After the min-disaster with Laoshan Genmaicha I decided to go for something I knew I’d like. I’m on a mission to go through my Verdant samples, which I have been hoarding for some reason. I guess I was just worried about messing them up, or waiting for the right time to enjoy them. But I realized that’s a bit silly—no reason to squirrel away tea!
Ginger is hands-down my favorite herb, so of course any Verdant blend with it becomes a must-try. This is a rich, earthy brew backed up by the sweetness of elderberry and the heat of ginger and peppercorn. It’s not really a spicy blend in the sense that it’s not hot-spicy, but more mouth-tingly spicy. The description says they were going for mouth-numbing qualities and they are definitely here! My whole mouth feels tingly after a few sips in a pleasant way.
The ginger is definitely the strongest element, followed by the smooth pu-erh. There are some whiffs of cream and pastry here, a surprising contrast to the bright, spicy ginger. I think this blend would be a favorite if not for the licorice. There’s an unpleasant sweetness that is lingering in the back of my throat, and to me it just clashes with the ginger. Licorice is okay in small quantities, but I think there were a lot of chunks of it in my sample. Still a very delightful experience! Also, after about roughly a million steeps (okay, more like 8) the nuggets still have not unfurled all the way! Tenacious little fellows.
