294 Tasting Notes
I brewed this in the Yixing. Lite cocoa notes. I am not doing backflips over this tea yet. It’s a warm and inviting tea. Maybe the second steeping will do it more justice. I let it steep much longer than the first. The second is a darker liquor. Maybe in my next brewing I will add more leaves and a longer steeping and hope that it improves. This is one of my many samples from Upton. As far as tea intoxication goes, it has delivered a nice morning buzz.
The aroma coming out of the Yixing was very inviting. I am a lover of Dragon Well. This is a beautiful version of that style. I will have to do another side by side tasting. I have the Upton Superfine as the challenger. The tea is very fresh. I am truly loving what Verdant has to offer and I would recommend them without hesitation….
I must add that after watching Verdants videos on YouTube I am very green in the art of brewing. This tea will be revisited later today. I now understand that the Yixing is for darker teas. I know many purists may scoff at my coldbrewing in the Mason jar but it has yielded flavors that I consider to be the true essence of that leaf.
This is the beauty of tea. There is no right and absolute way to brew it. My friends in Laoshan village just take a handful of leaves and put them in a glass tumbler, pour boiling water over the top and sip on it throughout th eday, periodically refilling. My friends in Hangzhou are more delicate, pouring between two glass pitchers, or brewing in a gaiwan. Some schools of tea claim that you should fill your vessel up completely with tea leaves for an intensely potent brew, while others use only a few teaspoons. I think tea really encourages play and experimentation. Right now I am working on a guide of every brewing technique I picked up in China for people to experiment with. Each technique comes wit ha story of the person who passed it on to me. Hopefully I will have time to finish that in the next week. I am going to try your Mason jar technique when my autumn Tieguanyin comes in. I have had pretty positive results with cold brewing, and much prefer it for iced tea than doing a hot steeping and pouring over ice. Isn’t it wonderful how many diverse experiences one can get out of leaves?
Please see my side by side tasting with the Harney Da Hong Pao…. I must add in the second steeping the Harney has lost that lovely peachy aroma. The Verdant may have more staying power for steepings. I believe I am tasting minerals, rock, mountains. I feel the Verdant wins the second steeping on complexity alone….
I am doing a comparison with the Verdant Big Red Robe. Side by side, basket brewed, generous leaf. The Harney has a deeper aroma, very fruity. The Verdant has a darker Liquor. I feel the Harney is winning as I sip. I have the nose of a German Shepard. Just like with wine, you taste more with your nose. The Verdant has this electric copper feel that I like. The Harneys brewed leaves were green. The Verdants dark. I have to up my score on the Harney. Two very good teas. I must add that I brewed a pot of the Verdant in the Yixing and it gave my body a warm, glowing feeling. I am sure that I will add to these notes in the future….
I truly believe I have found a great tea seller with Verdant! This Sun Dried Jing Shan Green is a gorgeous tea. Especially after drinking the Hand Picked Oolong! The aroma is intoxicating and so is the flavor! I brewed this basket style with a generous amount of leaves. I am higher than 10 Himalayans! My sincere thanks to David for honoring my request for a sample of Big Red Robe { a generous amount too } and the Dragonwell. You have a loyal customer….
Preparation
YAY! YAY!!!!! Glad you are having a FUN TIME with Verdant! :)
Superb Teas. Superb service.
:) Having tried almost all of Verdant’s teas, I can tell you that each one, every time, feels like a special privilege to drink. Living in the same city, I’ve been able to have plenty of direct contact and discussion with David; and it’s long been clear to me that he and his sourcing contacts have exceptionally refined taste, and take quality control very seriously.
The Mason jar brewing was superb. I know the purists may laugh but I truly believe no other form of tea preparation can allow you to fully appreciate the flavor of oolongs and greens. My hot water brewing in the Yixing has yielded a beautiful nectar as well. A lovely aroma of flowers and heaven if there is such a scent. I also note on the feelings a tea gives to ones moods, I felt an inner calm and peace as if the Iron Goddess of Mercy had blessed me. A truly sublime tea….
Preparation
YAY!
Really awesome Tea
What is mason jar brewing?
You take a Mason Jar, put in a generous teaspoon, add water and let it steep in the fridge for maybe 12 hours or until you feel it’s ready. Basically it’s cold water brewing….
“Sublime” is indeed the operative word. Cheers!
It’s no longer in stock. I tried to buy more….
Ooh and brewing in a Mason jar would be so pretty to watch too!! Taking this notion and running with it!
@ Madd, I love brewing this way….
I just got home to find my delivery from Verdant. They are fast! It’s too late at night to taste so I had to put a teaspoon in the Mason jar to watch the leaves unfurl in the refridgerator. In the afternoon I will be in for a treat.
Upon opening this sample I noticed the faint smell of cocoa. I brewed a gererous amount of leaves. Approximately 1.5 tsps in the Yixing yielded a smooth brew. Somewhat lite. Cocoa notes. A good tea. I may or may not get a full order….
Preparation
I am not blown away by this tea. I brewed it up in the 1 cup Yixing pot. Maybe I made it a little strong. It has a darker liquor and a nice delicate aroma. The second infusion has lost the aroma although the liquid is still quite dark. A good tea. Not a great tea. Quite uplifting I might add….
