The taste of Assam black tea is characterized by the explanation of the production process of malt-flavored Assam black tea.

The final step in the production of dried tea leaves is firing, which preserves the tea leaves by almost completely removing the remaining moisture from the leaves. "Drying" is a more accurate term; if the moisture content of the tea leaves is reduced to 3%, the tea leaves are stable and no chemical reactions will occur. Then it can travel. In ancient China, this meant the next province; now it means anywhere in the world. The degree of roasting can also have a profound effect on the taste of tea, depending on the degree of roasting. Nowadays, tea leaves are usually dried in ovens or frying pans. The Chinese first dried tea over firewood, which is why the drying process got its name. Over time, charcoal replaced wood, a more permanent and uniform heat source. Today, only black tea Zhengshan and oolong tea Dahongpao are still made with wood smoke. So far, most tea leaves have been dried in electric ovens. Before all the moisture is lost, the dryer heat triggers a Maillard reaction, like sweetening Chinese green tea. The Maillard reaction triggers the formation of dimethylpyrazine, which provides the ingredients for the chocolate and cocoa flavors in New Vitanakand Ceylon Tea and Qimen Chinese Black Tea. It also enhances Assam honey and malt quality. The best teas have the best roasted aromas because they contain the most amino acids. Firing also takes away flavor: some of the floral notes in green tea are too unstable to withstand the high temperatures of firing; raw Japanese green tea (aracha) is usually more aromatic than the finished tea. Over the past 30 years, as innovations in packaging materials made refiring unnecessary, tea makers began experimenting with lighter and lighter firing methods to make lighter and more fragrant teas. However, while technology has eliminated any practical need to store wine in oak barrels, there is still a demand for heavily aged teas, just as there is still a market for "oak flavoured" wines in the wine world.

After sifting and firing, the tea maker agitates the leaves through a series of sieves, sorting them according to size. Whole leaves give the most complete flavor; they are first separated to obtain the best quality tea leaves. The next smaller particle is called "fracture"; they brew strong tea. The smallest particles are called "fans" and "dust." Fans get their name from fans used to sort tea leaves: Before machines, tea makers used a large bamboo fan to sort tea leaves by throwing them into the air. Leaves light enough to be blown to the floor by the wind are separated as fans; teas large enough to be poured into fans are reserved for the best teas. Today, fans and dust are set aside for tea bags and instant tea.