costs of inputs (fertilizers, fuel, labor) have eroded profitability, making it harder for farmers and estate owners to sustain operations- **Labor Shortages:** The tea workforce has shrunk by over 50% since privatization, creating major labor shortages that impact harvesting and processing. Wage negotiations and the high cost of labor with the new communist government in Sri Lanka (over 60% of production costs) further threaten sustainability- **Economic and Political Instability:** Shifting government policies, slow response to farmer needs, and broader economic turmoil (including foreign exchange shortages) have further destabilized the sectorThese combined factors have led to:- A drop in annual tea exports and production (for example, a 22% year-on-year export decline in early 2023)- Widespread uncertainty among farmers and estate workers, threatening millions whose livelihoods depend on the industryAny Amazon reviewers with advice of other brands to try that recreate the taste of Ceylon tea of the past out are greatly welcomed !