Autumn Hearth

First tasting note for this tea! I’m guessing others that got this tea as a free sample are waiting for a special occasion or perhaps some time alone as I was (this isn’t from my most recent Verdant order, but rather from July). However something was pulling on me today to try it and the toddler is doing a relatively good job entertaining himself right now so here it goes. First a great big thank you to David and the folks of Verdant Tea for offering this Pu-er Reserve Project!

I figured with a small sample like this I could either be generous and use all the leaf or risk having two lighter sessions with this tea, I chose to be generr… cautious. I didn’t get much scent from the bag, but when the dry leaf hit the bottom of the warmed mug I knew I was in for a treat: vanilla and smoke. Yes sweet vanilla from a sheng! I’m accustomed with this from Verdant’s shu, but a sheng? Mmm I’m excited!

I did a single rinse, probably could have used two, as in this first infusion I am getting primarily a charcoal and horse stable “taste” (not that I have ever tasted the stable, but it tastes how it smells), with some wood, a slight sweetness and is that eucalyptus? It left a cooling sensation on the tip of my tongue and when I licked my lips the felt creamy.

Second infusion is like cool mountain air and my tongue is positively tingling! The stable has shifted to a damp forest floor and I’m tasting mineral rich soil and rice. This is prickly, with a hint of spice, a bit drying but at the same time cool and dark and moist. There is a floral scent in the cup that I am having a hard time pinpointing. Breathing it in, there is a menthol quality. Ooo a cool coating is developing in my throat and just breathing long after the last sip feels amazing.

Third, the tension between dry and cool, soil and vapor, spice and eucalyptus continues. This is the most astringent of the infusions, probably due to the quickest pour off the boil, will wait a bit longer next time. I still smell horses in my cup and while this might seem strange or even unsavory to some, it brings up fond memories for me.

Fourth, this is much more palatable and a bit minty, but at the same time fiery. I have a confession to make: I am not a huge fan of sheng. I love shu, but I’m afraid my palate isn’t acclimated to the drier more astringent teas which still include most blacks and some oolongs and greens for me. However I am loving the experience of this tea, the sensations it creates. I am going to take a break from it for a bit and come back later. For those curious, I have been getting hints of the sticky rice through all these infusions though it is not nearly as straight forward as the tuochas made with Nuomixiang.

I may have to write a second tasting note for this later brewed with western parameters, but I wanted to use the same method I used yesterday with Verdant’s Shui Xian Wuyi to see how it compared and the verdict is that it just doesn’t. No vanilla, no cinnamon, no wow factor.

That is not to say that this is a bad tea, it is just a much lighter wuyi, lighter than Adagio’s Wuyi Ensemble that I got to try at the Chicago store. However it was the challenge of brewing this up gong fu (that worked out favorable for their Fujian Rain, but that was dark and heavy in the western sample) and the tiny little tin that sold me (okay so we all know it was mainly the tin, I’m a sucker).

I used lots of leaf like yesterday, but instead of getting a flavor explosion I got astringency. There are some nice notes as well that come out to play in later infusions, a hint of lemon, some veg and wood and a touch of mineral sweetness. But they are all so thin feeling and the brew is rather dry. Will attempt another day and see if I can find those ripe peaches. Saving the rating till then.

Edit: Silly me this is a Da Hong Pao aka Big Red Robe, so while it’s not fair to compare to the Shui Xiang: Water Sprite, this is also no where close to the two Big Red Robes I’ve had, nope.

Holy teaeuphoria! The aroma of this tea! It is so autumnal: dark fruit and cinnamon and wood and everything that is good on this earth! And the taste? Wow! Just… I’m speechless and down right giddy!

I get the vanilla and cinnamon and wait… the description is insinuating this tastes like a banana split sans syrup with the addition of a waffle cone and I while I actually agree, there is something much more familiar here. Something in the stoney nature of Wuyi oolongs that is more than just the sweet mineral note. I can’t describe it but I know it, yet I never have I tasted it this intense. Mind blown, lovvve!

I’m going to have to spend the day with this and report back with more detailed notes. I’m starting out with quite a bit of leaf, water at 208 and steeped for 3 secs. And yay for tea arriving at the doorstep just as I’m putting the kettle on, glad I grabbed this one!

Oh dear gods, this jasmine, I don’t know where to begin! I used to think I liked jasmine when I first started working at Teavana, I didn’t like the silly blend they sampled, but the green pearls, scented oolong and Body & Mind (white, green pearl and tieguanyin blend) were some of my favorite indulgences, that is until I started having issues that first month or two with coughing due to tickles in my throat that I think I pinpointed to the jasmine teas, but then again it could have been severe nerves. So I gave up drinking jasmine at work, though I had to taste test the blend every morning I opened as it was a very temperamental tea.

So ever since then I have been hesitant about jasmine. I got an earlier harvest of this in my first or second order from Verdant, it was in the Budset Tasting Kit. I brought it into work as one of the girls loves jasmine and silver needle and was interested in trying teas from other companies. Now this was a day I was feeling really dizzy, I believe I actually had my brother in law pick me up because no one wanted me to drive. But I had our barista brew this up for Diane and I (and yes I let him have some too) then gifted her the rest of the leaves. She loved it, I remember it was really lovely despite not ideal brewing conditions (the water at work isn’t really that good and the teamakers get cruddy, go figure!).

Since that time I have ordered and fell in love with Verdant’s Eight Treasures Yabao, which also has jasmine in it, in fact it tastes to me like the same jasmine in this, so airy and fresh and cool and like lilies and so not perfumey, soapy or astringent. Can anyone at Verdant confirm that this is the same jasmine? Either way, the Yunnan silver needle it is with is amazing, sooo silky and sweet and with just a touch of cinnamon and pine, absolutely top notch.

So I used to think I liked jasmine, but this jasmine, this jasmine I adore! I’m going to do some tests to make sure I don’t have a reaction, which means drinking lots of this and talking to the husband who is on his way home. But if I don’t then I am definitely stocking up on this, it is the jasmine I want to have in my cupboard. I’m so glad I requested a sample of this and highly recommend everyone try this, as you can see for yourself from other’s tasting notes, many who are not jasmine fans love this, including the sourcing agent for this! It is giving me one of those rare spiritual tea experiences, well part spiritual, part sensual (you know when you sip a tea and your eyes roll back? Teasgasm!) and a little bit of tea drunkeness as well (similar to the effect of Yabao for me which is also at the top of my to stock up on list). Swoon

Wow does this tea ever conjure up memories! My train of thought upon breathing in the scent of my first cup after the rinse: “Oh this is really woody, ooo and a bit of smoke, mmm campfire, no, an old cabin, a grand old cabin with a tall vaulted wooden ceiling and beams and railings and old wooden furniture and an old brick fireplace and oh my goodness Girl Scouts!”

http://friendsofcrowellhilaka.org/north_house.htm This is the mansion our troop stayed at I think twice. Yes it is brick on the outside but the floors and the ceiling and the loft, all wood, chestnut apparently. I would love to take Rowan there for a day trip. And check out this beauty toward the front of the camp we always passed: http://friendsofcrowellhilaka.org/amity_house.htm

Anywho this tea takes me there. It seems a bit stronger than some of the other Verdant shu’s I’ve tried, especially in this second infusion which has some fruit and floral aromas oddly enough. It is dark and sweet and yes a bit musty, but I really like that it’s like tasting time, hallow logs decomposing on forest floor after a rainfall and an old not very often lived in house. Oh how I love shu, off to reinfuse! Third infusion: Hello mint and basil! Fourth: more wood, savory, prickly… stewed tomatoes, yup.

This is so beautiful and delicate looking, lovely light pink petals floating in the cup. The rose and the bergamot are indeed tame as other’s have noted, which I appreciate, though I did try the proto-type and if memory serves this tastes like it has a bit more bergamot. But the star here is the chocolaty Laoshan Black base. I love exploring all the different ways to enjoy Laoshan Black and it sometimes seems less intimidating to brew up a cup of one of these Alchemy Blends than the pure tea, so I could see myself stocking up on this and enjoying it more often. I have the perfect black tin with white cranes and delicate sprigs of pink cherry blossoms on it, the ivory colored one is reserved for a future order of Eight Treasures Yabao and the purple will receive Peacock Village Shu in just a day or two (I had originally thought I wanted Elderberry Pu’er but I much prefer the pure base). Though I may just wait for he autumn harvest of Laoshan Black and just stock up on that. But for now, I need to go reinfuse this!

Ooo so glad this is already on here and very grateful for the husband for picking up a very huge bottle of this for me when he stopped at the Mustard Seed to buy some bulk cos-cous. So this is a beer in case you couldn’t tell (I recommend clicking on the product description). I love the Finnish historic aspect of this and in that way its a very East meets West… err North. Husband knows I love juniper and chai and I find it interesting that they actually used black tea and not just the spices, I’m guessing its an Assam.

This is very very nom, lots of flavor going on here though not just from the chai. I wish I had more words for describing beer but I get the rye and this is tastes malty in the way tea does, though it doesn’t feel creamy like a dark beer. It’s quite savory and rustic and all the yum, but I need to slow down and not let it get to my head. Also I don’t think I can rate this against tea.

This is not so much a review of this tea, though it is what I am drinking (see other tasting note), because I don’t feel like trying anything new or brewing gong fu style but I need to write this and it wouldn’t be right to do it under a tea for any other company. This is just to say that I will not be working at Teavana for the holidays or ever again, I’m not allowed.

I stopped by the store today while I was out, to check the schedule for next week since it wasn’t posted when I called on Saturday. There were guests in the store so I just headed to the back, looked at the schedule and just as I noticed there were no shifts for me, my manager came in behind me and told me I wasn’t on it and asked if anyone from corporate had given me a call, no…

Apparently Teavana has been monitoring Steepster.com and other social networking sites and noticed my activity on the message boards. Besides negativity there are issues with breaking confidentiality agreements and release the names of two teas. I’m fine with not working there, in fact I’m relieved. I tried to quit back in February, then again four months ago but my manager wanted to hang on to me and called me back a month ago to pick up a few shifts. I wanted to help, could use the extra cash and some time away from the toddler, so I agreed.

I felt more like a rouge agent at that point, but I did my job and was gracious to guests. It was during these three shifts that co-workers were telling me about these two new teas that Teavana let slip in some recommended pairing sheet they sent to all the stores. When I shared these two teas in a post about this year’s retiring teas, it was just as an interesting tidbit to generate discussion, I didn’t do it to sabotage the campaign, if anything it could only help create a buzz, just like my co-workers mentioning them to their guests, because their excited, even I was.

But that’s not really what its about, its about the negative things I’ve posted after I had “quit” and I completely agree with their decision, they shouldn’t have someone that feels the way I do working for them. I do hope they leave it at that and not try to pursue some sort of legal action, because really I’m not worth anything. But I also hope, really truly hope that they are not just monitoring Steepster to check up on their employees but to get a pulse on how tea lovers really feel about their company and how they can improve their customer service to stop driving away the very community they should be serving.

So the Xingyang 08 nuggets are one of my favorite shu’s and this blend uses some of the signature ingredients found in other Verdant blends I enjoy. However before opening the packet (not remembering the ingredient list) I was expecting more spice. This is cool and fresh and minty, a great digestive tea and a potentially nice intro to pu’er for a mint lover. I’m not getting much cinnamon from this, but if I listen/taste very carefully I can find it, but its very mellow. That’s probably best for this summer blend, it just plays on the natural cinnamon notes of the shu. I started with short steeps and have worked up gradually to a minute, but I feel I need to draw this out even longer reading the results of others below, so will continue exploring today.

Edit: This is amazing iced! I mean seriously freaking delicious! I can smell and taste the cinnamon and there is more natural sweetness that comes out. I made a single glass last night and a big pitcher this morning (from steeping a mug at a time hot at 3 mins, 5 mins and 8 mins). I was using the same leaf the whole time and feel I got a ton of tea out of it, being such a generous pu’er. I totally recommend ordering this, doing a quick rinse, trying a cup hot then switching over to iced. You could probably make two or three big pitchers out of 1/2 an ounce (three full nuggets, some smaller pieces and the spices for me).

Encouraged by Kittenna’s success last night I decided to re-read other’s tasting notes for successful brewing techniques and watched the brewing video on Verdant’s website. I went with an amalgamation, glass infuser mug with a mesh brew basket (mainly because the glass slits are slow to drain and I wanted to be quick), all the leaf I had left (I need to get a scale and but it looked about right, maybe a tad less than what is used in the video), water at 200 for the rinse and 195 for the first infusion and steeped for 3 secs.

The result? Success! I have mastered this tea and it is really quite lovely! Not sure why my cold brew was so unsuccessful but I’m getting no astringency in these first two infusions. Just lovely woodsy, heady incense, with nice mineral notes. Second infusion has a bit of honey and melon. It may be a bit lighter than how other’s enjoy, but it’s perfect for my palate. I shall take my time with this today as it is all I have left, but yay for getting it right! Rating moving up right between Fujian Rain and Mi Lan Black, which I find very appropriate as it actually reminds me a bit of the Fujian and other tea’s I sampled that day.

I have been revisiting a number of teas today, some were not as good as I remembered, some where better, this was definitely the latter. I’m picking up on wonderful spicy and zesty notes that remind me of juniper and rooibos (in a really good way, even though I’m not a big rooibos fan) in this second steep. The first was still lush, dark, and sweet. It’s the only sample from Fong Mong I didn’t use up in one sitting. Really enjoying it!

Edit: Hmm this was stored right next to a sample of Garnet Sable, wonder if it picked up the smokey, foresty, rooibos notes from that? Either way, delicious!

So after seeing many Steepsterites participating in a Matcha-thon intiated by TeaEqualsBliss I was inspired to imbibe. I don’t have any variety of matcha at home, just the free expired tins from work (boss lady insisted they were fine for consumption since they are sealed) but I had flavored matcha envy and folks’ tasting notes on Red Leaf Tea’s Watermelon Matcha particularly made me salivated. Since we have a large bowl of watermelon in the fridge I decided to make my own!

I placed 1 tsp of matcha in the bottom of a wide mug, slowly poured a small amount of a 170F water while whisking, then poured the chilled juice from the bottom of the bowl of watermelon (I could have pre-poured this into a measuring pitcher but it worked out fine). The result, surprisingly delicious! Watermelon and matcha are a great pairing and this was refreshing, smooth, sweet, creamy and juicy. It needed absolutely no sugar but I did pour my second small cup over a splash of milk and a daresay that was even better. My only concern was the matcha itself, it was quite a bit darker and murkier than normal (I do normally use more water and I suppose the pink could muddy the green but it seemed odd) it did turn a nice sage green with the milk though.

I do plan on ordering from Red Leaf Tea in the future and participating in their reviews promotion but it won’t be this summer so I will have to wait till next year to compare. I am excited about such combos as apple and caramel matcha for the fall and of course would love to try black and white matcha.

This one is a bit better, the first steep at 15 secs was enjoyable while the second at 30 secs is more astringent. Me thinks this could be age. I’m not getting fruit or citrus, mostly vegetal with a bit of nuttiness and slightly creamy. Can anyone with experience with high quality green tea shed some light, are the leaves usually fine and short? The few that I have had always seem choppy and get mushy real quick. I wonder if this contributed to astringency in the same way cut tear curl black teas are prone to getting bitter. I have also heard that some Japanese green tea aficionados like their greens strong and bitter. Perhaps I just prefer Chinese, though I do enjoy Gyokuro from time to time.

Hmmm I really liked this when I first tried it, I think I did a 30 sec steep at 175 in cast iron. Today I did it for 30 secs in a glass infuser mug and unfortunately it was straining really slowly so it steeps for more lie a min (which is actually the recommended parameters on the tin), very astringent which is unfortunate as the leaves actually had a nice natural fruity smell going on. Second infusion I lowered the temp to 170 and steeped for 25 pouring it through a stainless steel strain into another cup, still bitter. Okay one more time 170, took out some leaf (or rather let it stay in the other strainer) steeps for 10 sec. Still crap.

I was planning on cold brewing but after reading Amy oh’s tasting notes below, I’m guessing there is no hope. So while I was going to start off this note saying I need to find better ways to brew Japanese green teas I’m going to add what I already knew, I need to find better Japanese green teas. I have a list for Mellow Monk and Dens but right now my tea budget only allows one major purchase a month and its been with Verdant for the last 6 months and I don’t see that changing any time soon, unless someone gets me a gift card for the holidays or a tea of the month subscription ;) Also I apologize for sending some of this to Angrboda, I really did have a fond memory of this at the time :/

Ohh goodness! Verdant’s chai blends are soo amazing! Such quality ingredients, both the base tea and the spices. It is apparent as soon as you open the pouch, both the aroma and the sight, heavenly and beautiful. And the taste oh my! So sweet, smooth, clean and balanced. The words elegant and fine keep coming to mind.

I don’t know why I was so hesitant about ordering this one late last winter, probably because I was burnt out on Teavana’s chai many of which are gritty, require sugar or honey and are just have none of the traits above.

I told myself I’d order some in the fall but with the special Zhu Rong Chai, I had to compare and David graciously allowed me to order by the half ounce so I could try lots of tea on my budget. An old friend of mine just placed her first order and got quite a bit of the Chocolate Phoenix Chai so we’ll be swapping in the near future, I’m relieved because while I will be placing an order soon it will be for three of my favorite teas that are low stock.

So back to this, it tastes a bit lighter bodied and sweeter than the Zhu Rong Chai which I prefered with milk, this one is definitely better straight. I love anything made from Laoshan black and green and this newest harvest is fantastic. I brewed this short which works wonderfully for my tastes, now off to reinfuse, next time I’ll play with longer infusions.

Wow, what a wonderfully surprising tea. The smell of the dry leaf reminds me of Big Red Robe and the aroma of the wet leaves and liquor as well as the first sip had me fooled into believing this was Laoshan black, definitely dark chocolatey, how does Verdant manage to find these teas?! I wish I had taken the time to fully savor more of the first few steeps but a tugging toddler saying mommy I need you, I need you! Had me rush through my gonfu while the water was still over 200F. I need a cha hai (serving pitcher) instead of pouring right into my small bone china cups.

See I have a ritual, whenever I try a new high quality tea straight tea I pour out a good portion of the first three steeps (or the rinse and first two) in three cast iron dragon cups on a shelf above the sink. There are offerings to house spirits (think Shinto meets northern European ancestor veneration with a dash of Roman traditions regarding the Lares and Penates- spirits of the land and the pantry). The ritual of tea is one of hospitality to me, even if I have no living human guests. So yeah I leave myself a few sips of the first three steeps and in this case I was rushing more than usual and as such the tip of my tongue is a tad burnt.

But I did finally heed my toddler’s calling and he and I enjoyed the fourth infusion. There is so much going on in this tea beyond the initial cocoa. It turns savory in the second steep, a bit smokey in the third and has luscious honey and floral notes. In this fourth infusion I enjoyed all of the above plus toasted sesame notes and yes just a trace of avocado. I intend to taking my time with many more infusions and hope to come to a greater appreciation for the Mi Lan Dancong Oolong, which I personally have a difficult time with for whatever reason.

Edit: this got more oolongy in the 5th-7th steeps and is reminding me a a sheng pu-erh in this 8th infusion with some cool mintyness. Very nice.

I could have sworn someone else had reviewed this tea, yet I cannot find it on the database and it is no longer on Verdant’s site, being a limited offering and all. So if anyone affiliated with Verdant would like to update the description, please do!

This though, this is so luxurious smelling and tasting. Its major spices that I think of when I think chai: cinnamon, clove, cardamon are not throwing their weight around. I find it hard to describe what I do taste, but it is exotic, silky and reminds me of Indian and Thai food.

I did not sweeten any of my infusions but all three were amazing with milk. I’m not usually an additives person, but my toddler asked for milk after dinner and I poured a glass for myself then decided what I really wanted was chai. I’m looking forward to the Laoshan Village Chai but I fear I may not be able to place an order before the Chocolate Phoenix Chai is gone.

Enjoying this one after ramen. I have only had tusli in one other blend which was a rooibos chai so I was expecting something akin to cinnamon, but was greeted with wonderful fresh in your face mint upon opening the pouch. Brewed, this a very nicely balanced cup, I love the touch of fennel and I think I’m beginning to figure out what tusli might taste like by tapping into my sensory memories and doing a comparison. Regardless it is lovely and refreshing and reminds me a bit of chewing gum but without the pain on the jaw and the addition of a nice centering feeling traveling down the body. Good stuff this. I don’t really like rating herbals though, its delicious for what it is but I have a hard time rating it higher than a straight tea I really enjoyed.

So yeah we went to a chinese buffet this evening, goodness I think its been over a year and I asked if they had oolong. The server said “Oolong? Uh hot tea?”, yes and I was brought out a cup and a metal pot. At first it was very non-descript, could have been a bland black tea. But then it got some personality, definitely oolong, a wuyi perhaps, it had some mineral notes. It grew assertive but never bitter, it got woody and then very aromatic with a nice honey sweetness and oh my goodness it was delicious. The pot never fully cooled, though I probably was drinking for an hour. I savored my last cup as the boys went up to pay. Sad that this chinese buffet tea had so much more character than any Teavana straight oolong. Unfortunately none of the servers seemed to speak English well and the anglo cashier girl probably wouldn’t have known. But it was nice to sit with a whole pot of tea.

I have to apologize (mainly to myself) for not logging or even drinking much tea lately. I’m in a funk it seems, a combination of the heat, a kitchen that never manages to get fully clean, depression and working a few days at Teavana. I just haven’t felt like brewing most of July, which is a shame as I have a bunch of new Verdant Teas waiting to be tried :( Hopefully August will be a better month, but I’m not off to a good start, only drinking at work.

So this used to be one of my favorite dessert teas at work, I never bought any (heck I never bought any tea from work unless it was on sale) so I haven’t had any since April if not before then. Apparently it is now being promoted as a “top tier blend” with Maharaja Chai Oolong (another old favorite of mine). Our AGM made it for me with sugar of course, but it was good. Wafting the two teas together smells divine and it would be hard for any chai lover to resist, which is the point, its suggested for those that already love the Samurai/Ayurvedic combo. There are other suggestions for the samples that I am apparently going to have to learn, but that’s one I had several guests already coming back for, having smelled it early in the week. Sigh. Such mixed feelings, but tis a job.

This is considerably better than the Ceylon and yet I’m not wowed. Will have to try this a bit stronger with cream or try making a London Fog, though I’m really not an additives person. Like another Steepsterite below said, it totally smells like Fruit Loops when you open the bag.

Oh dear too much leaf! Bitter, bitter, bitter! Let’s try this again shall we? I need to drink down my Upton samples anyway and what better day to do so than the day of the Olympic Opening Ceremonies in London? There performance is to be called “Isles of Wonder”, that Anglophile in me is very excited and I may have to find some sort of live streaming source online in four hours, because 7:30 pm (EST) on NBC seems too far away ;)

Okay rebrewed with a pinch of rock sugar, a level teaspoon and I shaved off 5 degrees and 30 sec. Much better, though admittedly a tad light. It gets astringent very quickly in the cup though, perhaps because of the amount of sediment from the fine cut leaves that got through my best strainer. Cannot recommend this, but will drink it. I have another Upton Earl Grey but I think I may just switch over to Bergamot Rose Laoshan Black, that is until the husband comes home and we have some of his British blends.

Hmm it seems I never properly logged this, just gave a comparison on the Full Leaf’s page, I went to edit my tasting note and it simply wasn’t there. So this is a backlog from yesterday which was my sipdown for this complimentary sample from Angel from over a month ago, when I drank it with the husband. I liked it much better yesterday follow the given parameters of 185 F water for just over 2 mins. It was smooth, sweet and a bit savory too. There are a few other black teas (Bai Lin Gongfu, Laoshan and a couple of wild picked Yunnans from Verdant) that I find either more complex or to my tastes, but make no mistake this is a very fine cup, that outshines the majority of blacks I’ve tried and is quite delicious. It also helped me with my migraine yesterday. I’ll be updating the other two versions as I finish them. but for today it will be British Blends for the Olympics!

I find it amusing that in my first tasting note for this tea five months I steeped it for 3 minutes. I have since shared this tea with several people, re-ordered the later autumn harvest and am now sipping on the Spring 2012 harvest brewed gongfu style starting at only 5 seconds. But this tea is amazing at a few seconds, 30 secs, 1 min or even 3. I have been infusing it all day, thinking I should eventually move on to an oolong our shu after dinner, but it just keeps on giving, I have no idea how many infusions I’ve done, but I’m now at a minute and a half and is just starting to smell of pine and hickory but still tastes so very sweet.

This spring batch is subtly different from the autumn, even the smell is a bit warmer and floral, while the autumn is cool and dark (yes I sniffed back and forth). It is still wonderfully sweet, malty and chocolaty but that sweetness is a bit different and again I think it comes back to warmth and I agree with the caramel description. It also seems to have less spice than I’ve experienced before. I don’t really get the floral notes in the taste but am excited to taste these different aspects in the Bergamot Rose and the Laoshan Village Chai blends I also ordered.

And don’t worry dear readers this is still the same Laoshan Black we know and love, just with different seasonal elements that I think are worth tasting. Also bumping up the rating, not because of this version per se, but because I’ve enjoyed all its incarnations many times and gotten more infusions out of this today than I have out of any other black tea.