Okay, so I was super curious about the whole oolong vs assam thing. You know, like, what’s the actual difference? I see them all the time on those fancy tea menus, and I always end up just ordering whatever, without really knowing what I’m getting into. So, I decided to do a little experiment of my own.

First, I grabbed some oolong and assam tea bags from the store. They were just regular ones, nothing too over-the-top. I wanted to keep it simple, you know, like a normal person would drink.

Then, I boiled some water. While that was happening, I took a good look at the tea bags. The oolong leaves were kind of greenish-brown, all twisted and curled up. The assam ones were darker, almost black, and looked more like tiny broken-up bits.

Brewing time!

I popped a tea bag of each into separate mugs and poured the hot water over them. I decided to let them steep for about 3-4 minutes, which seemed like a good middle ground. Then the waiting began, while I was waiting, I googled a bit more about those two teas, just for fun.

When the time was up, I took out the tea bags and gave each mug a good sniff. The oolong had this lighter, kind of flowery smell. The assam was way stronger, kind of earthy and, I don’t know, malty? It was definitely more intense.

Taste Test

Okay, time for the taste test. I took a sip of the oolong first. It was pretty light and refreshing, a little bit sweet, with that floral thing going on. It was easy to drink, I could see myself having this in the afternoon with some cookie.

Then I tried the assam. Whoa, that was different! It was much bolder and richer, kind of like a punch in the face compared to the oolong. It had this strong, robust flavor that lingered in my mouth. I could totally see why people have this with milk and sugar. It felt like a morning tea, something to wake you up. In comparison, oolong was way more mild.

Final Thoughts

So, that was my little tea experiment. Here’s what I gathered:

• Oolong: Lighter, floral, a bit sweet. Good for a chill afternoon.
• Assam: Strong, bold, earthy. Perfect for a morning kickstart.

Honestly, they’re both pretty good, just really different. It depends on what you’re in the mood for, I suppose. I think I’ll stick to oolong when I want something light and assam when I need a stronger brew. Hope this little experiment helps you out next time you’re facing that tea menu dilemma. I enjoyed exploring those two and learned a bunch!