Verdant Tea

Staring the New Year off with some serious tea! ;)

Soft mint and licorice-like aroma…slight notes of cardamom. At first sip, the flavor is like fresh moss and mushrooms. Hints of bark and sap. More sips..loamy-clay, black licorice, pine…and more mushrooms. There is a “baked” quality to this which I find very comforting—baked in a savory way—like a favorite quiche or casserole. And the back of my tongue feels slightly numb—may be the combination of the heat and the tea’s latent astringency.

Overall, this has been a very restorative, calming cup. And a wonderful start for this new day and new year. :)

This is a really intriguing tea to me.

Most white teas are either straight or flavored/sceneted versions of Silver Needle (Yin Zhen) or White Peony (Mu Dan). They are sweet and spicy, with some citrus notes coming out in a Bai Mu Dan. Other than that, I find the profiles to all be very similar, with only varying degrees of strength, quality, or staying power. As a result, I’m just not that into white teas. I love things that are complex and unexpected, and I love my teas to change and take me on a journey over multiple steepings. That’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but we’re talking about what’s in my cup here.

And then Verdant brought in this Songyang white. I’ve never heard of Songyang before. I’d also say “not even while I was living in China,” but that doesn’t say very much considering the folks in Qingdao didn’t care about white tea at all. The only other place I’ve even seen a Songyang white is at Adagio (Songyang Serenade Tea). They describe Songyang as " light in color, with a tender aroma and a sweet, refreshing taste. If you enjoy the subtle taste of white tea, we recommend you give Song Yang a try." To me, this description says, "this is an extremely light tasting tea. we don’t know what it tastes like and the flavor is obviously not interesting to us, so we’re just going to says it’s generically “sweet” and “refreshing. Even though it’s bland, we’re sure you’ll drink it because it’s white tea so it obviously has ‘health benefits.’” The description goes on more about how hard and expensive this is to process rather than taste.

I haven’t tried Adagio’s version of Songyang (it’s no longer on their website), but I can’t imagine anyone calling this version from Verdant tasteless or just generically “sweet” and “refreshing.” This tea is so different from any other white tea I’ve ever encountered, it’s something I’d recommend to others just to broaden your mind a bit.

The dry leaves are as pictured.. long tongues or little green, complete leaves that look like shards. The dry smell has hints of sparkling spive with some dry sweetgrass notes. There is a bright crisp note that really reminds me of a snappy Darjeeling (disclaimer, I rarely ever drink Darjeeling.. this just fits with my impressions of them so far.) Once steeped, the leaves are incredibly green! It’s a reminder that words like “green,” “white,” and “oolong” refer to how a tea is processed, not the color of the leaves. The smell of the steeped leaves is of steamed, fresh greens- brussel sprouts or baby asparagus- but still with a nice, light sweet and spiced blanket over the top. We spent quite awhile just sticking our noses in the steeped leaves, trying to figure out just what the intriguing aroma reminded us of..

The taste, as I mentioned above, must really be tasted to be believed! It’s so green and snappy in taste, like an uncooked sweet pea pod.. or like creamy, thick steamed edamame with some butter (at the same time, without being savory). The words that keep popping up all over my notes page are crisp, snappy, and clean. Later on, the consistancy remined me somehow of tea ice cream, and again that bright Darjeeling comparison.

What this tea makes me think of the most, however, is eating leaves. When I was younger, I would (stupidly, I know!) wander around the neighborhood, picking leaves off of the neighborss plants and eating them. I lived in Indonesia at the time; my mother would have a heart attack if she knew. Point being, those leaves all tasted so fresh and alive.. like there were crystals of bright green life buzzing around in them. This is what the tea liqour tastes like. It really makes me imagine that this is what true, virgin tea tastes like. The Priomordeal Tea- tea of the Garden of Eden… Tea. This must be what Emporer Shen Nong tasted when those tea leaves blew serendipitously into his little couldron of boiling water, the tea that cured him of his deadly poisonous ill.

That virgin, untouched, unprocessed taste is what intrigues me so and draws me to this tea, over and over, to try. It’s so crazy, so weirdly appealing, and for me is very true to what white tea processing is.

I tried this later with another friend with even shorter steepings (steeped in two glass pitchers), and suddenly some expected white tea flavors started popping up along with my TEA taste. Without warning, there was clove, sparkling sweet spice of pastries, or even of an almod croissant. Such a surprising tea. I will keep playing with the steeping times and methods to figure out just what causes one flavor to come out over another, and which method I prefer for what mood and setting.

If you’ve tried all the white teas, you haven’t tried anything like this yet. Give it a try- it is unlike anything else. A true taste of untouched tea.. crazy fun. I am having a good time figuring this out.

PS: Yes, this is one of Verdant’s few teas where steep time, etc is actually important (the other being Dan Cong and maybe Farmer’s Coop). Basically everything else is very forget/work-proof.. I take the tea, I put it in a cup, I add water, and I can just drink all day.
You could probably do this with any other white tea- Bai Mu Dan and Bai Hao Yin Zhen shoudl never get bitter, no matter how hard you try. But this is a very different white tea. Western style, I’d say two minutes or less. In fact, whether you’re doing it in a small glass pitcher (like I do so I can see that dancing leaves) or in a bigger pot, I’d recommend going by the smell of the tea the first few times. Just like green vegetables are done when they look done and most delicious, so too will this tea be done when it smells just right.
In a glass pitcher, I added the tea leaves (enough to cover the bottom, plus a tiny bit more), and then poured my boiling water onto the side of the glass until the water covered the leaves. Poured until the glass was 2/3rds-ish full. Let it steep for 15 or 20 seconds the first time.. basically, I swished the leaves around once, smelled them, swished again, smelled- and then poured off.
So if this tea seems bitter or overly sharp, I’d say back off on the steep time. These leaves have had the utter minimum in processing, so they are very unprotected from the hot water we pour on them to wake them up. Be gentle, and they should reward you with the fun flavors described above.

Experience buying from Verdant Tea http://steepster.com/places/2886-verdant-tea-online-minneapolis-minnesota

Age of leaf: Stated as harvested in early summer; I received the tea in mid to late fall and brewed it up right away.

Appearance and aroma of dry leaf: Tiny tightly curled, wiry dark-green leaves and buds. Aroma is earthy, and my mouth started watering when I really started taking in the smell of the leaves; it was as if the aroma triggered some autonomic reaction in my body to remind me of the importance of eating healthy green vegetables! That was a very interesting experience! (I suspect this may happen with other quality green teas) It seems that there is a nutty note hiding somewhere in there, too.

Brewing guidelines I have taken information from more than two separate steeping sessions into consideration for this review (I list the parameters for only two). On the first steeping session I used my standard green tea parameters, including using one rounded tsp tea per cup of water; on the second session (below, in parenthesis) I used hotter water, steeped it longer, and I used a little more than one rounded tsp of tea per cup of water. Glass Bodum pot used with with leaves floating freely. Stevia added.
……….1st: 172, 1’ (182, 1.5’)
……….2nd: 177, 1.5 (179, 2’)
……….3rd: 182, 2’ (187, 3’)
……….4th: 185, 2.5 (190’, 4’)

Color and aroma of tea liquor: < Later on the color >; Slightly sweet and vegetal aroma, pleasant.

Flavor of tea liquor It’s funny that I can’t find any details in my notes for this, the most important detail! However, what matters most is that my wife and I both like it. And I ­*can* remember that it tastes fresh, vegetal, slightly sweet, and I think there is a hint of chocolate running around in there (but I may be thinking of the Laoshan Dragonwell).

Appearance and aroma of wet leaf: Smells of fresh cooked spinach. <I still need to do my standard wet leaf analysis, but from what I remember when I composted it, I think the tea will be comprised mostly of whole leaves and buds>

Value: Good. This is David’s least expensive unflavored green and at his ‘bulk’ prices (or on sale) this tea is affordable for me.

Overall: The appearance of the dry leaves (and later, the wet leaves) impressed me right away, as I have never seen anything like it before. I like the aroma of both the leaves and the tea liquor. Yet, while I liked so many things about this tea, I was not impressed with the flavor in the first steeping session; not that it was bad, it was simply weak. So I emailed the owner, looked at the reviews on Steepster, and used the information from David’s reply and the reviews to make adjustments to my steeping parameters: go with higher temperatures for longer periods of time, and slightly increase the tea to water ratio; Lo, and behold! I got much stronger flavor! It does have a bit of astringency if brewed too long, but it doesn’t really distract from the enjoyment of the tea. I enjoy watching the leaves as they steep while hanging on the top and bottom of my glass Bodum pot; none of the lower grade green teas hold themselves in such high esteem! I really wanted to like this tea; and it turns out my perseverance—giving it a number of chances—paid off! I do really like this tea. Thank you David, and a big thank you to the He family in Shandong Province, China.

I am enjoying every steeping I can squeeze out of these leaves. The dry rolled leaves are bright and unfurl beautifully, with a strong floral fragrance and hint of grassiness. I don’t feel the grassy flavor come across in the liquor. Instead, it’s a beautiful pale gold delight that doesn’t easily go astringent on me. Deep butter and cream flavors might make this my very favorite tieguanyin that I have yet to try. It’s even excellent cold should your toddlers distract you from your cup until it’s room temperature. I love the texture as you drink it, and the fantastic sweet “oil” that coats your tongue for a moment after. It’s perfect.

Awesome, awesome, awesome. I was always very into Earl Greys. Actually, until my tea obsession blew up big-time about a year and a half ago, it was my go-to. These days, though, I rarely drink any form of Earl as so many seem to be made with sub-par bases and sub-par bergamot flavouring. I love bergamot but prefer it to be pretty subtle (read: not strong enough to cover up a boring base). Yunnan golden buds have become my go-to black in the interim, actually. It’s become apparent that it’s my ideal morning tea, with their velvety smoothness and re-steepability.

So, this is brilliant. What a combination! I had to order it up during the Black Friday sale (can I also compliment Verdant’s not only free but actually fast shipping to Canada?). I was saving it to give it proper attention, and that’s what it got today. It’s lovely! I am drinking a cup of Verdant’s excellent Yunnan golden buds, which I already drink and love. But on the second half of the sip, a lovely citrusy flavour blossoms. The bergamot is just right, and I can just feel the lemongrass on my tongue. It’s there, supporting the tea, but not bossing it around. So far I think the Alchemy teas do exactly what they set out to do; the added flavours complement the teas beautifully without overwhelming them in the slightest.

I’m on my second steep of this (first at four minutes, second at five in the Breville) and the Yunnan has been tamed slightly while not dissipating at all. It’s still rich and creamy, but the sweetness has come out more.

Thank you kindly Verdant for sending me a sample of this in my last order!

Everyone else has been raving about their Jasmine white tea but I was rather glad I got this one instead. Upon smelling the leaves I decided to brew them up in the xi ying and let it steep for about 1.5 minutes, very bitter. I thought perhaps the clay was throwing off the taste a bit so I transferred the leaves to the gaiwan and let it steep for about 20 seconds, still very bitter. Then I finally decided to heed the gong fu directions on the bag and let it steep for 8 seconds which basically meant I poured water over it and poured it back out into a cup. They recommend 205 F for whites but when I did that it got brackish really fast. I had to brew this like a green. Now I am getting the clean vegetal aromas were described. This is very interesting and reminds me more of a green tea than any other white I have had. I think I need to start all over again on a new day with a little less leaf and very short steepings. I was very surprised at how easy it was to mess this up but I really don’t have a very good track record with white teas. I will be glad to increase my rating if I can figure out how to make this more palatable.

I like this tea. I have drank it 3 times now and it is a nice tea to go to if you just want to relax. I purchased this during the black friday sale. I’m glad that I did. Sugar snap peas with a buttery finish.

I just got this as a smaple in the mail yesterday, and I was excited to try it out. I prepared the first cup with near-boiling water, and let the tea steep for 15 seconds. The resutl is a very nice Tie guan yin, with a very smooth floral taste, and a very interesting aftertaste. I’m not an expert on spices, so I can’t say if the after taste really is saffron like David wrote on the website. REgardless of what it really taste like, it is a very delightful flavor which lingers for several minutes on the roof of my mouth. There is also a hint of sweet grass in the tea, but it’s mostly getting overwhelmed right now. It will probably develope more later on.

The second cup was steeped for 10 seconds. The flavor was much smoother, and it was also much gentler, with the falvor taking a few seconds to build before reaching it’s full strength. The aftertaste is mostly unaffected, which is rather nice, and the tea is now a pleasant balance between floral and fruity, with hints of grass to round out the flavor. It is certainly developing well, and I have high hopes for it’s continued development.

Third cup, 15 seconds. This is a greally balanced cup of tea, where the grass is beginning to dominate the falvor, and the floral notes have become the new undertones. Like many Oolongs, this third cup balances the various flavors very well. Also, the aftertatse is definitely a spice, but again, I’m not an expert, so I can only assoume that it’s safforn.

Fourth cup, 20 seconds. As I expected, this is where the tea starts to weaken and fade away. The flavor of grass still dominates, yet the floral taste is very weak now, and the fruit I could taste earlier has also faded a lot. Regardless, the aftertaste continues to be a major factor, starting out very mild, growing for a good 30-45 seconds, and then lingering for two minutes. While I’m sad that the real fun parts of this tea are gone, it’s still very nice. The fact that the aftertatse lasts so long is really a testament to the quality of this tea.

Also, as a quick aside, I found the second-craziest tea-related thing (after the tea fertilized by panda poo): http://www.yunnansourcing.com/store/product.php?id_product=527

5kg…That’s enough tea for years of drinking…

It’s been a while since I had this, and I felt like having a green Oolong today, so my choices were fairly limited. Anyway, this tea is great because it’s really buttery, and because the aftertaste lingers for minutes. Some of my tea linger for a minute, maybe two on a really great day, but this Tie Guan Yin lingers for up to five minutes! Since this is the first cup, it’s not that complex yet, mostly grassy and buttery with hints of fruit, but I recall that this tea develops well.

After weeks of drinking darker tea, I decided to return to this Oolong for the first time in several months. Besides, I need to make room for the new Spring picking.

The first infusion was very sweet, with a faint hint of pepper (or some other type of spice, as I still have trouble identifying exact flavors) present. There was also a delightful aftertaste that was a bit buttery that lingered on the hard palate for a very long time. It actually lingered so long that I couldn’t help but take another sip before it had faded completely. I’m really excited, and can’t wait to see how the tea develops.

The second infusion was exquisite! The creamy buttery flavor has really developed well, and there is a very interesting spicy taste (probably the saffron mentioned in the description, but I’ve never had saffron, so I can’t be certain). The aftertaste has become a bit smoother, but it’s still quite hard to describe. Regardless, I will certainly be taking my time sipping this tea. It would be a shame to drink it quickly and fail to enjoy the delightful flavors.

The third infusion was still buttery, and the spiciness has come along nicely, but the tea has developed a very pleasing characteristic: It’s like is is more thirst-quenching than it was before. The website describes this as the juiciness of biting into a fresh peach, but that just doesn’t seem right to me (and not just because I loathe peaches. Blech.). Anyway, the aftertaste has actually developed a bit, and it actually takes a few seconds before you can taste it on the hard palate. I’m actually glad that I’m re-tasting tis tea, as I really appreciate the way it develops now.

This tea just continues to develop so nicely! The main change this time is that there is a hint of grass in the flavor of the tea. It is by no means the dominant flavor, but it is certainly something that I didn’t notice last time I made this tea. The other amazing this is that the aftertaste still lingers for over two minutes, something that I’ve never come across before.

The final infusion was generally marked by a weakening of the flavors present. Other than that, it was pretty much the same as the previous infusion. Overall, I’m glad that I re-tasted this tea, as it is certainly better than I remember. Now the question is if this is because I’ve gotten better at tasting, or if it is actually better now…

Regardless, I’m going to miss this tea when I finish it off, and I will definitely be ordering the spring picking as soon as it’s gone.

This is my second lightly-oxidized Tie Guan Yin, and it was very different from my Spring picking. The aroma is very subtle, with hints of grass and orchid. The taste of the first steeping was very interesting, with a touch of grassiness and something a bit spicy.

As the infusions continue the grassines that was present in the first infusion quickly dissipates, and a certain spiciness (as in peppercorn or perhaps cardamon) starts to assert itself a bit. The flavors gradually fade, and around the forth infusions they harmonize perfectly to create a unique and interesting cup of tea. I got seven infusions out of the tea, which was a bit unexpected from a light Oolong, but was still a wonderful surprise.

In the end, this is a very unique tea and it upholds the high standards of Verdant tea. I’m really considering getting more of this tea, as all I have is a sample pack.

Backlogging from yesterday. The tea was sweeter than I remember, but it still tastes less refined than other aged shengs. Of course, that’s the charm of this tea: It has unique and complex flavors that really make this tea memorable. I only got four infusions out of it because of time constraints, but they were all excellent, with the favor mellowing, yet getting progressively more complex. I’m really gonna miss i=this tea when I finish the sample…

I am by no means an expert when it comes to Puerh, but even I can tell that this tea is something special. The first infusion was truly amazing, with a smoky yet slightly sweet aroma that was astounding. The taste of the tea was also exquisite due to spicy flavors and smoky undertones.

EDIT:

Sorry it took so long. Anyway, as the infusions continued, the smoky flavors diminished, and the other flavors becam smoother and more harmonious. By the third infusion, I was very impressed with the tea, and was getting ready to order more. What was better was I got seven infusions out of the tea, and that infusions had enough flavor for me to guess that I could have gone for at least three more. Truly an excellent tea.

This is definitely the finest tea I’ve ever had to date. So I’m treating each leaf as if it was worth it’s weight in gold. It isn’t really that expensive though, cheaper than Red Bull for sure when one sees how much tea just a few grams of leaves will produce. This tea came as a free sample to me for buying a completely different tea and I’m grateful for it. I steeped it 8 times and every steep was fantastic except the last one which I may have over-steeped. The very light color and soft taste of the tea that gets produced may have you wondering if it is actually black tea, tea like this might really need a class of its own.

In order to steep a tea 8 times I actually need to right down my plan on paper or I’ll be hopelessly confused half way through. I firmly believe that every steep after steep 1 needs to be done as soon as possible in order to avoid a moldy taste in the last steeps.

A lot of people are going to review this tea on how it tastes so I think I’ll be a bit different and focus on how it made me feel. It made me feel quite weird actually. Tea is a drug after all, and for some reason the first time I made this tea my face started to feel funny and immediately afterwards I got the feeling of being stoned. My mom had some too and she just could not sleep afterwards. The second time I had the tea, I just got a very mild head-rush and the sense of relaxation and peace. This might be a great tea for meditation since it makes me alert and relaxed at the same time. Ok, maybe I am a little stoned this time, such an interesting tea this is. I’ll probably write more on it later.

This is a lovely, lovely tea that does exactly what the description promises. The additions complement and enhance the already fabulous base perfectly. I’m drinking this from my tea glass at work. I used cooler water than I would normally since the leaves wer left in. I’m shocked to have got to the bottom after a good 30-45 minutes with zero bitterness! Very rich, sweetly floral, and delicate but not timid!

This arrived in the mail yesterday. I had had an unimpressive day of tea up until that point—I steeped some peach white too long, making the taste of peach gummi rings stick in my mouth; I then tried a 2010 shu pu’erh that I haven’t figured out exactly what works best for it yet. It wasn’t bad, just unremarkable, which I’m sure is because I’m still figuring it out. So I had some of my new Yunnan White Jasmine.

It smelled heavenly right away—sweet, floral, not overly so. The first steeping was fresh and pleasantly jasminey. I may not have been in a mood for jasmine white tea yesterday—I’m not sure, but I think I was looking for something roastier and darker. I enjoyed that steeping, though, and I decided to come back to the same leaves the next day with a fresh mind.

“Fresh mind” is putting it generously. I just finished a dialogue final paper for one of my classes, and I got to bed late (for me) last night and finished it this morning before handing it in. I’m kind of dragging this morning, a little spaced out, and generally tired-feeling, so a nice hot cup of tea (without caffeine!) is very welcome at this point.

So it’s the first steeping of the day, but it’s the second steep. Sweet goodness, the second steep. I feel like I’m strolling—maybe hovering a little bit—through a garden in early June, a garden full of cascading white blooms, with my mouth hanging open. This is sweet, smooth, creamy bliss. I’m sitting here half-awake with my hands wrapped around my mug and my chin stuck down into it, absorbing as much of this delicious warmth as I can.

If you’re just not in a jasmine mood the day you try this…do what I did and save the leaves for the next day. It’s more than worth it.

What is this that’s suddenly on my tongue? I’m not making it up—it’s sweet and slightly caramely. This might be the powdered sugar sensation that Geoffrey mentioned, although I’m sure no two people will get the exact same experience out of this…(for the paper I just finished I’ve been talking about Kant, so this connects in a surprisingly analogous way.) This tea is full of surprises.

If that was just the second steep…gosh, what will the next ones be like?

Very happy to have received this in the Steepster Select box … nice to have it back in my stash. The black teas – well all the teas, really – that Verdant Tea selects for their inventory are just stellar. This one is no exception.

Rich and flavorful. Bold. Chocolate-y. It tastes a little like chocolate malt-o-meal which is something I loved as a kid, and I can never seem to find at the grocery store any more. But I think this might be even better … well, it is better, because it’s tea! It has such a lovely note of caramel, a deep roasted flavor, as if the caramel was cooked in a copper pot until it was right at that golden brown color … and then held on the heat for just a few moments longer to deepen the flavor just a bit more.

So VERY good. It is teas like this that will make me miss the Steepster Select box. Some of the teas were kind of like “meh…” especially when I’ve tried them before. But I’ve tried this one before, and I was thrilled that it was in the box … because it is really so very good.

I love this tea.

Backlog: I enjoyed the last that I had on hand of this tea a little earlier this afternoon. Here is my full-length review of this tea: http://sororiteasisters.com/2011/12/27/laoshan-northern-black-from-verdant-tea-2/

This is incredibly good. I have the Laoshan Northern, which is now sold out, but, the Autumn harvest is what is now avaiable through Verdant. I wonder how different in flavor the two harvests are. Anyway…

This is very good… at first, I am reminded very much of a Fujian black tea with the rich, full body of this tea and the chocolate-y undertones. But as I continue to sip, I notice some differences. This tea has more of a honey-like sweetness versus the caramel-y undertones I might experience with a Fujian black, and this one has more of a malty front note. Both are spectacular teas … a good tea cupboard would include teas from both regions!

Very yum, this Laoshan black!

I cold brewed this. I believe the flavors I mentioned [and everyone else] about this tea are more subtle but definitely there. It is so easy to make a nice jar of good green or a greener oolong and not worry about water temperature. Just keep an eye on it. Shake it from time to time. Smell the aroma. Usually a rule of thumb is a 24 hour steep. Pour it, strain it and enjoy it….

The dry leaf is beautiful and fresh. After maybe 2 minutes in the Gaiwan I have an irresistable aroma of a very fine green tea. I am definitely getting a slight banana aroma. This is as good as it’s spring ancestor although I feel it is a bit lighter. I am getting the bananas foster after I have swallowed the tea and not while it’s lingering in my mouth. Tea can do some pretty cool things at times. This is my second tasting. Last night I wasn’t bashful with the amount of leaf and it was very flavorful. Not that it’s not as flavorful now. It’s just showing me another complexity altogether. I’m steeping cup #2 much longer. I am far from a traditionalist in terms of preparation. I like to tweak until I find what I feel is the best. I do try to follow the guidelines that have been followed for thousands of years but sometimes one must stray to find their own tea voice. Cup #2 has a honey sweetness. I’m getting a slight chill when I drink it. I consider this a plus. My mouth is watering. This truly a very fine tea. Cup #3 is soft and subtle. Whenever a tea gives me the chills and has a fine flavor and aroma I have to recommend it highly. But for some reason my phone never allows me to rate it numerically. 96….

It’s a sipdown… after lunch treat.
I am definitely noticing the mustiness and mesquite aroma of this one today. I can’t remember how I steeped this last time but it seems stronger than I remember (today I did a few short infusions in the gaiwan). This really smells great and is taking the chill right out of my afternoon (it’s windy here). Farewell – 2005 Twin Elephants Shu…. see my previous notes for more details.

I’m still trying to find my way in and around the world of pu-erh. I just had a 21 year old wild tree pu-erh so perhaps it isn’t a good time to try something else. There is some interesting stuff happening here with this one. To me, this smells fishy but nobody else seemed to have remarked on it. For a shu it is coming up a bit on the light side in terms of color. I am trying to keep these infusions to under a minute. 3 so far. More on the fruity/berry side than others I’ve had as of late. I am not getting heavy brown sugar at all, more citrusy from the get go. It really has a nice personality which is kind of a bonus. Not thinking I will need to keep this around for the permanent collection but it would probably excel as a digestif. I will hang on to the rest of my sample and revisit it over time.