Verdant Tea

This is one of the oddest tasting teas I have ever tried. Massive Corn flavor, then grassy with a brief finish of bitter at end.

Rinsed the nest in cold water in strainer before adding the boiling water.

One thing i have learned so far about oolongs is that they get much better after a few steeps. Steep 1 is light and luscious with a sweet aroma. I was warned to keep an eye on the steep time. I have been letting it steep for 5 minutes. There were no instructions other than watching the timing. The 2nd is opening up and providing more flavor and a slight sparkle. I am getting the applewood flavor. My body temperature is rising too. That keen sense of awareness that one gets from a fine tea also. I truly feel I should of used more leaf but I am enjoying this tea. I bought this without even getting a sample because quite honestly I have been very pleased with everything I have purchased from Verdant. Cup 3 is shining like a new dime. More of the electric mouthfeel similar to the Big Red Robe that I love so much. It’s a beautiful day And I have to get outdoors. More on this interesting nectar later….

Oh, the things this tea does to your mouth!! It’s scandalous.

I’ll admit, I really loved Verdant’s spring harvest from 2011, and I was nervous that nothing would be able to compare. Luckily, my fears were totally and completely unnecessary. I am very excited for folks to try this TGY (especially if they tried the Spring), because 1) it’s awesome and everyone needs to try it and 2) it can teach so much about TGY’s in general.

When judging a TGY, there are three general things I look at: flavor, texture (mouth feel), and aftertaste. Flavor is pretty clear- you look for something with levels of complexity beyond a general sweet and floral taste. You can actually find several green oolongs outside of China that have very interesting, lovely, complex flavors- but they stop at just that.
This TGY is full of delicious flavor. Both of Verdant’s TGY’s are excellent and extreme examples of classic Spring flavor and classic autumn flavor. They typify the flavor profiles. Basically, a Spring Iron Goddess of Mercy tastes more like spring.. very floral, creamy, with a sweetness like white or rock sugar. Autumn Iron Goddess of Mercy is more robust.. usually very buttery, with hints of nuttiness and.. well- I can really only describe it as an “autumnal” flavor. This TGY has the autumn profile in spades (more on that in a bit).

The elements that really put a green oolong (or really any kind of tea) into a higher class are texture/mouth feel and aftertaste. Textures can include creaminess or astringency/dryness.. sometimes, you can get a ringing or vibrating texture (like Verdant’s Big Red Robe). Other times, the texture is more like the feeling of linen in sunshine or paper (all Yunnan teas tend have this for me). This TGY does something really really awesome. My whole mouth starts tingling and pulsing… each sip I take seems to prime and prepare my mouth for the next- the texture feels like my old tongue is being stripped away to reveal a fresh, new tongue that positively aches for more and more of the brew. It’s fantastic; you just have to experience it for yourself. For this reason, this is definitely a tea to try in a dedicated way, without other strong (food) flavors muddying or taking over.

And then.. there’s aftertaste. This is the real final test for TGY’s with me. Sometimes, the things that separate good green oolongs from GREAT ones seem like small things on the surface, but once you’ve tasted and recognized those things, you’ll never be able to drink oolongs and judge their quality in the same way again. The main culprit here (besides bitterness of course) that bogs down other teas is.. lemon. If there’s lemon in the aftertaste of the tea, it’s a sign of lower quality. (Now, this is not to say the oolong can’t be a thoroughly enjoyable brew.. it will just never reach the extreme heights that green oolongs can be for me; also, if you don’t brew TGY gong-fu style over many small steepings, this lemon taste will probably not make an appearance). It’s no fatal, unforgivable flaw- it’s just a weakness I’ve noticed over the years. Here’s another place to watch for lemon-y-ness: try letting the leaves rest for an hour or so, and then come back to them. If it’s a lower quality TGY, you will notice a strong lemon flavor.
This TGY has note a trace of lemon. Instead, it’s got other really exciting things: Kaffir lime, for one (like it’s Spring cousin before it).. also the creamy sweetness of perfectly roasted marshmallows! If you steep this tea out even half-way, you will notice the aftertaste lingering literally all day in your mouth. It was so strong and delicious the other day, it was almost unbearable- I didn’t want to go another moment without more amazing tea! I ended up brewing the Jing shan green from Verdant.. mmm mmm MMm, that’s a winning combo.

All of this rambling, and I haven’t even gotten to the main flavors of this tea! How I go on sometimes..

Upon first brewing the leaves, I put my nose up to the gaiwan to inhale the steam.. My technical notes for the aroma were “[I want to] stay in thissmell forever..” I am so looking forward to brewing this tea up when the snow is really coming down here in Minnesota. Then I won’t need to go outside and drive over to the St. Paul Como Conservatory and sit in the orchid and tropical flower rooms.. I can just have the experience right at home in my gaiwan.
The smell of the first brewed liquid reminded me of extremely sweet candy and grapes or grape skins. The flavors.. so good, so autumny. Initial steepings yielded leafy spinach and greens married beautifully to something peppery and spicy and buttery. Something also reminded me of the Song Yang White we’d tried earlier in the evening. The next steepings were very fruity (pit fruits) with saffron, with just a bit of Yabao sparkle. Even still, that great “green” taste was still right in the heart of the flavor. My scribbles go on and on. There was a texture that made me imagine water and stones from inside a clean, magical wishing well. There was a flavor that felt bronzed, just like the great red color that burnishes the bruised edges of green TGY. As others have already noted, there was peach- lots of peach! Particularly the flavor of peach skin and the flavor you get from the aftertaste of eating a juicy ripe peach. Orange flavors and grapes, and of course flowers!

Enough of my ramblings. I clearly really enjoyed this tea. No messing around with “99” scores and whatnot, what’s the point?

Go out and try this tea. If you give it just a little bit of time and attention, you’ll have an amazing time. This is especially true if you can round up some friends to try this with you- conversation helps immensely (as does seeing everyone’s goofy, conspiratorial grins).
Corollary conclusion: Autumn and Spring TGY’s a very different creatures, each with their own special aspects to be enjoyed. I hope that folks can get as excited about the new harvests of this tea as they do about Spring Japanese green xin cha. There’s so much to be excited for with each season. Plus, I’m tired of teahouses across America just offering one TGY that stays the same throughout the year. It’s like they’re saying TGY has only one flavor! It just doesn’t make any sense to squeeze all that TGY can be down into one, simplified experience (usually a more boring spring).
What do you all think about that?

I have taken (a while) to trying another cup of this tea. I do this at times to rid my mind of the experience; pleasant or not.

I continue to not like this tea and it is disappointing to me since I have liked pu-erh to date.
Then it occurred to me; this tea is not just of nacho flavors, but those liking Onion soup would enjoy this tea or any broth like soup with radish, onion and lots of leaks. The organic farming that was implemented to liven this pu-erh does afford it to be consume like that of broth or soups with lots of leaky vegetables or simply as Onion soup.

Unfortunately, I do not like Onion soup; I do like Corn Chowder and I only know of one or two places that makes exceptional chowders. It has been a while since having had some.

See what happens when tea is mixed with something other than leaves…one begins to discuss eating and cooking. At least for this review which could be aptly name the many uses of the Diyi cornfields Shu… Onion Soup or Corn Chowder; or just a cup of tea, kind of on the runny side.

I am sorry to say that I have not enjoyed this Touchas (small Pu-erh) tea rolls. Because when growing Diyi Cornfields, farmers plant rows of corn between the tea to protect it, as this imparts flavors of corn and butter that new to pu-erh tea drinkers are supposed to enjoy.

I find I prefer no butter with my pu-erh. Nor the smelling of corn; tasting nachos, or tortilla chips both of which I do not like.

I am sorry, this could be an enjoyable tea if one could hold their nostrils or clip it so as not to smell the butter or corn smelling to be found in the cup. I do like corn chowder but this is not it. I tend to dislike all things smelling like butter; a touch is nice but not runny or swimming in it.

I am at a loss for the spearmint to be found in the cup as well (but not) which would make it even worse. I mean I could not discern any spearmint, just corn and butter…yellow imagery but not in color since it is a dark amber.

I don’t have time for a full review, but this tea was just as good as I remember it. See my previous notes.

This is truly one of the more interesting tea I’ve ever had, not because of how great it tastes (Don’t get me wrong, it’s a really delicious tea) but for how many great tastes it has. wonderful tea that note quite a white tea, but not a Sheng either, it is a tea that breaks down stereotypes with its complexity.

The first infusion is very complex, with spice flavors competing with flowers an cedar for dominance. The flowers are particularly strong in the aftertaste, which reminds me of White Peony. The second infusion was noted by and increase in the “spiciness” and a sharp decrease in the magnitude of the flowery tastes. By the third cup, the spiciness is very pronounced, and is the very first thing that I taste, with the flowery notes being very hard to find.

Later infusions tend towards spicyness, and finally start to fade arround the 6th cup.

To be revised tomorrow, when I’m not sleepy.

This tea was a bit strange, but in a good way. I opened the bag, but there wasn’t much of an aroma. After brewing the tea, I still had a hard time with the aroma, but there seemed to be something a bit spicy (spicy as in smelled like a spice, not oh-my-god-my-tongue-is-on-fire spicy). Imagine my surprise when I tasted the tea, and it there was a delightful dash of cinnamon taste! It was like drinking masala chai, but not a strong, and with more refined/subtle flavors than any chai I’ve ever had. Unfortunately, I only had time for four infusions of the tea, and it was still perfectly drinkable, but the flavors had started to fade quite noticeably. I actually think that I want to get this tea in a larger quantity in the near future.

Another really old tea I found burried in my stash, this was actually something like my fourth tea purchase ever way back in the day when Verdant ran off Wordpress. Good time…

Anyway, the first cup was prepared in my gaiwan with 205 degree water for 20 seconds. The result is surprisingly bright, almost juicy yet at the same time buttery. The taste is dominated by some indistinct fruit (reminds me a bit of grapes, probably because of how juicy the flavor is), but with cedar occasionally showing through. This tea is also incredibly thirst-quenching, and is well suited for the wonderful weather we’re having in Virginia today, and I intend to savor every minute of it.

The last of my Sheng sample pack from Verdant tea to be re-tasted, the first infusion of this tea was a delightful balance between sweet and spicy. I was particularly pleased by how the spiciness lingered for half a minute on my tongue, something that I had only ever experienced in the Winter Yabao that came in the sample pack. Regardless, this tea was much better than I remembered, so I’m bumping up my rating a bit. I’m also really excited to see how the next few steepings develop, as the description makes it sound like it’s going to be very interesting.

The second infusion was marked by the decrease in the strwength of the spiciness that was so prominent in the first infusion. It’s still the main flavor, but it’s gotten a bit softer. This is pretty much what I expected, as the interesting flavor development usually starts in the third infusion. Still, this was a very nice cup of tea.

The third infusion saw a drastic reduction in the spiciness of the tea, but everything else is a sort of muddled sweetness. The spiciness is evident in the aftertaste as everything else fades out. It seems that it hasn’t fully developed yet, as I’m certainly not tasting granny smith apples yet.

This is the last infusion, as I’m getting a bit tired of this tea. The spiciness is now a weak aftertaste, and the tea has begun to taste a bit like my Shi Ru (which means its is very sweet and tastes a bit like honey). I wonder if this tea would have been better if I had a gaiwan to brew it in, but that type of speculation isn’t going to get me anywhere. It’s a good tea, but when the spiciness faded the tea became less interesting.

So, I opened up the bag of this tea, and was overwhelmed by the earthy smell of this tea, but in a good way. The smell was very distinctly earthy, something that I associated with my young sheng, but it was not as harsh. After the first infusion, the aroma lost the “earthy” quality, and started to smell a bit like cedar. The taste of the tea was rather interesting as well, as it had all the flavors that I associate with Sheng, but they were smoother and just better than I am used to.

I can’t wait until this tea makes it’s way back through the rotation so I can have it again.

The sweetness comes on at the end of the sip and just stays there, which I like. Quite an interesting tea, but I just can’t dig the orchid.

This was included with my last order as a sample. I know I have tried it a few times before but after watching Davids video I am confident that I will finally brew the mysterious Sheng correctly. In previous tastings of fine Sheng I may have used too much leaf and my steep times were way tooo long and these potent teas will make you pay. I basket brewed this one cup style. I did a quick steep to wash and off to tea nirvana. The first cup was mellow and fruity and numbed my mouth nicely. There was a tingling that remained between sips. My brow began to perspire. My body was becoming calm yet I had the energy to do anything. My second steep was this luscious nectar that was becoming stronger and more alive. An incredibly intense tea even with a 3 second steep!
I am now looking at perhaps 18 more steepings. In my previous experience with Sheng they seem to last forever. As of now it’s a beautiful day and it’s time to play. More fun with Sheng later….

First of all I would like to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. This I promise will be my only tasting note today. I learned yesterday with the Star Of Bulang to respect these sheng. Do not overload with leaf and do not oversteep. Today I am using the Yixing again and after an approximately 2 minute steep I directly transfer the liquor into a large cup. Sort of western style with the Yixing. The first cup is mellow and satisfying. My body temperature feels like it is rising. The second steep is really shining. I am getting that slight sparkle and a bit of a numbness in the mouth. I cannot really find one flavor profile with this sheng. All I can say is that I am enjoying it. It’s truly a feel good brew. The third cup is opening up even more. When I was pouring I thought I smelled those oranges with the cloves poked in them that my friends mom had on the kitchen table. The flavor is getting stronger. I cannot go through the whole ritual today. Time to give Thanks….

I’ve had this tea for practically a month and have been a bit intimidated by it. I also didn’t really quite know that “corn” was a flavor I wanted in tea. It sounded a bit gimicky, perhaps.

I was mistaken. This tea is both accessible to a beginner’s palate and not at all overpowered by corn flavor. I brewed it in ye olde basic gaiwan after just a quick de-dusting rinse. The liquor is dark. Purple almost. I was nearly worried I brewed it improperly, but since it tastes delightful, I have to say that I can’t have gone too wrong. This first brew, I’ll admit, gives off an aroma of corn quite heavily. But the flavor is milder – rounded and sweeter, with that wonderful, airy, tingling finish described above as mint. The second steeping is even better, with more “tea” notes, balanced out corn husk, and smooth smooth mint.

I am so glad I dove in and tried this. What a nice tea – not outright flavored, but still a bit novel. It’s easy not to overthink it and just enjoy, which is not as easy with other pu erh teas with their lofty names and histories. Everyone should try this, though I might save the rest until summer… the mint tingle has a refreshing quality about it!

I cannot recall the last time I had Sheng. For whatever reason I said to myself that today it was a must have. I brewed this up in the Yixing and I let it steep for maybe 3 minutes. When I poured it out an aroma of burnt orange and cloves filled the room with this heavenly scent. My first sip the liquid seemed to laugh at me as it went down, tickling me with this energy that only a fine Sheng has. The flavor is much better than my last tasting. My second cup I let steep for an eternity. When I poured it out the liquid was laughing at me from the cup, daring me to drink it. I am so tea drunk off of cup 1 that I think I will save it for later. The first cup made me wise….

I brewed this in the Gaiwan while yesterdays 2004 Yongming still occupys my Yixing. The first steep was relatively uneventful. I know most people rinse. I do not. The second steep is where I am finding where this tea shines. I allowed it to steep a bit longer than usual and the results are perfect. The flavor is complex and very inviting. The vital energy I am getting from this tea is amazing. A warm feeling is creeping up on me. As I continue in my journey the cedar-evergreen notes are fading to a fruitier complexity which is still intoxicating. A superb tea.

It is getting to the point where I must have Sheng everyday now. They seem to provide some vital unseen energy. Brewed in the Yixing for maybe a minute or so. It is already satisfying my yearning for this mystical buzz. The flavor is presently strong and complex. My body is warming and I feel it’s time to ramble on. I can type no more….

The aroma from the first steep aroused my curiosity. I had never smelled anything like it. The first cup is bursting with flavor. I used one of those tiny cups that accompany Yixings and I left the rest in the pot. It was strong !! The flavor to me is mysterious. I cannot pinpoint any particular profile. This is a very unique sheng. A very unique tea period. I feel if I did not steep the first pot so long I would be better able to judge this fine tea. As I continue with the process, it appears to be getting better.

First of all, I’m back! The hell that was the end of a busy semester is over, and now I actually have time to post about my tea instead of just drinking it quickly to keep me functioning through classes. Anyway, I got this tea in my very first purchase from Verdant Tea about 18 months ago, and the only other thing left from that sample is some Farmers Co-op ‘03 sheng. This was actually one of my favorite tea, which I saved since it was that good. Of course, I haven’t tried it in at least 6 months, so who knows how my preferences have developed.

I put the leaves in my Finum brew basket, and used near-boiling water to steep the leaves for 30 seconds. The aroma is a bit less bright, for lack of a better term, but still remarkably floral. The flavor is really remarkable, initially tasting like a normal floral Taiwanese Oolong, but then the sweetness starts to grow, and reaches an amazing level before slowly fading away over the next minute. The mouthfeel of the tea is extremely smooth, yet at the same time it is also a bit creamy. It actually makes me really sad that I only have enough of this left for two sessions if I stretch it, since I don’t know when I’ll have another orchid Oolong this good again.

Wow, what a great way to start off my weekend: I was digging through my room, looking for my iPod, and I found this sample mixed in with some Classic Rock CDs. I don’t know how it got there, but I’m not going to question it…

Anyway, I’m re-tasting this tea after several months, and I have to say that the taste is much better than I remember. It is similar to my Art of Tea orchid Oolong, but creamier, which makes the whole experience so much better. The aftertaste is also a bit stronger, lingering for three minute (It lasts even longer than Tie Guan Yin! How does that happen?!?!?) on the roof of my mouth. Needless to say, I’m bumping up the rating, and I can’t wait to see how it develops.

Alright, second infusion same temperature, steeped fro three minutes. The tea has developed a pleasant sweetness, which reminds me of some sort of confection confection. I don’t know exactly which one, but I would guess it reminds me of one of the Japanese sweets I got from a friend. Anyway, the tea is so delicious, I actually regret only having a small sample left, as this is the perfect desert tea.

Third infusion, four minutes, 205 degree water. The tea lost a lot of sweetness, but it still reminds me of some sort of confection. the aftertaste still lingers for over a minute, and it still retains the creaminess that made it so appealing in the beginning. It’s still an exceptional tea, but I think it’s a bit past its prime now.

Forth infusion, five minutes. The tea has started to loose the creaminess, but luckily the sweetness did not degrade further. Overall, the strength of the taste didn’t change, which is the beauty of Oolongs: Their flavor lasts for a very long time, providing many cups of wonderful tea. I think I’ll probably get eight cups out of this, mostly because it’s a green Oolong, which tend to loose their taste a bit quickly then others.

Fifth cup, stopped keeping track of time, just going by color from now on. The creaminess lingers, but it’s mostly gone now. Interestingly enough, the tea retains its sweetness, as well as the lingering aftertaste.

Sixth cup, process the same as before. It’s starting to get a bit bland. It has lost all of the creaminess, it isn’t as sweet, and the aftertaste doesn’t linger very long. I’m gonna call it quits on this one. That being said, it lasted a long time, and it tasted great. I’ll miss this a lot when I finish off the sample.

I opened my little sample bag, and was greeted by a very light ans subtle aroma of the loose tea. After I finished infusing it, the aroma changed dramatically, with very prominent orchid notes. It was actually rather nice, as it had a stronger aroma than my Qi Lan tea, which was one of the only things missing from that tea.

The tea its self was a very light Oolong with a very smooth taste. The taste is hard for me to describe, but it seemed flowery to me. The after taste of this tea was actually excellent, with a warming sensation in that back of the throat, and a more prominent flowery taste.

Unfortunately, like most light Oolongs, I only got five infusions out of this tea before it became too bland. The Aroma and the flavor decays gradually over these infusions, and the aftertaste starts to fade away, leaving behind a rather bland taste. Regardless, it was a wonderful tea, and one that I look forward to getting more of in the future,

I have finished my sample of this amazing tea. Sad day :(
Such a rich, complex tea! So soothing, and not just for breakfast. I actually prefer it after lunch. It invigorates me.

The Laoshan Black is such a unique black that it really stands out – in both taste and aroma, with the other teas rounding out the flavor. This is an outstanding blend!

I really need to get more of this when it gets back in stock.