Laoshan Black

I am pretty sure I got this generous sample from Azzrian. Thank you so much, this Laoshan tea has intrigued me since I first heard of it!

I think I oversweetened it. I always throw two Splenda into the infuser basket before I even measure out the tea. I don’t think this tea needs that much sweetener. Basically, what I got was smooth, overly sweet, and an aftertaste of mini wheats. I calls ’em like I sees ’em. LOL

I will try this again with one sweetener, and might re-rate it then.

New experiences all around here; first Verdant Tea sample, first Laoshan tea, first Chinese black tea. As a lover of all things strong, assam, and black, this was a daring experiment. My unease deepened when I saw the greenish undertones of the liquor.

Then, to complete the ominous runup to the experience, I forgot it was steeping and left it sitting there for a half an hour until half-cold. Reluctant to waste tea, I took a sip, expecting something along the lines of bitter hay. It wasn’t wonderful, but it was drinkable.

The second steeping went better; I only forgot about it for ten minutes or so. Sweetened with 3 raw sugar cubes and 5 drops of stevia, the cup had delicious malt and caramel notes. It’s un-killably smooth. The “stomach feel” is something between green and black tea, and like green tea I find myself drinking large amounts of it fast.

Back to the water boiler for a third attempt at actually making it right. 4 raw sugar cubes, no stevia. Still, that amazingly smooth, light-yet full-bodied caramel flavor. This tea must be further explored when I’m not so distracted with packing my jewelry orders.

what can I say about this tea that hasn’t already been said?I’ll just say this:I made it,I drank it and was great just like it always is…110ml gaiwan 8g tea…

Ooooh. This was just what I needed this morning. I snagged the pouch with the last of my old order of this on the way out the door, since I have a nice full new pouch in my cupboard. I’ve been getting a bit burned out on my work stash, so this is a nice change up, and there’s enough left for another cup tomorrow.

Mmmm… the smell of the leaves is awesome, their appearance is neat… and then brewed up… ahhh, I needed that! Even with the low temperature break-room hot water, the half & half in plastic tubs… it’s still good.

This stuff is unreal.

When I opened my bag and smelled the dry leaf, I said out loud, “Yeah right!”

A 3 second wash elicited the usual reaction when I smell a Verdant offering, “Oh. My. God.”

I had to inhale three times to make my brain register that what I was smelling was real. Chocolate malt, like brewery malt that gives a good beer its roasted flavor. Grainy like a thick, rich, still-warm bread. This should be illegal, an aroma sold in canisters on the black market.

Tea shouldn’t be allowed to smell this good. Why? Because I want to tell everyone about it and let them smell it but then they’ll love it and want to buy it and that means less Laoshan Black for me. And I’m not going to let that happen.

Actually, I’m kidding. I’m going to Cape Cod in a few weeks and I told the group of friends whom I’m going with that I will be bringing tea that will “literally blow your mind” and thereby hopefully recruiting more lose leaf followers (read: addicts). I’m thinking of bringing most of my Verdant’s: some Tea of the Month samples, Master Han’s Wild Picked Yunnan, Summer Harvest Laoshan Green, Ms. Li’s Shi Feng. Maybe Gyokuro from Teavana. Teavivre’s Mao Feng. Haven’t decided yet. I will tell you, though, that this tea will be one of them. This, above all the other teas I have on my tea counter, will be the one that will make their eyes either close in ecstasy or open wide in amazement. They’ll be smiling, either way. And so will I.

What else can I say that hasn’t been praised before? Deep caramel. High-quality chocolate/high percentage cocoa. A sweet, coy aftertaste. Roasted grain that is mellow but soothing. I wonder what is different between this Summer Harvest and others?

I am lying on a hammock made of Laoshan Black with a well-worn and loved book resting on my chest with sunlight dancing between the pools of shadows that trickle over the grass.

Why has it taken me so long to experience this? Are all other black teas like this? Have I been doing this whole tea thing wrong!? I surely hope not. I used to think I hated black tea. The only other black tea I liked was, strangely enough, Yu Lu Yan Cha Black and I thought THAT was the cream of the crop. I can’t believe I have been missing out on this for so long. I feel like I’ve cheated myself from experiencing something special when it was right in front of me the whole time.

This tea really is an experience. One I hope to share with others and that I hope you share, as well. With me and no one else.

Here’s a poem by William Butler Yeates called, “A Drinking Song”. Just replace “Wine” with “Tea”:

“Wine comes in at the mouth
And love comes in at the eye;
That’s all we shall know for truth
Before we grow old and die.
I lift the glass to my mouth,
I look at you, and I sigh.”

I may not be able to love for a while after what has happened with her but I do know that I appreciate tea for what it is and what does to me and I am so, so happy I get to experience this Laoshan Black.

Thanks, Verdant. As always.

Huh. Okay. So far my verdict is “WEIRD.”

Am I doing this wrong? It tastes/smells kinda… cereal-y. Like rice puffs and vinegar. boggled

My big sis, Terri Harp Lady sent this to me. I was quite curious about it as she is a huge fan.

Dry it was made up of little black curly pieces with occasional light brown strands. It smelled good, kind of generic perfumey, perhaps due to being stored with so many other teas. When water was applied it unfurled into long dark strands and smelled…toasty. I like my toast a little well done and so found this rather appealing.

Harplady often refers to this brew as “chocolaty,” a description I find unsettling and intriguing at the same time. I’m sensitive to the stimulant in chocolate. Since it’s become the trendy health food, it keeps turning up everywhere including teas, so when I see a reference to chocolate or cocoa in a tea review, I’m immediately on guard, wary that I might have to avoid the stuff.

On the other hand, I miss the taste of chocolate and anything that might safely approximate it’s flavor is certainly interesting. Once assured there was no actual chocolate in this tea, I was quite curious to try it.

There’s something so homey about roasted flavors. Who doesn’t love a roasted turkey for Thanksgiving, roasted veggies on a winters night, roasted marshmallows at a campout. One of my fondest holiday memories is singing with my big sis about chestnuts roasting on an open fire. So I can understand why she is so fond of this particular brew.

I rather like it too. No chocolaty flavor I can detect, but it is a lovely and comforting cup on a cold day. (MMMMM Toasty!!!)

Let me start out with, I don’t like straight teas. I for the most part cannot get into straight blacks, greens, whites, oolongs….. anything. But I saw the 5 samples for 5 at Verdant and couldn’t pass it up. This tea really does taste like a brownie, and without any flavoring in it. It is amazing! I did 4 infusions yesterday and it never lost any flavor, then this morning I wanted ice tea. Wasn’t really sure how a brownie tea would taste iced…. amazing… the answer is amazing. It tastes almost like a brownie a la mode. I have got to order some of this tea, it will stay in my cabinet all year long! :)

I love love love this black tea! I usually don’t go for blacks other than an occasional Earl Grey, but this tea makes me want to try more blacks because this is my favorite sample from them so far.

I’m most likely going to re-order this or try their Golden Yunnan Fleece tea. We’ll see, but I’m loving the rich roastiness and smooth mouthfeel!
So complex and so delicious. Even my mom is a fan. Haha.

Last Words: Black tea skeptics beware, Laoshan Black will knock yer socks off! Great tea!

I love this tea!