Kittenna

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Laoshan Apothecary Green from Verdant Tea

Kittenna drank Laoshan Apothecary Green by Verdant Tea

This is another sample I picked up just for the sake of trying all the teas. Did I expect to like it? Nope. Did I even read the ingredient list? Nope!

So anyways, laoshan green mixed with… things. I know there’s mint in here, but I’m pretty clueless as to everything else, to be honest. Dry, that’s pretty much how the tea smelled. Minty. Bleh, like I said, try all the teas! There have been surprises before.

When I took the infuser basket out, I have to admit that I caught aromas I was not expecting! Laoshan green, definitely, but… along with the mint there is something savoury. Almost smells like… gingerbread??? A spice of some sort, I’d have to guess.

And then the flavour…. See, this is why I pick up teas I don’t expect to like, because sometimes I get something amazing! First, there’s typical beany laoshan green, which is a treat on its own. Then there’s mint… but it tastes like mint mint to me, not peppermint. I like mint mint! (Does anyone else understand what I mean here?? My mom would!) Anyways, after the mint there’s this intense gingerbready flavour. I have no idea what it is! And then it fades into what’s coming off to me as almost a… coffee flavour? But a delicious coffee flavour, no burniness. I have no idea what it is I’m tasting in here, but I’m kicking myself for not trying this earlier, because it’s ridiculously delicious! I think the caramel notes of the laoshan green are playing in here somehow… ok, off to Verdant’s website I go!

Coriander! Cardamom! Well, I guess the cardamom is what’s coming off as ginger to me, and the coriander is probably involved in the general “savouriness” of this tea.

Darn… I am really disappointed that I only have a sample size of this one. Anyone have some they want to get rid of/trade? I would love to send my mom some of this one…! It is really a fantastic blend.

ETA: Nuts. Just checked to see if anyone else who reviewed this didn’t like it… but pretty much all the reviews are 89+, except for the one person who seems to have given theirs away to other people who posted! :(

ETA again: Second infusion also delicious, third infusion somewhat less so (but it did sit out overnight). I think I have enough for a couple more cups though… I will have to savour them!

2013-01-12 22:25:50 -0500

180 °F / 82 °C

1 min 0 sec

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Comments

Bonnie 2013-01-12 22:39:58 -0500

You don’t get stumped very often by green tea’s with your experience in the ‘field’. I’ll NEVER forget the ‘what seemed like months and months’ of asparagus testing you did last year!

Kittenna 2013-01-12 22:48:03 -0500

I am sometimes appalling bad at identifying flavours! :(

I am still testing asparagus stuff, hahaha. Nearly done though! I’m supposed to write up my thesis and defend it in April… yikers! Then I’ll actually be done with asparagus (unless I do a PhD in it too, which is a possibility!)

Bonnie 2013-01-12 23:02:01 -0500

You’re going to turn green! Don’t you need to come to colorado if you get a PhD in asparagus? Isn’t there a law about that? And doesn’t I-bloom have to come and assist you? (If I’ve misspelled anything, I don’t have my glasses on!)

Kittenna 2013-01-12 23:05:42 -0500

Hahaha, that would be so cool Bonnie! :D I’m pretty sure everyone wants to come out and take a trip to visit you and Happy Lucky’s!

Sil 2013-01-12 23:30:29 -0500

uh sounds like a road trip to me! we can pass through montreal on the way grin

Kittenna 2013-01-12 23:38:33 -0500

Just gotta get my G license first, I think ;)

Sil 2013-01-12 23:42:00 -0500

or we make Ian drive…with a car full of girls lol

Kittenna 2013-01-12 23:43:53 -0500

Oh, that would be 100x better!

Bonnie 2013-01-13 00:01:21 -0500

wait for some warmer weather

Indigobloom 2013-01-13 13:44:21 -0500

FUN!!! When do we leave? :D

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Bio

I have always been a tea fan (primarily herbals and Japanese greens/oolongs) but in the last year or so, tea has become increasingly more appealing as not only a delicious, calming drink, but as a relatively cheap, healthy reward or treat to give myself when I deserve something. I should clarify that, however; the reward is expanding my tea cupboard, not drinking tea – I place no restrictions on myself in terms of drinking anything from my cupboard as that would defeat my many goals!

My DavidsTea addiction was born in late 2011, despite having spent nearly a year intentionally avoiding their local mall location (but apparently it was just avoiding the inevitable!). I seem to have some desire to try every tea they’ve ever had, so much of my stash is from there, although I’ve recently branched out and ordered from numerous other companies.

I like to try and drink all my teas unaltered, as one of the main reasons I’m drinking tea other than for the flavour is to be healthy and increase my water intake without adding too many calories! I’ve found that the trick in this regard is to be very careful about steeping time, as most teas are quite pleasant to drink straight as long as they haven’t been oversteeped. However, I tend to be forgetful (particularly at work) when I don’t set a timer, resulting in a few horrors (The Earl’s Garden is not so pleasant after, say, 7+ minutes of steeping).

I’m currently trying to figure out which types of teas are my favourites. Herbals are no longer at the top; oolongs have thoroughly taken over that spot, with greens a reasonably close second. My preference is for straight versions of both, but I do love a good flavoured oolong (flavoured greens are really hit or miss for me). Herbals I do love iced/cold-brewed, but I drink few routinely (Mulberry Magic from DavidsTea being a notable exception). I’m learning to like straight black teas thanks to the chocolatey, malty, delicious Laoshan Black from Verdant Tea, and malty, caramelly flavoured blacks work for me, but I’m pretty picky about anything with astringency. Lately I’ve found red rooibos to be rather medicinal, which I dislike, but green rooibos and honeybush blends are tolerable. I haven’t explored pu’erh, mate, or guayasa a great deal (although I have a few options in my cupboard).

I’ve decided to institute a rating system so my ratings will be more consistent. Following the smiley/frowny faces Steepster gives us:

100: This tea is amazing and I will go out of my way to keep it in stock.

85-99: My core collection (or a tea that would be, if I was allowing myself to restock everything!) Teas I get cravings for, and drink often.

75-84: Good but not amazing; I might keep these in stock sparingly depending on current preferences.

67-74: Not bad, I’ll happily finish what I have but probably won’t ever buy it again as there’s likely something rated more highly that I prefer.

51-66: Drinkable and maybe has some aspect that I like, but not really worth picking up again.

34-50: Not for me, but I can see why others might like it. I’ll make it through the cup and maybe experiment with the rest to get rid of it.

0-33: It’s a struggle to get through the cup, if I do at all. I will not willingly consume this one again, and will attempt to get rid of the rest of the tea if I have any left.