Verdant Tea

Shut the door!

I mean really, I would never have guessed that the yammy Laoshan Black Tea that I LOVE could taste any better…and with mint?!
How in earth is it possible that these two flavors, and all the other abracadabra alchemic additions here-to-with inside-eth this tea are workin “a spell on me”! Oh yeh!

All I was doing was mindin my own business. I received a package from Verdant today (choir sings) with two (2) of the new tea’s. I can’t review them yet because they are NOT listed on Steepster. I shot a quick note to Mr. David at Verdant “HELLOOOO, I would like to write about your tea.” And, in the meantime, I was snakin on some dry goat cheese and steamin some cauliflower in Lapsang Souchong (you know that I do). Why not, smells good.
There was this OTHER packet of alchemy blend to try in my box today. Verdant got me! Got me again! “Uncle!” I cried on this alchemy blend!

I steeped this little gem 4 minutes. I wanted to take a spoon and eat it like cake it smelled so good. I imagine the gremlins at Verdant were rolling on their backs laughing!
“Got another one in Colorado!” they giggled along with the cats. The bakery spice cakeness of the Laoshan Black with the gentle mint cooling everything down…and then cocoa so natural and warm…teases me…laughs at me…and throws me a shot of fennel like a point of light at the end. The Chamomile is a hug. It surrounds all the flavors and keeps everything together in lightness. What a cuppa!

I have to get more of this. More and more. And more!

I never added this to any of my Verdant orders as, well, I have enough breakfast teas. So I thought. But it showed up in one of my tea of the month packages (I’ve fallen so far behind!) and I finally tried it this morning. We had it along with a pretty decadent breakfast of some bacon and avocado followed by some homemade raspberry-lemon muffins and, why not, coconut cream chocolate fudge.

Well, Imperial Breakfast was amazing with all of these rich flavours. It really accomplishes what the write-up describes; it’s bold and rich but not bitter or too astringent. It’s perfect. Roasty, malty, cocoa-y, and smooth. I could really pick out the Big Red Robe and the Laoshan Black, which was awesome as they’re two of my favourites. The Yunnan also contributes to the sweetness and great body, I think, but it’s balanced with the others so well that I don’t notice the Yunnan spiciness so much. Once I make it through some of my Laoshan Black, I think I’ll need to grab some of this.

I’m going to be honest, the main reason I went with Imperial Breakfast is because I saw that even though this blend has many different ingredients which all have different prices, the blend costs the same as it’s lowest priced ingredient (I think). I like to feel like I found a discount, as tiny as it is.

I’d say this is a solid blend. There is a mild chocolate taste and smell to it. That’s all I can really say about specific taste. With Verdant tea, I’m always tempted to keep steeping the tea past its limit. I think I can safely say with this particular tea, if you use 3 grams of leaves and a 1/2 litre of water for each steep, by steep 8 you are going to have some gross tasting tea. It’s good stuff, but don’t be greedy like me.

We did a cold press of this last night. 10 pinches in our gallon spigot/jar we got from Target.

Stirred it up and poured myself a glass just now. It tastes like chai.
Not kidding. Sweet sweet..with honey and cream and I don’t know what other magic. I had no idea.

yessssss…

Auggy shared this one with me. A couple of years ago I received an education in Jin Jun Mei as a type from someone here on Steepster. I believe it may have been Spoonvonstrup (who hasn’t been around lately, what’s up with that?) but I can’t remember for certain. At the time I got some JJMs that were produced in Yunnan and some that were produced in Fujian, and I came to the conclusion that while I enjoyed them all, I greatly preferred the Fujian ones.

Biiiiiig surprise to everyone present, I’m sure.

Anyway, I know the type and I know it’s one that I like, so I was happy that Auggy had shared hers with me. I’m not the least bit surprised that it would by a type she would be interested in. In fact, knowing Auggy and knowing me and knowing how closely our tea-tastes often match, I’d have been immensely shocked if she hadn’t bothered at all.

Back when I received the aforementioned JJM education, I did actually also receive a sample of this one. I’m afraid I gave it a somewhat lack-luster rating, but that must have been a different harvest. It could easily be that this one suits me better or that my taste has changed a little. Therefore I’m not particularly concerned about that now.

The aroma of the leaves here was rather odd. There isn’t really very much of it and what is there reminds me mostly about the Oriental Beauty oolong I wrote about earlier. I remembered smokyness and grain and such. What happened?

Oh well, it’s not the smell of the dry leaf that counts. It’s the aroma of the brew and the flavour that counts, so we’ll see how that turns out. I’m still not put off.

Oh yeah, this is a different story! Now it’s all grainy and thick and malty. In regards to the malt, it’s an almost syrup-y sort of smell. It’s actually very sweet when you really get your nose into it. I’m thinking chocolate and caramel here. Dark, dark ones, but still.

As for the flavour, first off it does have that Yunnan-y taste of hay, which… I could live without, frankly, but it’s not super-strong. After that it goes all out on the grain and the malt, and it gives me that association to Danish rye bread that I look for in a really great keemun. The dark dark chocolate-y caramel-y sort of malty note is making up a good deal of the body along with the grain. It’s fairly discreet, but once you’ve noticed it you find that it’s all over. I rather like that.

Now, I’ve looked up what I said about this the first time, and let’s just say that I don’t agree with myself at all. Back then, I had a sort of two-step experience of the flavour, which I’m not getting at all today. It’s very well merged this time. I suppose that’s a pretty good illustration of differences between harvests. Especially with wild-picked stuff like this, I imagine.

Raising the rating accordingly (and significantly). I may actually invest in some more of this myself in the future. We’ll see.

Strangely, though, Husband didn’t care for it at all. He found it tannin-y. But but but it’s Chinese! A Chinese black doesn’t even know what tannin is! Shocking. Also kind of funny because I count this one in the same sort of general family as keemuns and the Laoshan Black and such like which he enjoys, the latter even to the point of being renamed Life-Giving Tea. I just can’t get a grip on what I think he’ll enjoy and what he won’t. I’m coming to the conclusion that his tongue must be in upside down or something. Or broken.

Oh, and by the way, we bought a house.

EMPTY THAT BOX!

Another JJM from Spoonvonstrup, this one with a brand name. Like the last one I had, this one is a Yunnan one, so I’ll be honest and say I’m nursing any great expectations, considering the regional differences I noticed between the last one and the others.

Now, before we go on, I should point out that the cup had started to cool a bit by the time I started it. See the boyfriend made it for me, and then I got distracted by Luna who purred so prettily. It’s still warm though, now that I’ve torn myself away from the furry purry cuteness.

The aroma has that strong honey-y note that the last one had as well, supporting the Yunnan origin theory of the last one. This one also has a modicum of grain, though, which the last one didn’t so that’s a plus point, definitely.

The flavour is a two-step one. First it’s one thing, and then it completely changes character and becomes something else. Here we have first a milky and slightly honey sweet phase, and then there is the second step with a pepper-y smoky sort of note. That second step is strong. With the mildness of the first step, it feels like being ambushed when the second step kicks in. Towards the end of the sip, the second step lights up a bit, revealing a slightly grainy note underneath, but it’s not much. Or, it’s not enough that it truly comes through the pepper-y smoke.

Several people have mentioned associations to bread with this one, and I’m sorry to say I really can’t see that. In the veeeeeeery beginning of the first step of the flavour maybe but not so much that I’m really convinced. To me that comes in more as tasting like the tea has had milk added to it.

I have to say, I still prefer the more grainy, darker tasting Fujian-y ones over these Yunnan-y ones. I will agree with Verdant Tea’s description of it as tasting almost sunny, but sunny is just not what I’m looking for.

This tea is my least favourite of Verdant’s black tea offerings. That’s not to say that there’s anything wrong with it, but I love different, intriguing flavours in straight blacks (if I’m going to drink them), and this one is simply too reminiscent of a bagged black tea. It is clearly infinitely better than bagged, but the flavour profile is similar, there is no overwhelming sweetness, no chocolatey notes. Perhaps I should have gone with the recommended 3 minute infusion instead of 1.5 to bring out more flavour (I have lots left and can try this later), but I don’t think the flavours I’m looking for will be present.

Hmm, black tea at 10:30pm? Why not. I have a ton of stuff to do before tomorrow anyhow.

I got this one as part of the budset sampler (and also as a sample, because I’m rather dimwitted and asked for it without realizing I’d be receiving it anyways). So, lots to try!

To be honest, the smell just screams “black tea” to me. It’s a familiar smell, but I can’t place it to anything other than “a black tea that I have tried previously”. shrugs There is a hint of sweetness though, so it does smell like a black tea I might enjoy.

Ok. Too hot. Will continue this later. First sip was good, though I can’t place anything. Definitely some astringency. But I’m not risking another now. Stay tuned.

First infusion: Oooh. Finally cool enough to drink, and I’m getting such a full-bodied flavour. Almost some hints of caramel… burnt caramel, perhaps. There’s definitely astringency, more than I would like, so I should go with a shorter infusion next time. It’s not bitter though. Hmm, what’s this like with additions… + cream, + a bit of agave … Ok, regretting the agave. The flavour, even with such a small bit, is overwhelming. Still a good cup, but anything special about the black tea is now kind of lost. Oh well, next time.

Second infusion, same parameters: Almost no smell?! Weird. Taste is very light. I’m not sure how this is supposed to go to 3? 4? infusions western-style. I think I’m done with two. Again, there’s sweetness. Less astringency. A little on the weak side for me though.

I’m not sure whether I’m still iffy on blacks because of too much on Monday, or if blacks just aren’t my thing (thinking a combination of the two), but this didn’t do it for me tonight. Not really disappointed. I did like the Laoshan Black, if I recall correctly, so should try that one again.

Backlogged sipdown. The flavour of yabao is just so unique; it’s nice to have some around. I think I do have a different one from Verdant left still, but will definitely pick up more in the future. Upping the rating (72 to 80) as although it wasn’t a daily drinker for me, I did ultimately end up enjoying it and seeking it out on occasion.

Well, this has certainly grown on me a bit. Enough that I would almost say I like it… I’m not tasting as much juniper as I did last time, just a thick, gentle, soft brew with a tweak of sweetness at the end. I’m terrible at describing flavours (it tastes like yabao! Yeah… useful, eh?) but the texture is the utmost in silky teas.

I feel like this would be great in a fruity blend… and wish that I could create more of Autumn Hearth‘s 12 Days of Christmas tea! Or honestly, just mix this with pear chunks. Because that tea was stellar (ok, I could say “is” because I do still have a cup’s worth sitting in my from-Sil swap pile!)

ETA: Third infusion is creamy and pretty tasty, but I really don’t have a high tolerance for this tea still, so even though I’m sure it could keep going, I think I’m done. I have, however, realized that it’s an oolong sort of tea flavour that I’m picking up here as well – I only placed the flavour because I’ve been sipping on two oolongs that are both very oolongy at this point. I’ve picked it up in the aftertaste of whites before as well.

Um, I think I may have stepped into “too weird for me” territory with this one.

The smell is… really weird. Kind of familiar, but not from any teas I’ve been drinking. I think it’s a plant smell, though. Not sure it’s a smell I want in my mouth, but my level of caring is definitely low enough right now that I’ll do it.

Sooooo here goes…

Ok, it’s sweet. And the sweetness cuts some of the “weird”, but it’s still there. It almost like… a green branch taste?? Actually, I wonder if what it’s reminding me of is apple tree cuttings. My mom would prune the apple trees in our yard in the spring, and when the cuttings were still supple (and we were young), my sister and I would sometimes take them and strip off the bark to reach green fibrous tissue underneath. Beneath that was the wood, which we’d then use as, say, walking sticks for our Barbies (which often went camping in the garden). My plant brain isn’t working tonight; I should know what those two parts are, oh well. So yeah, the green fibrous stuff would get under our fingernails, and I probably chewed on the branch to get it off sometimes. I think that’s the flavour I’m tasting. Makes a bit of sense, really, given that these are buds.

Gotta say though, even knowing that, this tea is still weird. It’s not bad, but… I don’t think it’s one for me. I will say that it’s grown on me through drinking this cup, and I’ll probably go for another couple infusions, but still, it’s weird :P (Side note: I can taste the “tea” flavour lightly at the end of the sip, which is nice, but not enough for me.)

ETA: Yeah, it’s two days later and wanted to clear out my infuser so I could drink some green teas, but couldn’t bear to throw these once-used buds out… so gave it another shot.

Second infusion (boiling/4min): The buds seem to have lost some of their “weird” smell and smell much sweeter, with a background of “tea”. Yep, I’m very descriptive tonight. The steeped tea smells more like a sweet white tea now, which is much more appealing. The taste is definitely similar to the previous, but with the aforementioned switch from predominantly weird to predominantly sweet and white-tea-like. I think I’ve finally figured out part of what I’m tasting though – this tea is peppery. Like steeped black pepper, but only a touch, which comes with a light zing. I actually like this particular infusion. I wonder if perhaps I should have just rinsed the leaves a bit longer in the beginning. I really need to look up proper rinsing technique. I also almost want to say that I’m almost tasting juniper. Both the pepperiness and juniper would have been present in that first infusion, just unidentified. Based on this infusion alone, I’m bumping the rating; perhaps this is not my cup of tea, but there’s absolutely nothing wrong with it.

Third infusion (boiling/4min):
After this infusion was finished, I smelled the wet buds and got that intense “weird” aroma again, and was quite worried that this cup would be back to a flavour I don’t like. Luckily, not true. It’s very much like a lighter version of infusion 2. Pleasant lingering white tea aftertaste, delicious sweetness. I should have also mentioned that there’s no hint whatsoever of astringency or bitterness.

So, it looks like perhaps I just need to begin with a longer first rinse for this tea, or maybe steep it for a couple minutes and discard that infusion, to let the strange flavours weaken a bit. This ended up being quite an interesting experience, as it turned out! Glad I only bought the budset sampler though :)

ETA again: Another quick note – the sweetness in this tea lingers like that from fennel/anise/licorice. I seem to dislike that, so I suppose that’s another unappealing factor for me.

Sipdown! 164/365!

To be honest, I have no idea if I’m reviewing the right tea here. There are too many versions of the Verdant teas to ever be terribly certain, and some are divided by harvest and/or year, others not, and some simply with different wording. However, I am drinking “Autumn Harvest Laoshan Dragonwell” from a small silver sample pack, which I believe is the right tea for this listing (although I’ve written enough tasting notes to know that I must have/have had at least two different packages of this).

Boring stuff aside, this tea was great! I haven’t ordered from Verdant in a few years, so this sample is not fresh, and I haven’t a clue when the packet was opened, so my expectations were really low. However, it was significantly more delicious than one would expect from a green this old. Not as strong as it might have tasted, and missing the freshness, particularly in the aroma, but it was a cup of rock sugared steamed green beans, with some delicious umami flavours peeking out. Quite impressive, and I even managed to get two resteeps, which was particularly excellent. Probably would be rating it in the low 90s as is; obviously it would be better fresh. A lovely cup!

With apprehension, I had to try my 2011 Autumn version of this one again…. after the disappointment of my Laoshan Green having lost a good deal of flavour, I wanted to see if this one was also ruined. Thankfully, although it is perhaps lacking in flavour a little, it still tasted pretty darn good! Unfortunately, I only got through half a cup before I forgot about it, and green teas do NOT sit overnight well, either in an infuser or in a mug. So that’s all I got (but I still have more tea, yay!)

Mmmmmmmmm so tasty. Used a random amount of leaf (maybe a tbsp?) and used my nose to figure out when I should pour it out, and my nose indicated I should start at 20 seconds, so a 30-second steep it was! Just love the light sweetness of this one and complete absence of astringeny and bitterness. I think finding the best dragonwell tea may become a goal of mine, although I’ve probably started at the wrong end of the spectrum, with the two from Verdant!! Upping the rating because this tea is remarkably consistent in its amazingness.

ETA: Second infusion (168F/1min) also great.

Verdant green tea #2 for the evening.

First infusion:
The liquor is unbelievably pale. So much so that I would be sure it was understeeped, but I highly doubt that. The aroma is the lightest, sweetest, vegetal aroma.

I cannot believe the sweetness of this tea. I really can’t. Like the first time I drank it, it’s rock sugar goodness, with a hint of vegetal. It is just SO sweet! No astringency/no bitterness. I think my decision to use more leaf this time was a good one. It’s still light, but not the verging-on-hot-water-flavour sort of light. Just amazing. Up with the rating.

Second infusion (2min/175F):
Still so pale. I have to sniff awfully hard to smell any aroma, and since I don’t want to inhale tea, I’ll just say that there is none. This time there’s a bit more flavour, in a sense. There’s still sweetness, but less so, and there are still vegetal hints underneath. There’s a touch of astringency (probably because I fiddled with parameters again), but it’s not bothersome. I think I actually could have reduced the amount of water I used and gotten a better cup out of it.

I think this dragonwell would be a tea for times when I want something sweet and delicate. I still feel like I would like to try using a bit more leaf to get just a bit more flavour out, but it is lovely as is. The smoothness of the cup also makes it perfect for times when astringency is completely unappealing (during which I usually would select a white or herbal).

ETA: Third infusion (175F/2min) definitely loses some of the magic. Astringency now present (bleh), although the aftertaste is still deliciously green tea. This may have been better had I steeped the third infusion last night (it seems green tea leaf doesn’t hold up well to sitting overnight). I think three is it for this one.

Got my third/fourth Verdant order(s) today. I haven’t been into flavoured teas a lot lately, so it was perfect timing!

This is my first dragonwell, I think (or at least the first that I’ve drank knowing it was a dragonwell). I made sure to check the instructions on Verdant’s website before brewing this one up – so used a bit more than 1 tsp of leaf in my 1 cup infuser. The instructions recommended 1 minute of infusion, but I goofed and hit 1:30 the first time, and 2:15 the second (but you’ll see below that it wasn’t a problem).

First infusion (175F/1:30):
There’s not a lot of aroma; I didn’t really notice if there was one. Very light and sweet, definitely getting rock sugar with hints of vegetal.

Second infusion (172F/2:15):
Wow. Still so sweet! Sweetness is the predominant flavour I’m getting, maybe with a bit of nuttiness.

Third infusion (175F/4:45):
Sweet, but a bit of a different flavour. A bit of a green peas aftertaste.

I think I’d use a bit more leaf next time just to amp up the flavour a bit (it was VERY subtle), but this one’s very tasty. Azzrian, why don’t you give my parameters a try?? They seemed to work really well.

After Big Red Robe and their autumn tie guan yin I’m falling in love with all of verdant teas. This is one of best yunnan’s I’ve had. Instead of pepper being the overriding flavor the first steeping is creamy with an aftertaste of vanilla bean gelato and cinnamon. The tea is very forgiving and can handle longer steeps in which the flavor expands even more. 2nd steeping has that chocolate milk taste which is really interesting. This tea has a lightness and stamina of a dark oolong which I really like.

Hm, looks like I had this before, but never got around to writing a note for it. Anyway, better late than never, right? (Speaking of late, this is a backlog from a few days ago.)

I got this tea as a sample from an order from Verdant a while back. I already tried some a few months ago, I guess, but I don’t really remember it, heh. Anyway, I brewed this gongfu style, since I didn’t have very much of it left. I wrote some notes that I could make sense of and read back when I was writing it. Now it kind of looks like a gigantic jumble of scribbles on a small notepad. Time for some deciphering!

Dry leaf: Sweet, roasty-ish? Kind of reminds me of a lighter version of Big Red Robe or something.

Steep 1: Very mineral-y with a sparkling/light mouthfeel at the end. Sort of numbing on the tongue. Smell reminds me of my uncle’s house (my uncle is a huge tea lover).

Steep 2: Definitely still very mineral-y. Lightly fruity aftertaste that lingers in the throat/nose.

Steep 3: Mineral fades. Fruit notes more prominent. Kind of ‘juicy’, if that makes any sense?

I stopped taking notes after that, since I think I was lured away from my tea with the promise of chocolate peanut butter cookies made by my suitemates. :)

Backlog from last night.

During my first steep of this, when I took out the tea strainer from my mug, I thought to myself, “Gosh, this looks so clear. Did I steep it wrong? I don’t think it’s ready yet.” But, I caught a whiff of something from the mug, which convinced me to take a sip.

Reading Verdant’s description of this tea gave me an idea of what the tea was like, but I still had no clue what I was tasting in my first few sips. At first, I thought I could taste some pine-iness, which was followed by a slight spiciness, joined with some sweetness, which lingered in the aftertaste. I was blown away by the complexities in what I was expecting would be a very watery/light tea.

With later steepings, the spiciness fades a bit, but the pine-iness remains. The sweetness changes from a rock candy-like sweet to a slightly marshmallow-y sweet.

As I was drinking this, I almost felt as if I were walking through a forest in New England. I wonder what would happen if I were to brew some pu-erh alongside this— I could get the earthy smell of a forest in the spring after some rain, along with the pine smell of the trees. A pine forest in my dorm room!

Wooweeeee this tea is sumthin else!! so good!!!! Thanks to Kristaleyn for sharing with me!
Now on to the TEA!
I rinsed this once for a few seconds before getting to the real steep, but I think I should have rinsed again because the first steep was really weak. I mean, I thought that for a moment there this one was a waste! but don’t worry, it got progressively better, it really did!!
The second steep was great, salty and a little sweet. Like buttered green vegetables (though I can’t pinpoint which ones precisely) wrapped in something hay like. Hay-leaf?
The third steep was less salty, only in the aftertaste but in it’s place was buttered sweet corn bread! oh YUM!!! The immediate aftertaste was sweet, with an afteraffect of having had something lightly salted.
The fourth steep was less bready, but still strongly so. However, it shared the spotlight with something else that was a bit nutty and sweet. Hazelnuts perhaps?
Also, I found the faintest suggestion of something apple but I had trouble distinguishing it from the nuttiness so I can’t be sure.
One other thing. It was all so smooth, I can’t believe a tea could be so velvety. Like silk!
Overall, I am very pleased with this oolong but I regard it as a special experience… it would be too much to have every day. Like a trip to the spa! Thanks again Kristaleyn!

When I first see the picture of this tea, I am suspicious of the dark green color of the leaves. This usually means a late harvest time that will yield a bitter, unpleasant brew. Still, I want to give Verdant green tea a chance, so I add this one to my cart, which already has the Autumn 2011 and Spring 2012 tieguanyins.

When I receive the bag, I let it sit on my shelf, expecting nothing special. During the tea’s quarantine, I decide to e-mail David and ask about its harvest time and picking standard. He tells me that it was handpicked during the autumn. This response enhances my suspicions about the quality of this tea. I have never heard of an autumn-picked green tea. The best green teas I have tried are picked within a two-week period between March and April.

When I finally get around to opening the bag, the tea leaves greet me with strong, sweet, vegetable aromas. I spoon about a tablespoon into a wine glass. I am surprised to see that the leaves are very long, longer than a standard dragonwell green tea. I pour 180 degree water over the leaves, which immediately release a strong vegetal aroma that is extremely pleasant. I take my first sip. My palate is greeted with a nice, medium-light body. The flavors astound me. I get notes of lightly steamed broccoli and peas, maybe a bit of cooked cabbage. Very nice. I let the leaves steep a little longer, maybe five minutes or so. I blow the leaves away and take another couple of sips. The flavors get stronger. I notice other notes, kind of like unripe mango or melon, just without the sourness. There is no hint of bitterness. Okay, David, what are you playing at? A green tea, harvested in autumn, steeping for ten, twenty minutes, and not even getting bitter? My entire perception of what goes into a good green tea is completely turned up-side-down.

Now for the second steep. Will it retain its flavor? I am pleased to notice a very high ratio of whole leaves to broken leaves, about 90% plus. This shows me the intense care that goes into the processing of this tea. Another testament to the strict attention to the wholeness of the leaves is that the brew shows absolutely no sign of cloudiness. It glows with a brilliance that I rarely see, even in a good green tea. The flavor is still there in the second steep. The balance between sweet and savory is enhanced, if not entirely different, from the first steeping. There is still no sign of bitterness.

David has confirmed many of my perceptions of what goes into a good green tea. The leaves should be whole. The brew should never go bitter. It should also have a clear brilliance to it. However, some of my perceptions have been trumped. A good green tea can be picked in the autumn, not just early spring. It can be dark green and still yield a wonderful flavor.

I have tasted scores of green teas since the inception of my tea obsession almost three years ago. I hold this Dragonwell-style Laoshan green in my top five, up there with Seven Cups’ Meng Ding Sweet Dew and Shi Feng Long Jing. It is by far one of the best green teas out there. You should buy it now before the demand causes the prices to go up!

Came as a sample in my order. I have to say that I was happy to see it and now I’m just looking at the small bag and suffering as it disappears. I had this tea Gong fu style and it does NOT disappoint. Sweet and malty almost caramel like but feels smooth and clean in the mouth. It later gives its pepperish hints into a spicy greatness that seemed apparent for the rest of the other steepings, gives that ‘sparkling’ sensation in the description.

What can I say, samplers are the gateway to 4oz orders.

Every once in a while I come back to this Oolong just to see if I get new hints of flavor, smell or just to plain enjoy it. It is a heavier yet soothing Oolong, I love it has malty and smoky taste to it without opaquing the chocolate, fruity and sweet notes of it.

It is a VERY forgiving tea that will allow you to enjoy multiple back to back steeps or multiples through out the day and even the next one. I never do this but I happened, after being interrupted several times I went to bed and the next day I remembered the tea still in the gaiwan… upon lifting the lid the amazing smell made me crave the brew.. and it was great.