Verdant Tea
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So, I am coming down with a nasty cold, and I wanted something yummy with ginger in it, and I picked this. It’s a nice, mellow chai, not super-sweet but not pungent (really pungent chais make me sad).
Anyway, I was drinking a mug of this, and I was talking to my little brother about our impending family trip to Montreal, and my plans to take advantage of the presence of david’s tea to buy lots of tea. So he asked me what I was drinking, and I told him, and since he likes convenience store chai lattes he tried it. He thought it smelled and tasted like gingerbread men, which is pretty accurate (I prepped with milk and sugar). Anyway, he really liked it and kept talking about how clear it made his sinuses feel. He’s weird, but I do love him, and now I’ve made it my mission to find tea he will like, so we can be tea buddies (his words, not mine).
Preparation
Oh no! Do I have a new favorite? My beloved jing tea Dan Cong red tea is expensive enough and this one edges above it in price, although admittedly not by much when you factor shipping cost.
I didn’t want to love this at this price, but with reviews like this, I couldn’t NOT try it. I can’t describe the complexity well, but never mind, because I do love it. The first brew, I get something like tobacco leaves, mild chocolate and roast chestnuts. The second brew is actually even better, which I can’t think of another tea that I can say that about. It brings in higher notes, raisin? cinnamon? caramel? I really, really can’t say. But I will happily continue to try to figure it out. The third brew is fine too, though I accidentally left it for an hour and it was just warm, so I don’t want to say too much about that one. This is superb, excellent and totally worth it. This tea is rocking my world and I don’t say that lightly.
Preparation
This is pretty good! There are hints of mushroom that I can taste. I can also pick up the small notes of apple, too! I actually like this one better cold. It seems to fit my palate better with the flavors and I could taste the flavors better when it was cold. This is a neat pu-erh. It’s sweeter than most and I like that. The aroma isn’t funky either. Leaves a refreshing aftertaste even!
I had just mentioned a cold brew on a review I had written and was catching up on reading reviews as I am behind due to a rather unpleasant month of back issues and caught this one. Was this a cold steeping?
Not a cold steeping, a hot one then left at room temp for a while! :)
back to a green tea after drinking blacks….
The dry leaves are like a forest green, curly, toasty
I love this. When brewed…The smell of raw sunflower seeds, green beans and butter….then the final brew tastes like butter, sunflower seeds (raw) and maybe fava beans? Smooth
It’s a beautiful light emerald green color
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The smell of this one knocked my socks off! Gingery and spicy and earthy. A sneeze or two later, and I’m totally ready to drink it!
Once this is brewed, I am very much reminded of DavidsTea’s The Skinny. Which is suppose isn’t surprising, given that that is also an orange-ginger-pu’erh blend. How come I didn’t think of that when I was ordering? I guess I was blinded by the promise of elderberries. Anyway.
This is a very dark looking cuppa. And the scent is gently earthy, not overpoweringly musty like some pu’erhs I’ve put my nose into. I’m really new to pu’erhs, so this is a nice introduction. The flavour is earthy, with a citrus and ginger twist. It has a fuller body than The Skinny, and a more complex flavour. I don’t know that I can taste the elderberry specifically, but maybe it is what adds that other layer of complexity.
Overall, a very enjoyable cup. I can see myself reaching for this one after a rich dinner, or on cold afternoons.
Preparation
Yay! I think this is a great start for a self-intro to pu’er. Did you grab any of the chrysanthemum blend too? That’s a nice, sparkly, clean one.
If you like this one and want to dive into straight pu’er, I love suggesting the Peacock Village. It has similar flavors with this blend, but naturally.
Oh wow. This is so good!
I finally bit the bullet and placed an order with Verdant Tea. After all the hype on Steepster about their teas, how could I not?
Well, I am not disappointed. In. The. Least.
This is a rich, chocolatey, grainy and spicy cup. I’m positively smitten.
Maybe this will be the tea to finally kick that last lingering morning cup of coffee I’ve been holding on to drinking. Because this is infinitely more interesting than that, isn’t it?
Yum.
Preparation
Thank you to Amy Oh for a sample of this tea. I had been wanting to try this tea for the longest time. It just sounded too delicious to pass up! I ADORE oolongs. They have to be my favorite tea. I’m a bit disappointed with this one, though. The tea is too smelly for my tastes. It smells like that stinky grass that lingers on your fingers after you pull it out of the ground. I just can’t stand it. I suppose that it’s the orchid that I’m not liking. The slight sweetness is nice, but the orchid is just killing me. I thought that I would like orchid much more, but I think that this is one more thing I should add to my ‘dislikes’. I can’t get more than a few sips down.
I’m actually kind of glad someone else thought it was icky… :)
Amy, I completely know what you mean! I am so thankful that I got to try this tea, so thank you again. I just didn’t know that I would dislike orchid so much. The scent.. the taste… I can’t even think about it! ;)
I feel so bad! But maybe you can swap the rest to someone else!
If you have any left I would be interested in swapping! (My cupboard is not up to date but I can let you know what I’ve got if you’re interested – mostly unflavored green, black, oolong, and some puerh)
This is medium but good quality tea. The first steep was not too impressive, the taste was dull, lacking high notes which define a good tea. Luckily the next steep was much better revealing earthly notes and much desired depth. I do realize that a high quality Big Robe is hard to find. In particular at a reasonable price. This tea is certainly the best one can find without spending fortune.
Preparation
Oh, wow! Your tasting note sure has changed since you first made it! I’m glad you eventually found this more enjoyable.
Did you experience this tea’s weird “ringing” or “vibrating” texture in the mouth? That’s one of my favorite parts!
I really recommend making this tea in yixing or a gaiwan, and using a good amount of leaf. This tea can give great complexity, but I find it is impossible to ignore when made gong-fu style.
Hi, yes- this tea needs zisha pot. The earthy, woody notes come forth much faster. Overall I love Verdant teas, the teas are not only different in a positive way and original, but also the service is superb. Laoshan teas green is certainly not easy tea to get to admire.
Received a sample of this with my recent order. I’m glad I saved it until this week.
The past three weeks have been completely overwhelming. The dog going missing, work getting wrapped around the axle, complications for Liz with school and my first disc golf tournament this past weekend on a course I’m really not strong enough to throw at par.
So this week is a bit of a calm after several storms. And this is the right tea for that calm.
One thing I love about drinking really fine tea, is that it helps you realize all the things you couldn’t put your finger on about other teas you’ve had. We sampled a lot of green teas from TeaVivre recently, and also the ones Liz brought back from Japan, and I was always looking for some magic balance of strong, green flavors, pan roast flavors and soft sweetness that none of them was really up to providing. It can be a very frustrating chase, especially when you aren’t 100% sure what it would taste like if it were what you wanted.
This tea has it all. Barely. I’m into my fourth or fifth steep and the liqueur is still very light and very delicate. But it isn’t weak. There is that soft sweetness, but it is backed up with genuine greenness and the touch of the pan.
As much fun as it is to keep trying lots of teas, I do find myself often thinking “now that I found this, that fills this role, and I don’t need anything else, I’ll just keep this stocked.”
But we all know I won’t do that. :-)
Preparation
(whoops, formatting error- reposted to fix)
Aw.. that’s such a nice note. I’m glad to hear things have calmed down for you.The eternal quest for tea- I hope you keep finding favorites, but never really stop!
Aw.. that’s such a nice note. I’m glad to hear things have calmed down for you.The eternal quest for tea- I hope you keep finding favorites, but never really stop!You might enjoy spring and summer pickings of Lao Shan greens. The summer is especially hearty, while still having the sweetness.
well, bluh- sorry for the redundancies.. I’m not sure why it’s doing that. :(
Whacky !
To be honest, I expected better from Verdant. I have drunk many Tieguanyin teas and this one was rather disappointing.
The first steep produced light, floral tasting and smelling brew, reminding of jasmine tea. Nice, but lacking complexity. The leaves opened very fast and the second steep gave rather flat tasting tea. I did not care for the third.
However, I will try to brew this tea again in a zhuni pot. Perhaps my impression will change for better. Right now, I do not feel that this tea deserves 5 stars. It does not mean of course that the tea is bad; it is a good tea, just a bit too mediocre for my taste.
How were you brewing this tea? (for example- how much leaf did you use, etc?) I, too, have spent a long time trying TGY, and this one really has been stellar in my experience. For example, I think you could definitely get more than three steepings out of this tea.. I usually get at least thirteen or so Gong Fu style. Were you making this in a big pot, or in a gaiwan? What did you think of the aftertaste on this one? Or the texture? I’ve read a lot of your reviews, and haven’t seen a high review of any green oolongs, actually- except the frozen summit. Do you prefer Taiwanese and darker oolongs in general?
Whoops! I was just thinking over breakfast- duh, this is an autumn picking tieguanyin. I can definitely see someone being thrown off by this if you’re used to spring pickings, which are so floral and almost confectioners-sugar sweet. If you were looking for intense florals, these would be greatly changed from what you were expecting, to instead be more of the grassy, nutty, buttery autumn profile. And it looks like autumn might not be your cup of tea! If so, I hope you give the spring picking a chance when that time comes around.
Happy drinking
Hi, I am used to the traditional Tieguanyin. This is a modern version. Jasmin is nice but in good Tieguanyin IMHO is not so welcome, particularly if it lacks the classic complex notes. Tieguayin is a very old tea. I am looking now to find better vendors of this tea.
Yes, TGY is an old kind of tea. And yes, the modern methods of making TGY are green, not roasted. However, I must disagree with your implication here that only classic, roasted styles of TGY are legitimate and desirable. If you’re looking to find the flavor profile of a roasted, classic TGY in a green TGY, you obviously won’t find them. It is really a different kind of tea. I do not think Verdant has ever misrepresented this TGY as a classic, roasted TGY, so your comment that you are “looking now to find better vendors of this tea” doesn’t really apply. If you are looking for a different example of a modern, green TGY, that is a different story. (I would wish you luck in that search; I don’t think you’ll find it available outside of China!)
Personally, I’m not sure how constructive it is to compare the two kinds of tea. That would be like comparing a shu pu’er to a sheng pu’er. Yes, shu was originally created to mimic old sheng, but the two styles have now completely diverged! You can like shu, and you can like sheng, and you can appreciate them each for their own different merits.The same I feel is true for green TGY and classic TGY, which both offer their particular flavor profiles and ideal types.
For example: Why would I drink an Earl Gray flavored black tea, and then complain that I do not taste mango? That would not be constructive, because Earl Gray is not the kind of tea that tastes like a mango. OR I would not drink Frozen Summit Tung Ting taiwanese oolong, and then be surprised and unhappy when it does not taste like classic, roasted TGY. I was drinking Tung Ting, not classic TGY, and those two teas taste different.
That being said, it is clear that you prefer classic Tieguanyin! That’s great, and that’s your own preference. However, I hope that someday you will give modern, green TGY a chance, because you will find they have a whole new world of delicious flavors to offer.
Hi, I am trying to get to know this TGY better. Certainly Verdant did not misrepresent the tea, it is rather me wrongly expecting something different. In fact Verdant is my favorite seller. I am a perfumist and I not only like to taste the tea, but smell it too. I find teas very much like perfumes ( the best perfumes you can almost taste). So, a good tea to me is a tea which must be able to activate more than one sensory perception. The smell must be paired with taste. With this TGY I got a bit confused. I also think that it is a matter of the right pot. Previously I used Zhuni, which is thin walled. The thicker purple zisha may do better.
What about Ting Tung? There are so many varieties! I just got 1980 Ting Tung from Red Blossom Company. I have mixed feeling. I hoped to find some mystery smell and taste in it, but so far I have not been too successful.
After some effort I have finally arrived at the optimal brewing conditions for this tea. The taste is definitely reminding of an artichoke. The full spectrum appears very fast in the first steep, that is if the temperature is right. Too hot, and the brew tastes bitter and grassy. But steeped properly it is very attractive taste. Dry leaves smell very much like green chypre perfume with the high notes of galbanum, hyacinth and magnolia leaves. Overall quite seductive.
Preparation
Right brewing temperature is very important here. So far, I getting more and more fond of this tea. But I am also learning how to get best out of it. Will write more later.
Preparation
What other Lao Shan teas have you been trying?
Aw, now that comment about other Lao Shan teas is gone. :( It’s one of my favorite styles of green, so if you’ve found another vendor, I’d love to hear about it. Or have you been trying the Summer picking from Verdant? That one is quite strong and buttery and beany, so I can see how this might not seem as strong. Personally, the autumn feels more complex, but if you’re looking for that classic “yo ho ho.. I’m a beany Lao Shan green!” flavor, you’re right that this one is not as strong in that.
How did you steep this one? I ike making Lao Shan’s in a glass. Do you make this and your other LaoShan teas in a gaiwan or a big pot?
I used lower temperature and a zhuni pot. It made an instant difference. I would say that brewing should not be longer than 30 seconds ( first time ) and the temperature 170 is the most optimal. It brings forth a very beautiful baked pear scent.
I’m finishing off the last of this sample before switching to a glass of wine. hee hee. Thanks again for the sample Verdant. Please see my previous notes regarding the flavor.
Preparation
Thanks to Verdant for including a sample of this in my last order
I don’t normally go in for minty things because they can aggravate my heartburn but I really did like the flavor of this one… it’s got the buttery sweetness of the Laoshan green plus the mint is very refreshing to me this morning.
I steeped mine in the Gaiwan with around 175 F water. I used a lot of leaf and got 4 steeps of it and counting. I used short 30-60 second steeps and those were fine. It’s a very nice blend, thanks David!
Preparation
That sounds pretty yummy actually. NOT that I need anymore teas. ;)
If you do like mint I would highly recommend it!
SO tempting!!! Must.Resist.Buying.
lol – good luck! :)
Might be a losing battle. BUT I’m hoping this might turn up in one of my tea of the month subscriptions from them. :)
Sounds so goooood…
This tea looks like strips of wool. But it sure sounds tastier than that! ;)
Oh my penguin! This tea! It’s…and the….with a….guh. I don’t even know where to begin.
So the first steep (after two rinses) smelled earthy. Like…really, really earthy. Almost painfully so. It scared me a bit and that first sip took a lot of willpower from this pu-erh newbie.
But I have faith in Verdant Tea. They’ve never led me astray yet.
That faith is amazingly well placed. The earthiness worked well with the surprise sweetness, that hint of white grape on the tip of the tongue….guh. This is a work of art. I am so glad I got this sample. I adore grape anything, so a yummy pu-erh with that hint of grape? Oh my goodness, yes please! I may need to add this to my order as well!
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Oh my goodness. I meant to request a sample of this but forgot to email before the package was shipped, boo. Imagine my happiness when I opened the box to find a sample of it included anyway! Yay!! Squee!!!!
I had a rough afternoon, and my wonderful wife made a pot of tea for us to split. it was this little gem and I fell in love. Ordering more tonight. So much love. It was just juicy and gingery and a lovely cuppa. And when I came back to my computer, I found a message from a dear, dear friend who I hadn’t talked to in a year! My day perked right up, in part to this lovely tea.
Our latest shipment of Verdant Tea arrived today, and we couldn’t wait to break into this sample – I don’t know why we didn’t order it in the first place! The spice blend reminds me of his herbal Thai Ginger Fire, but the solid mustiness of the pu’erh really tones down the sharpness of the galangal and ginger into something smooth and delicious.
On the second steep, the spices mellowed out even further and let the earthiness of the pu’erh come through, with a bit of that sweet fruitiness.
This has already been added to our next order. This is a fantastic flavoured pu’erh.
Preparation
I guess the good news, given I’m not a huge fan of this leaf, is that I’m already out of it!
Apparently I didn’t order very much.
I could see this tea working very well with dim sum, being light and soft but having a sufficient contrast to cut through all the pork fat and sugar.
Preparation
Ack! Oh, I know we’ll just have to agree to disagree on this one, but to my ears, wasting this tea with a meal sounds like blasphemy. Well, more for me!
?!
Pairings with any premium beverage are always understood to enhance the beverage, not detract from it. This is common practice with the finest wines, beers, spirits, and teas.
I see both sides here- Mostly I want to share the experience I had conducting a tea and chocolate pairing with Colin Gasko of Rogue Chocolatier, possibly the finest bean-to-bar craftsman in America. I haven’t tried tea and meal pairings (except psychologically in that some sheng pu’ers imply a full meal through the course of the steepings), but when truly fine tea is allowed to synergize with something equally fine, interesting flavors comes through. It wouldn’t have worked with a milky cheap chocolate, but in this tasting, the aftertastes of the chocolate worked to bring out flavors in the tea that were previously hidden.
Rogue Chocolate and Potomac chocolate are both worth a try in this regard, as they engage the same parts of the palate as fine tea, but do not coat your tongue. Anything that coats the tongue has the tendency to dull the taste buds.
In general, fine teas are not commonly consumed with meals in China, but that definitely shouldn’t stop you from seeking out creative pairings for the sake of synergy. Just like, for example, I will choose an yixing pot whose nature I think will have a synergistic effect on the tea I am brewing. Occasionally however, and whenever trying a tea for the first time, I will brew it without having eaten anything for a while, in a non-reactive vessel like a gaiwan so that I can understand the “true” nature of the tea before moving into pairings.
Happy tasting.
When I lived in Chicago, I would attend semi-private tasting events at the TeaGschwendner retail location on State Street hosted by their in house “tea sommelier” (who is, now, I believe, the manager of their Edmond’s collection rather than specifically connected to the retail store). At one point he began attempting pairings with chocolates — unfortunately the “best” (in the minds of all the local residents, anyway) in Chicago is Vosges — which I really don’t care for, personally. Probably because I got spoiled by the work of Andrew Shotts and his Garrison Confections line from my years living in Providence, Rhode Island.
I would boldly assume that fine teas are not consumed with meals in China, traditionally:
a) for simple economic reasons
b) because most meals are not a slow, deliberate activity for drawing out flavors, but for the consumption of daily nutrition
You don’t do a wine pairing on a random Tuesday afternoon with a sandwich, you know?
That’s why I specifically referred to yum cha rather than lunch or dinner. Something which is more of an occasion, and is supposedly about the tea as much as it is about the food — and is mostly about the experience of fellowship with other people. I was thinking about the mindset of chefs in the Imperial style in China where everything is about balance, control, contrast and interplay — and pork fat.
As a primary defense I will offer up both the matcha and sencha formal tea ceremonies in Japan — where a confection of some kind is always served between steepings and is considered crucial to appreciating the later steepings (which become bitter).
As I’ve indicated in previous tasting notes, while I recognize the extremely high quality nature of this tea, I don’t actually care for it all that much. So, I’m mentally thinking of ways to improve my experience with this leaf.
OK, to be fair, the first steep was very floral, but I’m up to 5 or 6 now and the flowers faded very quickly.
I am laughing because the leaves expended so much I can barely get the lid onto the gaiwan.
This really is amazing bunch of tea leaves. It will never be my favorite way of processing them, but that’s a matter of personal aesthetic.
Preparation
I’m going to have to stop ordering green oolongs entirely. They are almost all invariably very floral, and it is becoming clear that it isn’t because they are explicitly scented, but rather something about the processing itself.
This is clearly a very high quality leaf and it has been handled expertly. I. just. Don’t. Like. Flowers.
