Laoshan Black

This was a really pleasant tea, and this means something coming from a person who doesn’t often enjoy straight black tea! I prepared this gong fu style, and it performed very well! A lot of chocolate, but there are some lower notes of nuts and baked goods

Looking at the number of tasting notes for this tea, it is doubtful that I need to add another one, but I’m going to go ahead and do so. This is one of those teas that you just have to talk about, one of those teas on which you absolutely have to share your thoughts. Readers will perhaps examine the above sentences and conclude that I really love this tea. If they were to come to that conclusion, they would be 100% correct.

I prepared this tea using the gongfu method outlined on the Verdant Tea website. I only made two small modifications. Rather than using a 5 ounce gaiwan, I resorted to my trusty 4 ounce gaiwan that I have been favoring for many of my review sessions lately. I wanted to both really focus the flavor and brew this tea strong. The first infusion was 10 seconds in 205 F water. This infusion was followed by eight additional infusions at 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, and 26 seconds. This was the only other modification that I made, as Verdant suggests an initial steep of 2-3 seconds followed by 3 seconds on each additional infusion. In truth, I prepared this more like an oolong because I wanted a strong first impression followed by a series of subtle contrasts.

The initial infusions were amazingly aromatic with cocoa, toasted grain, vanilla, raisin, and fig aromas jumping out of the glass. In the mouth, there was an incredible mixture of malt, vanilla bean, raisin, fig, prune, cocoa, dried black cherry, sweet potato, and toasted grain flavors with a long, smooth chocolaty fade that highlighted a hint of creaminess. Later infusions, saw the chocolate recede somewhat and grain and fruit flavors come forward. On these infusions, I noted a nice mix of dried fruit underscored by hints of toasted grain and vanilla on the finish.

As I said, I really love this tea. It is far from the most complex black tea I have had, but the aromas and flavors this tea presents are strong and work very well together. I would like to see a little more depth in the layering of flavors, but as is, this tea is very, very good. There is a reason so many people like this tea. Go out and try it if you have yet to do so.

I really like this laoshan black! It brews up a nice thick orange soup, it’s quite like an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie, nice and malty and woody, with subtle cherry and peach/apricot notes, later steeps bring out more nutty tastes, strong cherry with dark chocolate.

This was a part of Verdant’s 5 for 5.
30, 60, 90, ect.

The dry leaf has this really nice chocolaty smell.
The first steep reminded me of chocolate covered fruit, pomegranate or cherry. The texture was really silky. Steep two really brought out a rich cocoa flavor like hot chocolate. Steep three was incredibly sweet. Less hot chocolaty and more like a chocolate bar now. No astringency at all.

Overall, a pretty delicious tea. It wasn’t very malty or citrusy which was nice. However, after reading over the Verdant controversy, I don’t know if I can bring myself to make a real order.

Got this tea in my “5 for 5” sampler pack.

I have to say it was delicious! The opening in dark chocolate – savory, a touch bitter, a touch sweet. I was also reminded in some ways of beef broth. There was also a toastiness, like roasted grains.

I don’t know what to say. I want to take a bath in this tea. It’s warm. It’s toasty. It’s chocolatey. It’s like drinking a cup of hot chocolate. I wish I had had THIS last night when I was craving something sweet.

I’m sad I only have a sample size.

Very deep fragrance. Smells like burnt sugar (in a good way). Initial steep was for 30 seconds as directed at 205 F. Very light and refreshing taste when stepped for 30 seconds. Hints of brown sugar, very pleasant. I can’t decide if I want the tea stronger, or it is perfect the way it is.

The aromatics are very comforting and inviting.

Second steep was for 2 minutes. Didn’t change the flavor nor the strength. Potentially a first steep would be better longer. I think 1-1:30 minutes might be a better steep. Would need to experiment, but this was from a sample pack.

Update: Tried the tea a second time with a steep time of 1:20 and 3 grams of tea per 8 cups. I love it just as much as before, but think it could have steeped for less time (1 minute is probably the best). The strength at 3 grams is perfect.

I love when I find a tea that is unique and different, and this one certainly fits that description. My first impression is that of burnt sugar/caramel. The liquor is a beautiful light golden brown color. The aroma is like a huge wave of burnt caramel and chocolate hitting all of your senses. The taste is a more balanced version of the aroma. There is robust flavors of burnt caramel, dark chocolate, honey, and some generic fruit flavors. As I moved on to my second and third infusions, the burnt flavors became more pronounced while the fruit and sweetness of the first steep lessened. Nevertheless, as the flavors shifted, the complex profile of the tea was maintained. Certain flavors were just highlighted more than others.

Funny, I thought I’d already reviewed this tea but apparently I didn’t. Well, Laoshan Black is one of my overall favorites so far. I got it in a sampler set from Verdant and then placed another order just so I could get more of it. It’s complex, smooth, and pleasantly flavored. As you can see from all the flavor notes suggested by other people, it certainly has a lot of different layers. One of my favorite things about it, though, is that it actually does taste like chocolate (among, as I said, many other things). It always makes me sad when a description says chocolate and then I can’t find any chocolate notes in the tea itself. Anyway, in addition to chocolate, today I’m getting some malty notes and maybe some roasted chicory flavor . . . et cetera.

There’s a distinct chocolate smell and flavor, followed by caramel. Yet at the same time, it’s mildly earthy in flavor. A very enjoyable tea.