Laoshan Black

Yeah, this is gross. Finally got my sense of taste back after a cold, thought I’d give this another try with my tastebuds fresh and ready… nope. This just is completely unappealing.

Not crazy about this tea. the chocolate flavor to me was odd. But looking at everyone ratings. I am the odd one out.

I really do like this tea. I really do.

But it smells burn when you brew it. And it’s really off putting.

It tastes fantastic, however. Very nice, not too tannic, but still definitely a black tea. It resteeps well, which is good (because I hate going down the hall to the communal bathrooms to throw out leaves. Also, I’m lazy.) I just hate how it smells in the cup the first steep.

Not rating this, it’s not the tea’s fault I can’t with anything malt-y.

I just got my Verdant sample kit and this was the first one I pulled out. I’m enjoying it immensely. I rarely re-steep my teas (I prefer a stout cup of tea every time) but I am going to try multiple steeps for this one and see what flavors I uncover. On my first steep, I get the flavor of fresh alfalfa cuttings.

Really Nice.

yup….

…I have a confession to make. I love Verdant Tea, but this is my least favorite black tea from them. It might be my least favorite tea of theirs that I’ve had, period. I’ve tried, I’ve really tried to love it. Sadly while others have been fireworks and cymbals, LB has always been “Ehh, it’s alright.” I don’t get the hype. But then again, everyone is mad about WPT’s Golden Orchid right now and I’ve had nearly the same response. “Ehh, it’s alright.” There are others I prefer.

On to the tea. It smells divine, I’ll give it that. The taste isn’t quiiiiiiite the same but it does parallel the aroma. It tastes faintly of cocoa with grain, toasted rice, wood, honey, and a creamy taste/texture. It’s a light- to medium-bodied tea, but there’s heavy malt in the aftertaste. A little bit of caramel. And I swear I taste soybean.

In theory, I really like this tea! It has a lot of elements that I enjoy in a straight black. But when I’m sipping…I can’t help but think of other teas I would rather be drinking. The mind wanders. It doesn’t captivate me. I do, however, like it in blends. (Laoshan Village Chai and Bergamot Rose Laoshan Black specifically!) I’ll finish what I have, but I doubt I’ll stock back up when it’s gone. And it probably won’t be missed.

This tea has an unusually rich flavor that leaves an interesting texture in the mouth, just like very dark chocolate. The scent of the dry leaves isn’t anything special, but opening a pot of freshly steeped tea smells just like a tin of cocoa. It’s definitely one of my favorites.

It’s getting dark, and I’m trying to not fall asleep…
I’m only 2 infusions in, but I figured I’d log this one before I get distracted by making dinner…
3 grams (I think it was 3.4 grams to be exact, on my scale…lol) in my porcelain gaiwan.
15 sec first infusion: caramelized sugar, chocolate, and this really creamy vanilla, that I’m not sure I’ve ever consciously picked up before in this tea! It’s so fantastically delicious. As I was sipping, my youngest asked me what tea I was making, because it really smelled like the ‘chocolate’ one… She notices the chocolate scent every time I make this tea.

There was a break between infusions, because my middle child realized they were out of underwear…..‘cause somehow you JUST realize you’re out of underwear. So, I threw in some laundry and infused for 25 seconds.
This cup was pure, fabulous chocolate (which is making me think of OMGsrsly, and how this quality that I find so intoxicating, is in fact ‘dirt’ to her… and I love that about people, and how we all taste things differently…).
A little sweet potato is present now, along with a bit of walnut. That creamy vanilla from the first cup has turned into a butterscotch custard, becoming more structured and less ethereal.
The layers of flavour in this tea always amaze me….

I’m sure I’ll be drinking this for hours.. but I have to walk away from my computer now, so that’s all I’ll log. :)