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CharlotteZero

Subtle Roast Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong from Verdant Tea (Special)

CharlotteZero drank Subtle Roast Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong by Verdant Tea (Special)

Ok. So, smoked teas aren’t my favorite. Also, you should never take my tea ratings as being what I think the objective quality of a tea is. My ratings are just for me, and they’re a measure of how much I like to drink a tea.

It’s smokey, of course. This was actually more smokey than I expected after having another “subtle” Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong from Aroma Tea.

In the first steep there was the aroma of hard cinnamon candy, but I couldn’t find it again after that. There was also the aroma of molasses. There are lots of woodsy/forest smells. This tea has a bitter note mid-palate which I have tasted before, but I have a hard time describing. It’s something similar to the flavor of that delicate layer of “skin” that covers a walnut.

I wish I knew what kinds of vegan food to pair with a tea like this. While I like this tea, I don’t like it enough to save it for drinking on its own.

2013-02-17 12:11:01 -0500

205 °F / 96 °C

0 min 15 sec

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2 comments

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ToiToi 2013-02-17 20:51:53 -0500

Same here, there are very few times smoked tea is my liking :D I think usually roasted tea can be very tricky..

CharlotteZero 2013-02-17 21:22:13 -0500

It seems like a difficult balance to enhance the flavor of the tea with smoking without covering up a lot of the tea’s flavor. I am biased here, but I suspect in the case of many Lapsang Souchongs much of the purpose of smoking the tea is to cover up the fact that the tea was of poor quality to begin with.

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I first became interested in tea through the world of BDSM and my love of high protocol. I was fascinated by the elaborate etiquette of Chanoyu and the humility of Gongfucha.

Tea now means so many things to me, it is so deep and it is revealing new meaning to me all the time.

Tea is a mindfulness practice, and a doorway through which to explore different philosophies, cultures, and historical times. Tea is hospitality and a way of communion. Tea is an art, a ritual, and a tradition. Tea is a complement to the foods I eat (preferably vegan desserts) and is something I enjoy collecting and curating.