Looks like I finally got around to trying the famous Laoshan Black…
The dry leaves immediately surprised me with their cocoa-ey scent — I really didn’t expect it to be so pronounced in a plain black tea. I also just love the way the dry leaves look — both the black and the laoshan green — the little curlicues are just so cute!
What surprised me even more was the reaction my family members had. My little sister was absolutely disgusted by it, and refused to drink more than a sip. My mother agreed with her that it smells “weird” … she admitted that there was something interesting there, but it definitely wasn’t what she liked from a tea. My dad said that if it had been brewed about three times stronger (what?? the directions already recommend a tablespoon per cup of water…) then it might be interesting to try. To which my mother responded that if it had been three times stronger, she probably wouldn’t even have tried it.
All of which… leaves me more than a little confused.*
Personally, I got a very strong cocoa note, and also what I guess was the malty, barley note mentioned, which I initially found somewhat unpleasant… but I’m pretty sure it’s growing on me. To me, it tastes chocolatey and a little earthy, and with a little cream and sugar I found myself enjoying it immensely, and wanting more once I’d finished the cup…
I’m now very curious to try all the blends it features in. I bet it makes a fantastic chai, the bergamot-rose sounds divine, and the imperial breakfast blend is probably good too… So, guess who’s going to be making another Verdant order… =P
*(Upon further reflection, considering they didn’t think much of the davidstea yunnan, I’m guessing that we’re just more used to floral tastes in our black teas than earthy/malty/chocolatey? Although my mother enjoyed the strawberry chocolate puer… Hmmm…)
