155 Tasting Notes
I just took my first few sips of this enchanted dream of a tea. I don’t even know what to say about it right now. I went back to Verdant and ordered an absolutely piggish amount. Very often tea makes me hear music. This one:
I totally understand tea making you hear music. Totally.
Music is my all, & I especially love it when a tea brings to mind a woodwind quartet, or other ensemble, :)
OH, and THAT song is one of my most favorite songs ever, & the sexiest song ever written, IMO! LOL! Thanks for sharing :D
(and yes, I actually play this one on the Harp, in case you were wondering)
AND Golden Fleece is totally hoard-worthy, & I do.
@Teri – you will frequently see me post a link to a song that a tea makes me hear when I sip. I adore that you play Marvin Gaye (and most especially THAT song) on the harp. I’m trying to hear that in my head :)
And as for the tea – yeah. I went all Silas Marner on it. It’s ALL I can do not to go back and order more – and um, I ordered it TWICE last night. Because soon it will be GONE! My credit card is still smoking and I keep thinking “just 4 more ounces….”
DANG! This tea makes me want to go all James Brown and yell “Excuse me while I do the boogaloo” or “Jump back and kiss myself!” No secret that I’m a big bold tea lover. This one goes directly and immediately without stopping into my deep dark pantheon along with Zhi Gong Fu Black, Mandala Black Beauty and even my beloved Special Dark.
I made beer a few times and this reminds me very very much of the smell and taste of the dark crystal malt that I chewed like candy to the point that I had to buy more to make beer.
This is round and malty and grainy and sweet and smooooooth. I made an error by only buying 2 ounces but that will be corrected immediately. According to Verdant’s website, this was an autumn harvest. I know there is discussion about one not being quite as wonderful as the other – and I don’t know which one of those this is – but if there is an even more wonderful one than this – I want to taste that bad boy.
Mr. and Mrs. He of Laoshan Village – rock on with your bad selves and thank you for making this tea so I may enjoy it.
Flavors: Malt
I love a good Earl. I have been searching for some decent decaf teas for nighttime as I have sleep issues. While this particular one is lighter in body (expected as it is decaf), it is fairly flavorful and not too bitey even with a 5 minute steep. I love the aroma – it seems a little extra lemony than a lot of the Earls and lightly floral. It’s nice. Very palatable for a decaf and I am happy to have this as a nighttime tea. I’m always looking for suggestions for other decafs that might be good.
I have samples of H&S assam and ceylon decafs as well but have been avoiding them as I don’t really care that much for the caffeinated versions of either. The base in this tastes and feels like ceylon, but the bergamont helps.
My oh my! This tea is just lovely. I’m a huge Keemun fan and this definitely reminds me of a nice Keemun. I find a malty flavor very pronounced in both the the aroma and the sip. There is also a succulent winey/almost grapey flavor that is oh so appealing to me. This tea is silky smooth but almost sprightly at the same time. This is a happy tea. My yoga this morning was really smooth and easy and this tea complemented it beautifully. I think I will always have some of this around.
I am starting my day in a perfect place.
I am editing this to add: I think for my first cup, I may have slightly underleafed this. Which, judging by how much I enjoyed it was likely a happy mistake – I loved it that way! For the second round, I added more tea. This is a more grounded version. Deeper with more bass, but still that lovely malty thing that I love so much. I really enjoy it both ways and am likely to prepare it more often slightly underleafed. Love this!
This tea really is delicious!
Yay! So glad you like it.
It is delicious. I am generally a “too much is always better than not enough” kinda gal, so I’m really surprised at how much I like this just a little underleafed. It wasn’t very much underleafed, but it was so completely different and I really loved it both ways. It’s really good tea.
I was offered this tea after a massage today. Instead of hem making it in a paper cup with almost hot water from a machine, I took the tea bag and brought it home. I am not generally a flavored tea person. This tea isn’t going to change my mind. Like someone else noted previously, I don’t taste much almond – this was very coconutty to me. I don’t need to own any of this.
Flavors: Coconut
I’m with you. I like my greens ‘pure’, for the most part. Of course, there are occasional exceptions, but they are not common.
I most especially don’t like artificial flavors and they seem especially bite-y with greens to me.
More for me then! I love this tea,
I did think the (apparently) hand-tied bag was cute though…
Yes, again! I woke up ridiculously early (in fact, it is still ridiculously early) and headed out to my deck for a bunch of sun salutations. In the dark.It is already 64 lovely degrees and will get into the low 80s later. Right this minute, I love Texas weather. Ask me again in mid-July though. Today will be a very indulgent day for me. I SHOULD clean my house. Instead I’m doing yoga and going for a thai massage with a friend and trying a new restaurant later.
I got a whole bunch of new tea in the last week and I had every intention of trying something different this morning. And yet. Here I am sipping on a huge steamy mug of deep, dark, chocolately awesomeness with my dogs curled up in the bed. Because this is my indulgent day and THIS is what I wanted. I steeped for 7 minutes and even put in a little half and half a wee spoon of local creamed honey.
Special Dark reminds me very much of my yin yoga practice – long deep holds that you relax into. Yin is the black side of the coin. It is soft and slow and surrender.
I have an insanely stressful job and this is helping me hit the re-set button. This tea is all bottom. Like J-Lo, Kim Kardashian kinda bottom. Big, round and and full. This tea is Barry White singing Love Serenade – its alll about the little bit of naughty slow jam: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qj1QRbhEmlU
Sounds like a great day! I love yoga and hope to get back to it some day!
“I got a whole bunch of new tea in the last week and I had every intention of trying something different this morning. And yet. Here I am sipping on a huge steamy mug of deep, dark, chocolately awesomeness …” Sounds wonderful! Garret should be very very happy!
@TeaBrat – I promise you that I am not exaggerating when I say that for me, yoga was/is absolutely life changing. There are so many kinds that you can find one that works for you and makes your life better, even if your life is just fine the way it is.
@Tman – Well a whole bunch of the new tea that came was from Garret :) – but he strikes me as a pretty happy guy in general anyway. I need to get on trying all of my new Keemuns.
It’s looseTman as opposed to Tbagman :-)
@TeaBrat – I read your post about yoga wrong. You want to get back to it – not start it. I think its naptime.
I am happy LooseTman :) tea and yoga! Yoga is amazing. Yoga is life. So happy to know more tea heads who are into yoga.
Garret,
The Steepster community appears to truly enjoy your teas. I look forward to the Mandala Tea experience. Congrat’s on your success!
Thanks a ton, Tman! We are the epitome of a small business. 3 people trying to make this whole thing go so it is very gratifying to be able to feel the love, that’s for sure. I began importing tea back in 2005 but since selling my wellness center and focusing only on tea (opened this new shop exactly one year ago in Rochester, MN), it is actually happening for us. Hard work, countless hours, but more and more joy to be experienced all the time. Have a great day, my friend!
You’re welcome! May you also have a great day Garret!
Oh yeah, after a session of yin I feel like a bird flying … so wonderful… and only discovered it in my 4th decade of life after 20 years of other types of yoga! Other styles of yoga are great but yin is different. So if this tea is like yin, I am going to have to try it.
I thought I had already done a note on this tea. This is my morning tea today and I’m oh so glad. This tea is scrumptious!!! It is dark and slightly cocoa-y and keemun-y tasting. Very rich and I would imagine if you put a little honey in it – it would taste like dessert. I usually have a couple of drops of cream in my breakfast tea. Am not sure this needs it and will try the next cup nekkid. There is no bitterness here – just smooth rich goodness. This tea is earthy and grounding. I can see why this is Zhi’s best selling tea. There will always be some of this in my tea cabinet. If my beloved Special Dark is like a big deep double bass – this is the low notes on a cello. Full of win. This tea is like Lou Rawls singing “Youll Never Find Another Love Like Mine” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCW1i5HQ0o0
Flavors: Chocolate
