Verdant Tea

I have terrible news to share… I didn’t finish off my 2011 (I KNOW :( ) batch of this… and it is just not very good anymore. I’ll give it a shot here at home, but it smells old, and didn’t taste great when I brewed it up today at my boyfriend’s place. I left my pouch of the 2012 Spring Harvest with my mom, and it was definitely still good (I drank a few cups), so yeah, I’m pretty sad. Gonna have to drink down my greens from Verdant and Butiki in a more timely manner :( :(

Honestly, I don’t know if this is the specific Laoshan Green I grabbed this morning… but I think so…

Anyways, I have sadly concluded that while this tea is amazing fresh, it is…. less than awesome after sitting in a travel mug for hours (unlike most black teas, which withstand sitting quite well). I had assumed such, but figured it was worth a shot. I did have a sip when putting it into the travel mug, so I know it did initially taste all delicious, vegetal and green beany, but it developed bitterness while sitting. Also, my one Timolino appears to be tainted with lemon (I blame Good Morning Sunshine!) and so it had the addition of lemon flavour as well, which was… interesting.

Time to compare the three green teas I have from Verdant, so I can work towards identifying favourites.

I brewed each of the teas more or less according to the parameters on Verdant’s website for western brewing, although I used more than 1tsp of leaf. For this one, I think I used a generous two 1/2 tsps, so probably 1.5 tsps with 250ml water.

First infusion:
The smell of the dry leaf is very… dry leafy. What can I say? It smells like rolling around in autumn leaves. Not an uncommon smell. I’m getting a bit of a hint of seaweed, which is interesting…. no, actually a strong seaweed smell. Makes me crave sushi, even though I was at an all-you-can-eat on Friday evening.

The aroma emanating from the steeped cup is gentle and kind of brothy/seaweedy.

Oh, yum. The sip first tastes sweet, followed by delicate, sweet seaweed flavours. The aftertaste is so sweet, and creamy. I’m getting… caramel? Holy. Yes, definitely caramel. Delicious, delicious caramel. There is definitely astringency present, and though I don’t always like it, it just goes with the whole flavour profile here. I feel like perhaps if I had used just a single teaspoon of dry tea, it may not have appeared. No bitterness though. Oops, I just about finished the cup – I meant to save some for directly comparing to the other two teas!

Second infusion (2.5min/175F):
The aroma is sweet and vegetal. Oh… I think I messed this one up. Too much astringency for me :( This will teach me to play around with Verdant’s parameters. I can definitely still taste the caramel aftertaste though. This would have been an excellent cup had I paid attention to the instructions.

To me, this is definitely more like a green tea to me than the others, but that caramel aftertaste really sets it apart from other greens I’ve tried. If I’m looking for flavour with a lingering candy-like sweetness, this one would be my choice.

ETA: I cannot get over this aftertaste! Definitely want to try again to make sure I can get it a second time, but wow.

First Review

I am thankful to be able to review this new tea for the first time. Thank you Verdant Tea!

When I opened the packet of Oolong tea…I chuckled, it was beautiful but so long and stringy that I had to pinch my best guess at what I thought 4 grams would be (or for many of us about a teaspoon). This was by far the most cheese straw looking tea I’ve ever seen. Amazingly, there were no unbroken pieces.

I decided to use my PIAO glass pot again because I want to watch the free flowing leaves steep, and the short steeping time (35 seconds each round) were easier to control with this pot.

1. The leaves were dark green when wet, long and strongly rock sugar scented. The liquor was a medium light, champagne yellow green. My first sip was milder than the scent and juicy. There was a spice that acted like a door stop at the tip of my tongue! I pushed past that and discovered sweet bees in the honeysuckle bushes. Nectar! Hot Summer evenings with cream vanilla pie scented Jasmine breezes. That little door stop of spice was tickling my mind. What was that spice? I knew it wasn’t clove. I went to the spice cupboard and rummaged a few things down to sniff at. I settled on Coriander. It was the only soft gloved spice in the bunch that had both the scent of incense and flowers that I was picking up from this steeping. I noted a buttery finish lingering on the tongue. A good round.

2. The leaves had become a little lighter green, still straight and unfurled. You could see what care was taken to pick these leaves. The scent was still rock sugar delight and the liquor golden.
My cup was spicier! Wow! Much tingling! I have to grant that clove had arrived and was the spice winner! Clove was hand in hand with dry parchment for a split second and then POOF! Gone. Quickly, honey followed still juicy and floral. There was unchilled honeydew melon, left out on the kitchen table, buttery melon ready for a spoon and dripping with juice. No acid, no tannin to be found.
I walked away and came back. I put my nose to the cup. If I could just float on my back, on a current of this silky, honey scented liquor…well…it would be heavenly. Goosebumps!

The third steeping is where I usually lose it. I may do or say anything that comes to mind.

3. The leaves were medium green with a bit of yellow and had become more unfurled and vegital scented but sweet. The liquor was lighter yellow green.
This infusion was sweet, floral and had sugar but was much milder and not dry or spiced. It was clean, juicy and the melon more apparent. I did taste coriander again gentle and lovely and warming.

I’d like to say here, that when Verdant noted that there is Lotus flavor…well, I don’t have Lotus around and have no idea what that tastes like and I didn’t taste any grapefruit either. I am me. It will be so interesting to find out what other people find in this Oolong!

Here’s my crazy:
I added 1/2 tsp sugar to the final 4oz of tea. What happened was this: The tea woke up!
The butteriness increased, the floral quality increased. It was like a booster rocket or rewind button on my tasting….all the nectar from tasting round 1. and the honey returned. If you are a doubter, try this. But, use just a little bit!

Beautiful tea! Thank you for such a lovely memory and I hope you will share my gratitude with the people who provide such special tea.

Here’s some beautiful music to drink it with…http://youtu.be/geDoGI-ve3s
(Beethoven)

First Review

What a treat and privilege to review this Shu Pu’er just released by Verdant Tea.

“I don’t want to mess this up, so what method of brewing should I do?”, I thought. The directions on the Verdant website were easy to adapt to my PIAO glass infuser pot which would allow me to watch the Pu’er brew loosely with a small amount of water. Perfect for the task at hand.

I used Spring water and rinsed the first infusion before steeping. Each steep was 3 minutes long.
Here’s a little tip from Grandma Bonnie: Rinse your hands in some of that tea water. Somehow, get the SMELL of the tea on your hands so that no other scent will cloud your tasting.

1. Watching the Pu’er bark float in the hot water, little particles began to hang in the water like planetary debris. Little by little the color changed to cherrywood and the leaves smelled like furniture lacquer and molasses honey. There was no huge earthy smell, no musty caves of China or dusty boots in either the scent or first taste. This was genteel. Here was a country kitchen with warm, baked bread steaming on the window sill and a crock of mineral water from a mountain stream to wash it down with. Juicy, burnt edges on the crust so faint that you wondered if there were nuts in the bread…but decided that the thought was a phantom. You could smell some wild mint far away…ah now gone. Sweet wheat bread.

2. This was a sweet smelling cup, golden orange-brown like root beer. The wheat bread flavor was almost gone but a tingle of coolness had arrived. I could feel some tannin on my tongue and a woody, amber honey that was very ripe. This steeping was a mystery as if it was in the middle of making up it’s mind on where it was going next. Waiting in the wings, ready to go on stage. I couldn’t wait to see what was next!

3. The leaves were laying on the bottom of the steeping reservoir, giving all they had left…a squeeze of robust color now a lighter deep golden brown.
The flavor was smooth and a bit salty (I liked that). Here was a bigger mineral taste, without any bitterness, right up front. It gathered up juiciness and sprinkled spice in my mouth. I could feel the heat. I pulled back a moment…where were the flavors? A trickster ambushed me on a side street with a cool attitude. Yes, Cool Operator! Mint had arrived. Warmth, Spice, Mint. Are you serious?! I slapped my face and came to my senses. This was so pleasing.
I decided to become a rebel…to become, Grandma Bonnie! (you may want to stop reading here because this is not what tea purists are supposed to do!) I added a little sugar to what was at the end of my cup. And it turned into BREAD PUDDING! I am serious! (I will never get any more sample tea’s from Verdant I just know it!)

This is a Pu’er that is not like the others I’ve had, you know, the deep earthy ones, and light bakery vanilla ones. When have you or I ever had the bread, spice, mineral and mint (mint?!) in one Puer?! It is very different and worth tasting!
Thank you to the special people who seek out the best tea from small farms for us to enjoy!

http://youtu.be/sOI8ae3Lub8 (Smooth Operator, Sade)

Wonderful tea, very light and delicate. It has a very clean and refreshing feel to it. Notes of honey and citrus as well. I prefer to steep for 3 min as I like a stronger flavor. Another great tea from Verdant Tea!

Much thanks to David and Verdant Tea for this sample.

I have tried one other Huang Zhi Xiang Dan Cong, and it was from Seven Cups. Lately, my view of good teas has been coming from this company, but Verdant constantly challenges me to question my current perceptions that Seven Cups has created for me.

Usually, I like the Verdant offerings not as better teas (tieguanyins are an exception), but just in a different way. It is the same here.

When I think of a Huang Zhi Xiang (also known as Yellow Sprig) wulong, I think bright, bright, bright, medium body, EXTREMELY fruity, with just enough tannin to add a nice punch in the aftertaste. This Yellow Sprig wulong is much smoother than what I am used to. There is also a lot less dominance of some flavors over others. In other words the flavors are more balanced and a little shy. This is not the “in your face” Dan Cong that I am used to, not only from Seven Cups, but also from other tea companies like Ku Cha. Its flavors are balanced with a medium roast (especially in the first few steepings), mellowed out passion fruit and mango (becoming more and more prominent in later steepings), and even a hint of mushroom and asparagus.

I am very surprised at the complexity of this Dan Cong Wulong tea. I am a bit disappointed that it is not more fruity, but this is only because my other favorite Yellow Sprig wulong is so fruity, it might as well be juice. I am also disappointed that the flavor is not so strong, since I have come to expect strong, “in your face,” flavors from a Dan Cong wulong.

Personal disappointments and expectations aside, this is a wonderful when seen apart from everything else. The relatively whole leaves and lack of bitterness indicate a master of the craft of making a good wulong tea. The aroma and balance of flavors are simply amazing. I definitely look forward to trying out other Dan Cong Wulongs from Verdant Tea.

Here I go again…Chocolate Review #3 on my Chocolate Tea Day!

I know this is not a ‘strictly chocolate only’ tea. Blah, blah, blah I don’t wanna hear about it.

This is chocolaty enough for fussy about chocolate ME!

Each of the 3 chocolate tea’s have been steeped about the same amount of time (4-5 minutes) and the addition of cream and sweetening has been the same so that I could compare them side by side.
The only other differences have been the base black tea (a standard black, an organic black blend from the Tea Spot, and Laoshan Village Black, Wuyi Black and Oolong from Verdant).
Then the chocolate. The first two companies used artificial chocolate flavoring. Only Verdant used raw cacao nibs. (Verdant is the only one with other natural flavors from mint and flowers which thankfully don’t overpower either the tea or chocolate nibs).

I have an easy time finding tea’s that tease me with maltiness, drawing me into the desire for cocoa. But for some reason, I don’t like to drink chocolate milk or hot chocolate. Seems odd.

I love dark, luscious bittersweet chocolate (prefer the sea salt bars), and natural black chocolaty tea’s with no flavoring added. (I have not reviewed those tea’s here, choosing the flavored ones and the blend instead).

Another reason this has been a favorite Tea is that I like it cold. Most of the time, artificially flavored tea’s go all sour iced or chilled. Not so with Chocolate Chamomile Curiosity Brew. That’s what made me buy a bunch to last the Summer.

I’ve had some good tasting, YES! (And I have a shot glass full of Ghiradelli Chocolate Chips for TV time!)

http://youtu.be/nktOdgyKcAo Video about a Chocolate Master

This morning I’ve been scurrying about like some sort of ground squirrel gathering nuts and seeds…only my stash has been tea. A packet here and a sprinkle there into a packet for a friend in a distant place who has yet to try one of my favorite tea’s. I especially love sending out loose tea to a Steepster newbee who has mostly teabag’s. (I have a few and I enjoy my Celestial Seasonings Bengal Spice on occasion). It’s going to rain.

My treat for myself in all this tea hustle and bustle is Chocolate Chamomile Curiosity Brew! I did a wahoo review the first time I tasted it. Really, I was not able to control my enthusiasm. Now that I’ve had this tea 4 or 5 times…I can lean back like a fat cat because I’ve ordered more of the fine blend you know. Ta Ta!

You have to be prepared for the experience. There is the warm side…chocolate Laoshan Black with luxurious Wuyi Big Red Robe (I never think of tea…I think of a mink coat) and then…cool Mint. It reminds me of a scene in Dr. Zhivago…and I’m riding in a Troika racing through the snowy night wrapped in fur with the wind in my face and a pot of tea at my feet and chocolates…just that whole warm cool world . Wow am I a romantic!
This is a brilliant cup! Watch Dr. Zhivago again or for the first time with this blend sometime.
http://youtu.be/nynMR6AZ8Rc Original Score Dr. Zhivago
Back to packing tea with me!

Shut the door!

I mean really, I would never have guessed that the yammy Laoshan Black Tea that I LOVE could taste any better…and with mint?!
How in earth is it possible that these two flavors, and all the other abracadabra alchemic additions here-to-with inside-eth this tea are workin “a spell on me”! Oh yeh!

All I was doing was mindin my own business. I received a package from Verdant today (choir sings) with two (2) of the new tea’s. I can’t review them yet because they are NOT listed on Steepster. I shot a quick note to Mr. David at Verdant “HELLOOOO, I would like to write about your tea.” And, in the meantime, I was snakin on some dry goat cheese and steamin some cauliflower in Lapsang Souchong (you know that I do). Why not, smells good.
There was this OTHER packet of alchemy blend to try in my box today. Verdant got me! Got me again! “Uncle!” I cried on this alchemy blend!

I steeped this little gem 4 minutes. I wanted to take a spoon and eat it like cake it smelled so good. I imagine the gremlins at Verdant were rolling on their backs laughing!
“Got another one in Colorado!” they giggled along with the cats. The bakery spice cakeness of the Laoshan Black with the gentle mint cooling everything down…and then cocoa so natural and warm…teases me…laughs at me…and throws me a shot of fennel like a point of light at the end. The Chamomile is a hug. It surrounds all the flavors and keeps everything together in lightness. What a cuppa!

I have to get more of this. More and more. And more!

I never added this to any of my Verdant orders as, well, I have enough breakfast teas. So I thought. But it showed up in one of my tea of the month packages (I’ve fallen so far behind!) and I finally tried it this morning. We had it along with a pretty decadent breakfast of some bacon and avocado followed by some homemade raspberry-lemon muffins and, why not, coconut cream chocolate fudge.

Well, Imperial Breakfast was amazing with all of these rich flavours. It really accomplishes what the write-up describes; it’s bold and rich but not bitter or too astringent. It’s perfect. Roasty, malty, cocoa-y, and smooth. I could really pick out the Big Red Robe and the Laoshan Black, which was awesome as they’re two of my favourites. The Yunnan also contributes to the sweetness and great body, I think, but it’s balanced with the others so well that I don’t notice the Yunnan spiciness so much. Once I make it through some of my Laoshan Black, I think I’ll need to grab some of this.

I’m going to be honest, the main reason I went with Imperial Breakfast is because I saw that even though this blend has many different ingredients which all have different prices, the blend costs the same as it’s lowest priced ingredient (I think). I like to feel like I found a discount, as tiny as it is.

I’d say this is a solid blend. There is a mild chocolate taste and smell to it. That’s all I can really say about specific taste. With Verdant tea, I’m always tempted to keep steeping the tea past its limit. I think I can safely say with this particular tea, if you use 3 grams of leaves and a 1/2 litre of water for each steep, by steep 8 you are going to have some gross tasting tea. It’s good stuff, but don’t be greedy like me.

We did a cold press of this last night. 10 pinches in our gallon spigot/jar we got from Target.

Stirred it up and poured myself a glass just now. It tastes like chai.
Not kidding. Sweet sweet..with honey and cream and I don’t know what other magic. I had no idea.

yessssss…

Auggy shared this one with me. A couple of years ago I received an education in Jin Jun Mei as a type from someone here on Steepster. I believe it may have been Spoonvonstrup (who hasn’t been around lately, what’s up with that?) but I can’t remember for certain. At the time I got some JJMs that were produced in Yunnan and some that were produced in Fujian, and I came to the conclusion that while I enjoyed them all, I greatly preferred the Fujian ones.

Biiiiiig surprise to everyone present, I’m sure.

Anyway, I know the type and I know it’s one that I like, so I was happy that Auggy had shared hers with me. I’m not the least bit surprised that it would by a type she would be interested in. In fact, knowing Auggy and knowing me and knowing how closely our tea-tastes often match, I’d have been immensely shocked if she hadn’t bothered at all.

Back when I received the aforementioned JJM education, I did actually also receive a sample of this one. I’m afraid I gave it a somewhat lack-luster rating, but that must have been a different harvest. It could easily be that this one suits me better or that my taste has changed a little. Therefore I’m not particularly concerned about that now.

The aroma of the leaves here was rather odd. There isn’t really very much of it and what is there reminds me mostly about the Oriental Beauty oolong I wrote about earlier. I remembered smokyness and grain and such. What happened?

Oh well, it’s not the smell of the dry leaf that counts. It’s the aroma of the brew and the flavour that counts, so we’ll see how that turns out. I’m still not put off.

Oh yeah, this is a different story! Now it’s all grainy and thick and malty. In regards to the malt, it’s an almost syrup-y sort of smell. It’s actually very sweet when you really get your nose into it. I’m thinking chocolate and caramel here. Dark, dark ones, but still.

As for the flavour, first off it does have that Yunnan-y taste of hay, which… I could live without, frankly, but it’s not super-strong. After that it goes all out on the grain and the malt, and it gives me that association to Danish rye bread that I look for in a really great keemun. The dark dark chocolate-y caramel-y sort of malty note is making up a good deal of the body along with the grain. It’s fairly discreet, but once you’ve noticed it you find that it’s all over. I rather like that.

Now, I’ve looked up what I said about this the first time, and let’s just say that I don’t agree with myself at all. Back then, I had a sort of two-step experience of the flavour, which I’m not getting at all today. It’s very well merged this time. I suppose that’s a pretty good illustration of differences between harvests. Especially with wild-picked stuff like this, I imagine.

Raising the rating accordingly (and significantly). I may actually invest in some more of this myself in the future. We’ll see.

Strangely, though, Husband didn’t care for it at all. He found it tannin-y. But but but it’s Chinese! A Chinese black doesn’t even know what tannin is! Shocking. Also kind of funny because I count this one in the same sort of general family as keemuns and the Laoshan Black and such like which he enjoys, the latter even to the point of being renamed Life-Giving Tea. I just can’t get a grip on what I think he’ll enjoy and what he won’t. I’m coming to the conclusion that his tongue must be in upside down or something. Or broken.

Oh, and by the way, we bought a house.

EMPTY THAT BOX!

Another JJM from Spoonvonstrup, this one with a brand name. Like the last one I had, this one is a Yunnan one, so I’ll be honest and say I’m nursing any great expectations, considering the regional differences I noticed between the last one and the others.

Now, before we go on, I should point out that the cup had started to cool a bit by the time I started it. See the boyfriend made it for me, and then I got distracted by Luna who purred so prettily. It’s still warm though, now that I’ve torn myself away from the furry purry cuteness.

The aroma has that strong honey-y note that the last one had as well, supporting the Yunnan origin theory of the last one. This one also has a modicum of grain, though, which the last one didn’t so that’s a plus point, definitely.

The flavour is a two-step one. First it’s one thing, and then it completely changes character and becomes something else. Here we have first a milky and slightly honey sweet phase, and then there is the second step with a pepper-y smoky sort of note. That second step is strong. With the mildness of the first step, it feels like being ambushed when the second step kicks in. Towards the end of the sip, the second step lights up a bit, revealing a slightly grainy note underneath, but it’s not much. Or, it’s not enough that it truly comes through the pepper-y smoke.

Several people have mentioned associations to bread with this one, and I’m sorry to say I really can’t see that. In the veeeeeeery beginning of the first step of the flavour maybe but not so much that I’m really convinced. To me that comes in more as tasting like the tea has had milk added to it.

I have to say, I still prefer the more grainy, darker tasting Fujian-y ones over these Yunnan-y ones. I will agree with Verdant Tea’s description of it as tasting almost sunny, but sunny is just not what I’m looking for.

This tea is my least favourite of Verdant’s black tea offerings. That’s not to say that there’s anything wrong with it, but I love different, intriguing flavours in straight blacks (if I’m going to drink them), and this one is simply too reminiscent of a bagged black tea. It is clearly infinitely better than bagged, but the flavour profile is similar, there is no overwhelming sweetness, no chocolatey notes. Perhaps I should have gone with the recommended 3 minute infusion instead of 1.5 to bring out more flavour (I have lots left and can try this later), but I don’t think the flavours I’m looking for will be present.

Hmm, black tea at 10:30pm? Why not. I have a ton of stuff to do before tomorrow anyhow.

I got this one as part of the budset sampler (and also as a sample, because I’m rather dimwitted and asked for it without realizing I’d be receiving it anyways). So, lots to try!

To be honest, the smell just screams “black tea” to me. It’s a familiar smell, but I can’t place it to anything other than “a black tea that I have tried previously”. shrugs There is a hint of sweetness though, so it does smell like a black tea I might enjoy.

Ok. Too hot. Will continue this later. First sip was good, though I can’t place anything. Definitely some astringency. But I’m not risking another now. Stay tuned.

First infusion: Oooh. Finally cool enough to drink, and I’m getting such a full-bodied flavour. Almost some hints of caramel… burnt caramel, perhaps. There’s definitely astringency, more than I would like, so I should go with a shorter infusion next time. It’s not bitter though. Hmm, what’s this like with additions… + cream, + a bit of agave … Ok, regretting the agave. The flavour, even with such a small bit, is overwhelming. Still a good cup, but anything special about the black tea is now kind of lost. Oh well, next time.

Second infusion, same parameters: Almost no smell?! Weird. Taste is very light. I’m not sure how this is supposed to go to 3? 4? infusions western-style. I think I’m done with two. Again, there’s sweetness. Less astringency. A little on the weak side for me though.

I’m not sure whether I’m still iffy on blacks because of too much on Monday, or if blacks just aren’t my thing (thinking a combination of the two), but this didn’t do it for me tonight. Not really disappointed. I did like the Laoshan Black, if I recall correctly, so should try that one again.

Backlogged sipdown. The flavour of yabao is just so unique; it’s nice to have some around. I think I do have a different one from Verdant left still, but will definitely pick up more in the future. Upping the rating (72 to 80) as although it wasn’t a daily drinker for me, I did ultimately end up enjoying it and seeking it out on occasion.

Well, this has certainly grown on me a bit. Enough that I would almost say I like it… I’m not tasting as much juniper as I did last time, just a thick, gentle, soft brew with a tweak of sweetness at the end. I’m terrible at describing flavours (it tastes like yabao! Yeah… useful, eh?) but the texture is the utmost in silky teas.

I feel like this would be great in a fruity blend… and wish that I could create more of Autumn Hearth‘s 12 Days of Christmas tea! Or honestly, just mix this with pear chunks. Because that tea was stellar (ok, I could say “is” because I do still have a cup’s worth sitting in my from-Sil swap pile!)

ETA: Third infusion is creamy and pretty tasty, but I really don’t have a high tolerance for this tea still, so even though I’m sure it could keep going, I think I’m done. I have, however, realized that it’s an oolong sort of tea flavour that I’m picking up here as well – I only placed the flavour because I’ve been sipping on two oolongs that are both very oolongy at this point. I’ve picked it up in the aftertaste of whites before as well.

Um, I think I may have stepped into “too weird for me” territory with this one.

The smell is… really weird. Kind of familiar, but not from any teas I’ve been drinking. I think it’s a plant smell, though. Not sure it’s a smell I want in my mouth, but my level of caring is definitely low enough right now that I’ll do it.

Sooooo here goes…

Ok, it’s sweet. And the sweetness cuts some of the “weird”, but it’s still there. It almost like… a green branch taste?? Actually, I wonder if what it’s reminding me of is apple tree cuttings. My mom would prune the apple trees in our yard in the spring, and when the cuttings were still supple (and we were young), my sister and I would sometimes take them and strip off the bark to reach green fibrous tissue underneath. Beneath that was the wood, which we’d then use as, say, walking sticks for our Barbies (which often went camping in the garden). My plant brain isn’t working tonight; I should know what those two parts are, oh well. So yeah, the green fibrous stuff would get under our fingernails, and I probably chewed on the branch to get it off sometimes. I think that’s the flavour I’m tasting. Makes a bit of sense, really, given that these are buds.

Gotta say though, even knowing that, this tea is still weird. It’s not bad, but… I don’t think it’s one for me. I will say that it’s grown on me through drinking this cup, and I’ll probably go for another couple infusions, but still, it’s weird :P (Side note: I can taste the “tea” flavour lightly at the end of the sip, which is nice, but not enough for me.)

ETA: Yeah, it’s two days later and wanted to clear out my infuser so I could drink some green teas, but couldn’t bear to throw these once-used buds out… so gave it another shot.

Second infusion (boiling/4min): The buds seem to have lost some of their “weird” smell and smell much sweeter, with a background of “tea”. Yep, I’m very descriptive tonight. The steeped tea smells more like a sweet white tea now, which is much more appealing. The taste is definitely similar to the previous, but with the aforementioned switch from predominantly weird to predominantly sweet and white-tea-like. I think I’ve finally figured out part of what I’m tasting though – this tea is peppery. Like steeped black pepper, but only a touch, which comes with a light zing. I actually like this particular infusion. I wonder if perhaps I should have just rinsed the leaves a bit longer in the beginning. I really need to look up proper rinsing technique. I also almost want to say that I’m almost tasting juniper. Both the pepperiness and juniper would have been present in that first infusion, just unidentified. Based on this infusion alone, I’m bumping the rating; perhaps this is not my cup of tea, but there’s absolutely nothing wrong with it.

Third infusion (boiling/4min):
After this infusion was finished, I smelled the wet buds and got that intense “weird” aroma again, and was quite worried that this cup would be back to a flavour I don’t like. Luckily, not true. It’s very much like a lighter version of infusion 2. Pleasant lingering white tea aftertaste, delicious sweetness. I should have also mentioned that there’s no hint whatsoever of astringency or bitterness.

So, it looks like perhaps I just need to begin with a longer first rinse for this tea, or maybe steep it for a couple minutes and discard that infusion, to let the strange flavours weaken a bit. This ended up being quite an interesting experience, as it turned out! Glad I only bought the budset sampler though :)

ETA again: Another quick note – the sweetness in this tea lingers like that from fennel/anise/licorice. I seem to dislike that, so I suppose that’s another unappealing factor for me.

Sipdown! 164/365!

To be honest, I have no idea if I’m reviewing the right tea here. There are too many versions of the Verdant teas to ever be terribly certain, and some are divided by harvest and/or year, others not, and some simply with different wording. However, I am drinking “Autumn Harvest Laoshan Dragonwell” from a small silver sample pack, which I believe is the right tea for this listing (although I’ve written enough tasting notes to know that I must have/have had at least two different packages of this).

Boring stuff aside, this tea was great! I haven’t ordered from Verdant in a few years, so this sample is not fresh, and I haven’t a clue when the packet was opened, so my expectations were really low. However, it was significantly more delicious than one would expect from a green this old. Not as strong as it might have tasted, and missing the freshness, particularly in the aroma, but it was a cup of rock sugared steamed green beans, with some delicious umami flavours peeking out. Quite impressive, and I even managed to get two resteeps, which was particularly excellent. Probably would be rating it in the low 90s as is; obviously it would be better fresh. A lovely cup!

With apprehension, I had to try my 2011 Autumn version of this one again…. after the disappointment of my Laoshan Green having lost a good deal of flavour, I wanted to see if this one was also ruined. Thankfully, although it is perhaps lacking in flavour a little, it still tasted pretty darn good! Unfortunately, I only got through half a cup before I forgot about it, and green teas do NOT sit overnight well, either in an infuser or in a mug. So that’s all I got (but I still have more tea, yay!)

Mmmmmmmmm so tasty. Used a random amount of leaf (maybe a tbsp?) and used my nose to figure out when I should pour it out, and my nose indicated I should start at 20 seconds, so a 30-second steep it was! Just love the light sweetness of this one and complete absence of astringeny and bitterness. I think finding the best dragonwell tea may become a goal of mine, although I’ve probably started at the wrong end of the spectrum, with the two from Verdant!! Upping the rating because this tea is remarkably consistent in its amazingness.

ETA: Second infusion (168F/1min) also great.