Verdant Tea

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.

The gong fu brewing method is the only one that works well for me when brewing this tea. I steep for a few seconds with very low temperature water at first (about 165 F) and then increase the steeping time by a few seconds and occasionally increase the water temperature by 5 to 10 degrees.

Tea of the morning…..

This was the free sample sent with my first Verdant Tea order. Very pleased! I am drinking this one unsweetened in new teaware. I added a 14 oz Forlife Q Teapot in teal blue to my arsenal. It just made sense for how I drink tea to have a smaller teapot. I am not sure I will ever have a Yixing, or a Gong Fu set as they seem kind of overwhelming to me (I also don’t have the space to store dedicated yixing to a certain tea, or room to store all the pieces of a set.) For now, I just like things that are easy to manage (and clean!) Love the teapot. No drips.

The tea is remarkable, too. It is chocolately, bready, malty. Very smooth. No astringency, which is how I like it. I am getting so set in my ways as far as tea is concerned. I guess I have tried enough tea at this point to know what I really like, and this fits my profile. (I am becoming a little less enamored with greens and oolongs, but I am hoping it is just a phase.) For all those reasons, this was a good sample for me. If I were in the market for stash expansion, it would be on the list for sure. Until things change, I think I will have to enjoy what I have. This is definitely a place I would only purchase in small amounts as the prices are quite a bit higher than my normal range. Service is wonderful, teas I have tried are fabulous, though.

14 oz teapot. 2 tsp tea, freshly boiled water, 4 minutes. Resteep ahead.

This was a swap from someone… I’m sorry I’m bad at keeping track!

Fantastic as always. Light and sweet and crisp.

It’s settled.

As soon as I get back to school, as soon as I have money, I’m buying myself a cake of this.

Beautiful Boy messaged me (he NEVER messages me!) and we’re listening to Les Preludes again – he missed it the first time around. I for my part am trying not to be overly depressing in chat… save that for my sourcebook.

It’s a beautiful piece. They pack three orchestras into a concert hall designed for one, and they have dancers that dance all around: in front, in the aisles, and on the roof. It’s always the same but there’s no need to change it.

And this tea compliments it perfectly.

Received this from Invader Zim today! Thanks!

I was really intrigued by the idea of an aged white, and I’ve been contemplating ordering some of this for ages. But fortunately, she said it wasn’t quite to her taste and offered to send me some!

Steeping in a tasting cup, with water that started around 185 and has since cooled (though by how much I can’t say). Steep times follow Verdant’s parameters – 20s, 15s, 25s.

First steep – 20s: crisp and cool and light. My mum saw me, and said “You’re drinking hot tea? You’re crazy.”

Second steep: – 15s – Sweet. I begin to taste a bit of the “age” on it – it’s not heavy like a pu’erh would be, but it doesn’t taste fresh. It’s not stale, it just doesn’t taste new.

Third steep – 25s: I’m beginning to get some of the semolina or wheat notes that Verdant mentions. It’s surprising to get this out of a white, as I’d normally expect it from a black, but it’s not unpleasant. It’s a very dry steep.

Fourth steep – 25s: Smooth, buttery. Verdant mentions honeysuckle, and it does remind me of the flowers (back before our bush got mown over…)

Fifth steep – 25s: The flavor itself is mellow, and we’ve gone back to the heavy dryness of of the third.

I really like this tea. It’s seductive. I look forward to the rest of the (generously large) sample Invader Zim sent me, and I can definitely see this as being a staple in my cupboard!

2nd infusion: This is more peppery this time – but again, it’s a savory peppery taste, not a spicy or even a tongue-tingly kind of peppery. The mint comes in underneath. The green tea tastes smooth but less creamy.

It would be difficult to choose which one I prefer. Both infusions are really amazing.

When I first opened the pouch, I inhaled deeply to take a big sniff of it, and I could really smell the cardamom and the coriander – especially the coriander. Another quick sniff offered hints of mint … but a peppery mint. Tulsi? And yes, the crispness of peppermint. This is one that I didn’t even need to read the description of to know what was in it – the nose knows!

It smells amazing – slightly peppery and citrus-y and warm, together with hints of green vegetables. The brewed tea has a very savory element to the aroma. Yes, I must agree with Bonnie, this is very Thai-food-like … it makes me want to have a big plate of pad thai in front of me (of course, it’s not unusual that I want pad thai!)

The flavor is really amazing. Sweet and creamy, the spices are not as strong as the aroma had led me to believe they would be. Yes, I taste them, but they are in balance with the tea – not overpowering it … and it smelled like that might be the case. It smelled very lovely and strong, however, it tastes very lovely and well-balanced.

The spices are warm but not spicy … they have hints of sweetness as well as a peppery tone that is more of a savory pepper than a spicy pepper. Hints of citrus. Green beans. Tasting a bit like a stir fry with green beans that have been cooked to a crisp-tender stage and then carefully cooked with a delicious, savory sauce.

As I continue to sip, I taste the hints of tulsi, as well as the peppermint. I am glad that the peppermint is not a strong flavor, instead, it seems to enhance the flavor of the tulsi that is slightly minty and peppery. These two components lend to the fresh taste of this tea, to the crispness, and the lightness, keeping it from tasting too heavy or too laden with spice.

Very yummy! I will definitely be re-steeping this to see what happens.

I’m finishing off the last of this tea this afternoon. It has been yummy but I have more dragonwells from Verdant to drink now!

Another tea that I steeped and forgot about. I am happy to report that this was sitting around for 10 minutes without and ill effect. In fact, I think I might like it better steeped longer, it really brought out the nutty notes in this tea.

Tea of the morning here… this is so lovely and gentle. Please see previous notes for more details.

Oh, I am having a green tea kind of day and this tea from Verdant is just delightful on a sunny day! See previous notes for more info & Happy Friday!

This is my yummy tea of the afternoon…

My sinuses have been bothering me for days and I thought some green tea might help. I love this – so flavorful! See previous notes for more info…

This tea came in my last order from Verdant – at times the traditional dragonwells seem a little light on flavor for me but I have always enjoyed the Laoshan greens I got from Verdant.

1st steep: around 2.5 minutes at 180 in the infuser mug. This is a very vegetal tea which reminds me of green beans but also has a creamy, almost vanilla like flavor lurking in the background. It is not wimpy, no Sir-eeee! It tastes like something that was just picked out of the garden. Not very astringent at all.

2nd steep: Just as nice as the first. A little sweeter now as the vegetal notes are fading slightly, but still so tasty! I think this tea is definitely a keeper!

First of all, I must rant about the leaves of this tea. They’re of incredible quality. When dry, I received beautiful aromas of sweet vanilla, stone fruits, honeycombs, and orchids which transferred exquisitely into a thick, intensely floral, biscuity sweet smell when wet. I have to say, these are the best-smelling leaves of any tea I’ve had so far. But wait! After steeping and steeping, they unfold to reveal their most fantastic appearance. On the backdrop of their forest green blades tinged with a very slight bruising, is a gorgeous array of spindly, silvery-green veins that spiderweb across the surface—a lovely aspect that I rarely see with such clarity and liveliness in other teas. They feel thick, healthy, and very strong—just as though they were plucked off the bush minutes before they found their way into my gaiwan. I must say, I’m quite impressed.

The infusions these beauties create are just as vibrant: bright, grassy green with golden undertones which produce a surprisingly powerful smell exactly like the wet leaf’s aroma. Everything about this tieguanyin feels alive. Flavors and aromas burst with springtime nuances, while after a sip, the tastes bloom forth and continue to grow, before fading into a great aftertaste of sweet stone fruits and lingering floral notes. The taste pairs wonderfully with the buttery smoothness and silky, creamy textures that build into the fourth steep, where flavor and mouthfeel meld into a thick, honey-like sweetness where the fruity notes reach a climax. Continuing on, the body somewhat lessens and with too short of a steep, becomes a bit weak. However, interesting undertones become apparent from this point and come and go throughout the last steeps: a parsley-like spice, fresh grass, and a mineral/stone flavor.

This tieguanyin provides quite an experience. At any rate, I think I’m starting to get addicted to this tea. I just finished an 11 steep gong fu session, and all I want to do is finish this review and make more…

Ummm, gotta go…

Got this as a sample with my order along with the hand-written thank you note. I love when people pay attention to detail. It definitely matters to me.

This is very rich and deep. Slightly peppery with notes of cinnamon and honey/sugar. What I like the most, however, is the silky smoothness of this tea.
I wanted to have this with a small piece of chocolate but turns out I don’t have any left…. That must be rectified tomorrow.

“Oo!”

I said that aloud after taking my first sip. I read the description of the tea and read multiple reviews, sniffed the bag like a mad woman, but I still didn’t know what to expect!

Judging by the smell of the dry leaf, I expected a tea heavy on the spice and very savoury. As usual, this blend is so much more than that. The spice is actually not overpowering at all – the tea is the star! Amazingly crisp and creamy Laoshan green. And the mint! I forgot about the mint – it’s the perfect amount. Oh so refreshing and, may I say, perfectly blended? (Always leaving room for human imperfection of course, but as far as my tastebuds are concerned, every ingredient has its role in this blend, knows its place and plays its part like it was born to play it!)

I want to make a bottle of this, ice it and take it on a hike.

So much more to say about this tea! I’m going to sit and enjoy it right, hope it doesn’t keep me up all night ( ;) ) and come back when the bag is empty to amuse you with tales of our adventures. Until then!

So I think this was the first artisan black tea that I’ve had since becoming interested in tea. I suppose I was sort of sucked into the oolong world and never really came back =). I had never really cared for bagged black tea, usually sticking to chais and other flavored bagged teas before transferring over to loose leaf teas. This being said, I wasn’t quite sure what I was in for, but I was in the mood to broaden the range of teas I was familiar with. So with that, I bought a small amount of Zhu Rong from Verdant on my last order.

As soon as I opened the package I was a fan of Chinese black tea. The dried leaves are so pretty with the deep black-brown contrasting so vividly with the tight twists of golden brown. And the aroma…so aggressive and heady, full of scents of burnt hay, caramel, and tons of spice. Just invigorating. I measured some into my gaiwan and did a quick wash. The infusion was such a beautiful golden amber and gave off such an incredibly powerful aroma of cocoa, a hint of spice, and that “pure” tea scent.

I hurried to get the first steep out and was greeted with a liquor of a deep, russet red tinged with gold. I took a sip of this ambrosia and discovered a very pronounced honeyed sweetness with a chocolate and malt body, and undertones of pure tea flavor and oak wood. Whoa. I moved on to a second steep. The sweetness somewhat subsided, chocolate flavors began to diminish, while pure tea flavors and oak wood rose. Wait, this stuff has complexity, too? The increased woody notes created a very slight bitterness, which I had not even noticed the lack of in the first steep. This was certainly not turning out the way I had anticipated. And I was certainly happy about it.

Into the third steep, the spices appeared. The natural spiciness blended so well with the sweet honey flavors and chocolate. The more bitter notes of cocoa and oak moved into undertones and created a fantastic balance and great character revolving around a full body of the malt and pure tea notes. Into subsequent steeps, the malt/pure tea body remained stable as midtones while the sweet notes and bitter notes flipped back and forth every other steep, making the experience seem like some wonderful dance.

Although the overall flavor is hearty, after a sip it evolves gradually through the mouth without any bursts of intensity. It calmly expands and slowly recedes like a huge, slow wave. The liquor is extremely smooth and somewhat silky. The aftertaste is very clean, malty, with a cocoa flavor and a smidge of fruitiness. My only gripe is that if too cool of water temperature is used, the mouthfeel becomes waxy and a bit unpleasant.

Finally, I’m amazed by the amount of steeps I can get from this tea. The first time I tried it, I reached close to eleven, something this oolong lover was very happy about. However, I was certainly not used to the caffeine levels of black tea…I was buzzing all over the house after that much tea.

Wow, when will I ever cease to be amazed by Verdant Tea’s offerings?

This Sheng is one of few teas to bring me to the brink of speechlessness. It’s so sweet and just keeps giving and giving. It’s creamy and silky, with definite bubblegum notes but with a wood aftertaste that refreshes and quenches.

Later steepings become peppery with a silky kick- slight astringency at the back of the tongue. Ever so slight notes of smoke on an earthy base. Gorgeous amber colour. Happiness. Content.

Extreme chocolate goodness, I love the cream like feel and the maltiness of it. To me an everyday AND special reward tea for me. What I like the most is that it doesn’t seem to get astringent at all.

Dry Leaf – Sweet bread, sugary.
Wet Leaf – Raw sugar, cinnamon and vanilla scents.

1st Steep – Sugary clean taste with vanilla scent smooth and clean feeling. There is a molasses/raw sugar taste with hints of spices.

2nd Steep – Sweet vanilla, molasses/raw sugar scent. The molasses becomes more apparent as does the vanilla flavor (like vanilla bean), hints of spiciness that I can’t yet identify clearly. Clean fresh feeling.

3rd Steep – Leaves smell like caramel an molasses/raw/brown sugar. Its sweetness is still apparent with the tanginess of molasses; the spiciness comes back and then cleans away into that freshness. My cup smells like raw sugar and cooked cinnamon.

4th Steep – Slight sweetness with apparent cinnamon/clove taste, incredibly smooth for and clean feeling. Some clove aftertaste that cleans away.

5th Steep – Some of the sweetness fades and the spice notes become more apparent to the taste. I got a hint of the ‘morel’, a slight earthiness that can also be found in the clove and vanilla (if you eat from the bean).

I made several other steeps; to me they kept that slight sweetness but the spice notes and slight earthiness/woodiness of the spices or perhaps mushroom like were more evident.

http://youtu.be/y4r8CBY2f74 Guitar….soothing and beautiful Milos K

I took back the iPad last night. Not enough of a computer for what I need. Instead, I got an HP all-in-one with a 20in. screen and no tower. I’m loving it. So, here I’ve been…loading passwords and photos, software from cameras and all that daft business that you must do with new computers.

When you sit doing boring tasks, you must have tea for sanity’s sake!

During a sudden creative spurt of energy this afternoon, I decided to explore steeping Laoshan Apothecary Green in milk, adding honey and creating a delicate, spiced Chai.
I set a pan with an appropriate amount of tea in milk on the stove to slowly come to simmer without scalding. When warm, I added some wildflower honey and fragrant Chai…bending over the pot to catch the aroma for any corrections in flavor. More milk, honey or tea.

That’s when the experimentor side of me took over.

Why not add a little butter like the butter Chai?
I added a pat of butter (not too much)…and took a spoonfull to slurp. Umm, this was good!
Sniff…
Something else was needed though. There was a sweet/savory feel to the tea.
Ah ha! Nutmeg!
I went to my stash of whole nutmeg and grated some fresh (a little bit) into the tea and slurped some up again.
Ummm…this was even better. With a dash of…salt to finish, I strained the tea into a 12oz cup.

There was such a frothy, rich, creamy, sweet and savory tea that all I would have wished for was toast or a mild white grilled cheese sandwich.

I don’t use much butter, but now and then it is a luxury.

I play with food and tea…and have so much fun!