Verdant Tea

Verdant’s blends are so cool. I was thrilled to see the combination of the Laoshan black, which is just the best ever, and Big Red Robe. And chocolate, of course!

The layers of flavour in this are amazing. There’s a lot going on, but it ties together incredibly well. I received it in the February tea of the month box, and only read the description included before trying it. I was a little apprehensive at the somewhat vague mention of “spices”, as I’m not typically good at isolating and pinning down what it is I’m tasting but hate not being able to identify flavours. My reaction to the first sip was: wow, is there mint in this? Ooh, there’s the cacao. I think I taste cinnamon, and is there fennel in there?

Spot on! That’s a first for me. I can make each out clearly, but they work together to make a tea that tastes like raw chocolate laced with spices and mild mint. Perfection! I’m not sure if I can make out the marigold and/or chamomile. I think they’re just mingling in there with the rest. I’m also getting the sweet, malty characteristics from the two base teas, but they seem to blend pretty seamlessly.

Thank you Dinosara for this. The Chrysanthemum seem to rule supreme on this one. It is my first Verdant Tea to boot. The aroma of the dry leaf is like walking into a green house or through a spring field. This is my third tasting before reviewing it. Every time the actual tea has been pretty weak in compared to rest of the brew. I definitely like it. It’s very vegetal. I have tried another tea like this before and like the combination of Pu-Erh and Chrysanthemum, however the other that I tried was a fishy pu-erh. I didn’t notice the orange peel till I made this pot. I will say that the pu-erh is more prevalent in this tea. The flavor almost reminds me of dandelions like when you took one as a kid and rubbed the yellow on your arm. The only bummer about this tea is the pu-erh is very weak. I like a good strong dark pu-erh. Overall though a good tea.

I’m not a Pu’erh expert, but I am a big fan. I like the heritage in the process of this tea. It reminded me of slightly weak Darjeeling though instead of a hearty Pu’erh. I probably won’t have this again.

Feels like I haven’t logged a tea in forever, I really haven’t been trying much new, being on a buying hiatus. But I have been drinking, drinking the seasons of Verdant’s non-roasted Tieguanyins and Laoshan Greens. Drinking them simply to drink them and for this reason: http://verdanttea.com/how-to-store-tea/ not for any special occasion, person, comparison or log, simply because they need to be enjoyed. And you know what? That is so much more fulfilling right now than trying to cram in three different kinds of tea to review.

I also probably won’t be posting as frequently here for awhile, our basement flooded last night/this morning, we’ve got guys taking care of it as I type this, nothing majorly damaged as far as I can tell, except the carpet which we wanted to replace anyway, so will probably spending some time outside the house as well as sorting things out to throw away, give away or donate. Gosh I started that note like six hours ago, before everyone descended upon the house, was much more relaxed then, guess I need to make another cup.

Sigh, I am sadly out of you, but you are by far the freshest, greenest, smoothest, most complex Tieguanyin I’ve had the pleasure of drinking (though to be fair I’ve only had a few). I foolishly shared you, twice, but thankfully everyone appreciated you. I must order more, before you are sold out so I can compare you to your spring sister and I must try you gongfu style, but no longer will I just seek our first flushes when you have shown me what my favorite season has to offer, I thank you.

Mmmm I need to revisit this again, but today I feel the ick, so I shall backlog. This though, this was a beautiful balance of soft buttery mellow oolong with a nice punch of roasted Dan Cong. In fact this was right in between Teavana’s Emerald Dan Cong (which I love the buttery mouth feel of but lacks flavor) and their Phoenix Mountain Dan Cong (which is too roasty for me) and was by far my favorite of the three at the oolong tasting I hosted a month ago. This is definitely the Dan Cong I would return to and I shall, just not today.

I don’t usually have tea in the morning, it’s a shame really, but I wanted some this morning and I wanted it dark. I didn’t want to open any of the new Yunnans and I certainly didn’t want a Darjeeling or Nepalese tea. I thought about blending the last of my Lapsang Souchong with Earl Grey, no, with a hefty oolong. I pulled out this to smell, oh gods, no I must have you by yourself, now. And it is soooo good. It trumps all the Dan Congs, it reminds me of the Rou Gui and the Tung Ting this weekend and a little bit of Laoshan Northern Black and those are very good things to be reminded of. There is chocolate and cassia bark and roasted deliciousness and I’m only on the first 15 sec steep, but the smell of the leaves and the first cup were inspiring enough to write this. I will probable spend all day with this tea, I may not even eat (of course I’ll eat, I’m hypoglycemic and would pass out if I didn’t). I should note this was sent as a free sample about a month ago and is the "new"er crop, I still have some of the old one from February and would love to compare, but probable will not do a side by side today. Soo good though, so very good. Rating must be bumped.

I did not take detailed notes on you, either at my oolong tasting or with my husband, but you, my first Big Red Robe, you were roasty, toasty, sweet and delicious and thankfully there is a serving left of you in the sample pouch and this time its all for me. I look forward to seeing your long, dark, luxuriously twisted moist leaves again soon. Oh and what everyone else said.

Sip down! So lovely and complex for a green. At times creamy, sparkling, brothy, sweet, vegetal, and nutty with hints of vanilla, mint and even cinnamon. Some steeps feel like soup and others are sheer dessert, rice pudding specifically. I know I must eventually drink through all of last year’s Autumn Harvests and then early Spring, making room for the harvests ahead, but I shall take my time.

I do not normally log teas more than once, but the question of “What’s in your cup?” tempted me. I drank two infusions of this last night and am on my second for the morning. I have also decided to drink a green a day. I would love to drink white, green, oolong and pu’er everyday, but the way I brew (short steeps) I’d have a lot of wasted leaves or bladder issues.

I used to do more blends, Silver Needle, Gyokuro and Tiguanyin were my favorite and while I certainly have all the elements at home, I couldn’t imagine blending a tea like this. I want to be able to taste the soil of the land where this was grown, the mists that surrounded the leaves and the chlorophyll that was enhanced by shading the leaves while drying on an Autumn day. So while I may use up some of my Teavana greens that way, this however deserves to be savored.

And in an ongoing trend the husband thinks this tastes just like the others, mineral, I guess I love mineral, which is why I love short steeps, when i asked him to reinfuse this for me for 10 secs last night, he said “10 secs?! No wonder it didn’t taste like anything! But I guess that’s fine if you like boiled rocks” But as light and mineral as this is in the beginning, it still tastes so distinct from the nuggets and the yabao and by the second infusion it is already very “green”. Sigh I need some gongfu friends.

These leaves while long and pressed flat are less uniform than the dragonwell I have experience with.  There is variation in size, shape and a lovely contrast of fresh bright and lush dark green leaves, they are beautiful.  The smell of the leaves don’t bring anything to mind except tea (lame I know, but there are too many other smells going on in the kitchen).  

It is in the rinsing of the leaves that a strong vegetal aroma is released and stays for the first 15 sec steep.  Very pale brew, with a tinge of blush against my white bone china cup, later steeps are near clear in my glass infuser mug. It is fresh and sweet with a hint of nut and evergreens.  The taste isn’t an overwhelming sort of vegetal, it’s light, bright and smooth and just so very fresh, which is what I have come to expect from Verdant’s teas.  The smell reminds me of matcha, the taste more of Gyokuro with such a nice sweet finish.  As I reach the bottom of the first cup there is a bolder, thicker body .  

I didn’t take notes for the second and third steeps which I also kept short, though I surely enjoyed them.  Yes there was a bit of mint and even vanilla. Fourth was warm and pleasant (I had it with breakfast so don’t ask me about flavor) I let it steep a minute.  

The fifth which I steeped for two mins had an interesting orchid note that of course brought to mind Tieguanyin and the sixth which I steeped for 3 mins was the least vegetal and the most sweet.  I don’t really get the banana but then I didn’t read that last night but there is a desert quality, maybe like a meringue minus the lemon.  Oh hey and there’s nice green tea flavor at the bottom of this cup.  Let’s have another go shall we? Hmm bit of spice, tastes like a second or third steep of a tea that isn’t meant for multiple infusions. I’m sure I could have gotten more if I had kept to shorter steeps, but my toddler renders me impatient sometimes, but thankfully there is another servings worth left.

MOMENTOUS OCCASION!
This is my first ever pu-erh! EVER! I’m excited, needless to say. This is also my first sample out of the box that LiberTEAS sent me. I was feeling daring, so I decided to make this now that I have time to make more than one infusion!

So, I decided that it would be fairly easy for me to make this in my mug (I need a gaiwan so bad!), so that is what I did. However, I messed up my rinses. First of all, I didn’t boil enough water to make a cup after the rinses. Second of all, I didn’t do the rinses for NEARLY long enough. Third of all, I went to actually brew it and after a minute or so decided that that infusion wasn’t right……… I’m new to this, okay!

Anyways, on to the first (second?) infusion. This definitely smells very earthy, but in kind of a good way… The taste, surprisingly, isn’t very earthy. It’s kind of got a unique flavor to it that I can’t really pinpoint… It’s very smooth and interesting…..

Second infusion-This one smells and tastes bit earthier. It is a bit lighter than the first infusion (even though I brewed for four minutes….). I’m still looking for that sweetness that others have talked about….

Third infusion-I think this is it for this tea. The sweetness has come out a lot! It still smells earthy but the sweetness in the taste has come out a lot. It’s still running a little underneath the base earthiness, but it is way more present. This is my favorite steep!

For my first pu-erh, this is pretty good! I’m looking forward to exploring more kinds (including some of the flavored ones Bonnie sent me) and learning more about them!

This is a truely remarkable tea. There is absolutely no bitterness to speak of. It tastes more like a oolong than a black, but with a stronger flavor and aroma. It reminds me of Big Red Robe, and other Wuyi mountain oolongs. There is also a slight bean flavor. It’s like roasted soy nuts, only without the bitterness. Could it be from the fertilizer? One of my biggest complaints with oolong is that it’s flavor is a little too light, for my tastes. This tea is a perfect alternative for anybody seeking a stronger flavor and aroma, but without the typical bitterness found in other black teas. It combines the best of both worlds, and would be an excellent way to begin any day.

Soo…David gave me this sample awhile back and I have since had this tea 4 times now. I like it, it grows on you. When I had it hot the lemongrass and lavender take front above the spearmint and peppermint. I am now having this now cold, as I did a cold brew on it two nights ago. The spearmint comes forward more. A nice simple herbal blend. I think I like it better cold….which is rare since I not an ice tea person.

I am just now finishing the combination of my fifth and sixth infusions of this tea, and it is quite lovely. An incredibly complex Oolong … most Oolong teas are complex, yes, but, even for an Oolong this is a complex tea. So many interesting flavors emerge with each infusion.

It started out with a sweet and floral note, which is typically what I’d expect from a Tie Guan Yin, but, there was a stronger vegetal note to this, and a warm, peppery kind of spice to it that seems to settle on the back of the palate and tickles the tongue in the aftertaste. It has a thick, velvety mouthfeel that starts out very soft and sweet, and develops into more of a buttery taste and texture.

With subsequent infusions, I notice an apple-y kind of flavor that starts as a sweet flavor, and develops into a snappy, crisp, almost tart kind of flavor that reminds me very much of a Braeburn apple. I do notice the saffron flavors as mentioned in the flavor profile, they start out very slight and develop nicely by the time I’ve reached my third and fourth infusions… providing an interesting contrast for the sweetness.

I really love this Tie Guan Yin! But then, that is no surprise to me, as Verdant Tea is always top notch!

Good tea has really been the only thing keeping me going while I study. Funny that studying can be done when there is the promise of a tasty tea! I’ve sort of been neglecting this one — not on purpose, but because I’ve been distracted by other teas lately. I find that if I don’t devote some time to taste this tea that it really is just tastes “roasty” to me and not at all like the deep chocolate that makes it so delicious! Sometimes I feel like I have to add a bunch of leaf to get that flavor as well. Tonight’s cups weren’t the greatest (a bit flat, roasty, not a whole lot of chocolate), but I do know what this tea is capable of so I’ll try again with this tomorrow.

I really, really love this tea. I don’t know how I could have nearly missed all of these wonderful flavors before. The dry leaf smells of deep, dark chocolate. I also detect bits of warm bread. YUM.

This tea is an absolute necessity in my cupboard. I ordered some of this tea perhaps no longer than a week ago.. and I am already running low! I could drink this tea all day long and very few teas have the ability to inspire such a craving. Laoshan black is rich and deeply satisfying. Delightful!

The leaves are the darkest black, thin & slightly curled. This is a beautiful tea to look at!

First infusion: Smooth, sweet with a tinge of a leathery note. I detect something bitter in the background, but it just stays in the background and doesn’t press forward.

Second Infusion: The scent is a bit like sweet potato. A bolder version of the first infusion remains for this cup. As I am walking to the kettle for more water, I realize the flavor that has lingered on my tongue. Chocolate. I almost missed it, but it’s there.

Third Infusion: A nice malty, chocolate note is what I primarily taste. The chocolate is a bit like cocoa – drying, not too sweet and a little bit rich. Mmm. I think this is my favorite infusion so far!

Thank you, Meeka for a sample!

Steeped it hot and stuck it in the freezer, today. Drank it as a slushie. So good! Doesn’t even need sugar. Chocolatey, sweet, and awesome!

I finally caved and bought some with my last order, because the sample incident was going to haunt me until I tried this tea properly. And let me just say? It’s all I can do to stop myself glugging the heck out of this tea.

4 grams in a 4oz ceramic teapot. Very short infusions, only a few seconds each. Jumped up to 10 seconds by steep 5ish. Made it to 7 before I called it a night, but I will definitely continue when I wake up.

(Side note! Not very happy about the pour on my new little teapot. It was a cheapy buy, but I thought it might be handy for when I didn’t feel like getting burnt with my poor gaiwan skills. Well, note to self: expect a dribbly mess, and expect to count the long, slow pour into the steep time. That said, I discovered I like this tea on the longer side of steeping. So it’s not all bad! And it’s a cute, titchy little thing, and I like the way it holds the tea scent.)

Back to the tea! Tea liquor darker than last time, a nice burnt creme brulee colour. Tea leaves smell intensely of chocolate and malt after steeping. And the flavour is a full, delicious chocolate. The description suggests dark chocolate, but I say milk chocolate. I’m not much for dark chocolate, but I’m nuts about this tea. Really, really head over heels.

I have to admit something – I combined all the steeps and had it in two batches. I feel bad, but there’s always next time to do it properly, right? It’s impossibly hot in my apartment. Beautiful, outside. But my apartment building still has the heating on. I just didn’t feel like getting up multiple times. The gong fu gods surely scowl at me tonight.

This came in a little sample bag labeled as Autumn Picked Laoshan Green. I didn’t realize it was actually a black until much later. After reading some reviews on Steepster. The intervening time I just thought it was a very odd green tea.

My first impression was that the dry leaves were amazingly dark. I know the picture on the Verdant site shows some fairly dark leaves for the Laoshan Green, but even then I was surprised. It smelled buttery and malty and chocolatey and delicious. So far so normal, to me. The description did mention a chocolatey note!

Then the steeping. I…very obviously futzed it here. I thought it was a green. I steeped it as such. Western style in a small mug, 1 tsp to 6 oz for 2 minutes at 180F. And it steeped… caramel. “Huh,” I said to myself. “This looks, for all the world, like black tea.” And yet, I still didn’t catch on. The leaves smelled intensely like a Cadbury milk chocolate bar by this point. I really wanted to eat them.

At this point I started drinking the tea, burns and all. It was a bit light for my taste, but I attributed that to having run out of sample. I like a bit more than just a teaspoon, if I can help it. The tea itself was deliciously malty, with a distinct buttery, vegetal character that faded into a sort of deep caramel. I wanted it stronger! Sooo frustrating. Though, again, in retrospect, because I understeeped it.

So yeah, I started looking through the reviews for the Laoshan Green and noticed someone mentioned the liquor should be green. I decided to look at the spent leaves, and sure enough – not green in the least. I’m pretty embarrassed it took me so long to notice.

My rating is based on the way I steeped it, but I definitely want to try again properly. Next order I’ll get the Laoshan Sampler and give it a proper go.

Dry Leaf: Very mild earthiness with a good dose of sweetness.
Wet Leaf: Had a warm smell like a wood aroma with the sweetness still there.
Liquor: I got like a amber color nice brightness and good clarity didn’t look murky.
Taste: This tea was smooth with a sweet woody flavor.
My Score/ Over All Opinion: 90, I personally enjoyed this tea granted my wife brought me home a pu-pu platter to snack on which maybe why this tea really hit the spot.

Dry Leaf: There was a earthy aroma with a faint sweetness in the background.
Wet Leaf: There was a warm earthy aroma with a lingering sweet aroma.
Liquor: Was like a amber color but in the light you can see it is a orange color. The tea had a nice brightness and good clarity.
Taste: What I get is a smooth earthy, kind of nutty or smoky taste with a some spice in their and a touch of sweetness. This tea has a nice complexity to it.
My Score/Over All Opinion: 92, When I first tried this tea it had a bit to it in the first infusion then I experimented a little with this tea and did 2 rise’s instead of 1 and the 1st infusion improved a lot but there was a slight bit I got in the first infusion. Over all this tea is very nice.

Dry Leaf: This tea has a spicy aroma with a faint cedar aroma I pick up.
Wet Leaf: This tea had a warm and spicy aroma didn’t pick up the cedar smell really in the wet leaf.
Liquor: It was extremely pale almost clear.
Taste: This tea to me is light with a spicy kick to it. This tea’s spiciness got lighter and lighter with each steeping but it is the spice you pick up mostly with this tea.
My Score/ Over All Opinion: 90, I personally couldn’t compare this to anything. In my humble opinion this is in a league of it’s own. I was experimenting with this tea and found a little bit of raw honey just adds that touch of sweetness and works well with this tea in my humble opinion.