Popular Tasting Notes
I feel like I shouldn’t even be talking about this tea. There’s really no telling whether we’re ever going to see it again. The Golden Fleece, true to name, has already developed a mythic eminence among those few who’ve had the opportunity to experience it. “Why?” is a question that recurs often. Why… this inexplicable privilege? And the apparent difficulty of obtaining even a small quantity of this stuff only intensified the pounding I felt in my heart at the prospect of parting with any of it. Truly, when we realized how little there was, the temptation to tell no one and keep this tea to ourselves was very strong. But David was adamant, and the best part of me completely agreed, that to not share this tea would do it dishonor.
It has been my good fortune and great pleasure to try many inspiring teas, but this Dian Hong, which we came to call the Golden Fleece, immediately stood apart as one of the finest things I’ve ever had the chance to drink. I’m sure this will all inevitably sound hyperbolic, and in any case, it is known that I’m nothing close to an unbiased source on these matters… But I just want to say, for whatever it’s worth, I’m writing this in earnest as an endeavor to draw out and unburden myself from the weight of the inspiration this tea has placed inside me. Apart from that, I can’t see any other gain in writing about a tea that we don’t have, and perhaps may never be able to obtain again. Whatever the case, I must speak… it can’t be helped.
A little back story. David first told me of this tea about a month and a half ago, while we were still hard at work getting the new Verdant website together. I was surprised to hear him emphatically going on about “the most exquisite Dian Hong I’ve ever seen”. It’s not common to hear David talk about black teas in this manner; most often he’s praising a Sheng Pu’er or a Dancong that has recently inspired him. I probably reach for the black teas far more often than he does, so this got my attention; but I was so busy at work on the website that I kind of had to forget about it.
Anyway, we finally got around to staying after work one Friday evening to relax and drink some teas, and he brought the sample of this Dian Hong out for us to try first. I remembered how he told me that the tea buds of this Dian Hong were extraordinarily beautiful. Indeed, on inspecting the plump buds closely I was struck by their beauty. Light shined off of them, glowing and golden, giving the appearance of something very precious. (Note: photos have yet to do them justice.) I observed closer and commented about how the downy filaments on the surface of these buds looked unreal, like I wasn’t even looking at tea, but rather was looking at the fleece of some enchanted mythical creature. Now, none of us really remember who said it first, but perhaps it’s most correct to say that the words appeared somewhere between the three people present at that drinking session. What we do know is that one of us then uttered the words “Golden Fleece”, at which point we all looked at each other and agreed that we couldn’t call this tea by any other name from that moment forward.
So then David brewed it. I took a good ten or fifteen seconds just to appreciate the aroma of it in my cup. As a serious fan of gourmet mushrooms, I melted in the sensation of this fragrance, which was like walking into a large room where a master chef was laboring to perfect the finest mushroom soup anyone had ever prepared. I gazed into the pure, liquid gold color of the liquor and imagined all the very best qualities of morel, chanterelle and truffle mushrooms synthesized to perfection. First sip… a moment of silence… then the only comment I could make…
“It’s not even fair.”
The texture of silk, a delicate effervescence, as if an exquisite sauce had been made from the very spirit of Yunnan and poured over that platter of incredible mushrooms. An incomparable tea. Only a few sips of this heady brew and I was tea drunk. The tail and aftertaste revealed a sweetness like vanilla and honey. These sweet things seem far away from the savory qualities described above, but somehow this tea manages to bridge, no… encompass the spectrum of all these flavors in a way that is completely integrated, and hard to comprehend. But how it works doesn’t need to be understood, because it works so magnificently. Further cups had me writing notes such as: feathery, lush, luxurious. And the spice of this tea, it’s like pepper, cinnamon and clove, but it doesn’t bite you – which I mean in the best way. The image that comes to mind is of a large and powerful enchanted creature (something like the forest spirit in Princess Mononoke) that has amazingly soft fur, and is completely at peace with letting you nuzzle and rest against it. That’s what this tea is like for me… an encounter with the forest spirit of Yunnan.
It’s only appropriate to know that all of this was wild-picked in Xishuangbanna. I asked David where Wang Yanxin could have possibly found such a tea, and he said she didn’t explain much about that first sample she sent us. She only sent this one Dian Hong and wrote on the label, “This is the one. Best Dian Hong. Taste slowly.” Indeed. There was no question in my mind about whether we should try to get more. Although, the possibility of sourcing this tea did raise some questions. We don’t do grades of tea; it just doesn’t fit into the curatorial rigor of our selection process and goal for the Verdant collection to carry more than one representative of a given tea, unless they’re expressing dramatically different things. We were already carrying another very good Dian Hong at an attractive price point, and it was popular. The Golden Fleece, because of its rarity, would have to be twice the price of our Yunnan Golden Buds. And at that point, we didn’t really know how much of the Golden Fleece we’d be able to acquire, much less how much was harvested to begin with.
After some careful deliberation, it was decided that the Golden Fleece was just so outstanding and unique that an exception could be made to source some quantity of it as a special limited offering alongside our other Dian Hong. The price and uncertain supply factors certainly made it out of the question for Golden Fleece to replace our other Dian Hong. And in any case, we found them distinct enough to exist side-by-side in a way that could be justified. So we ordered about ten pounds to be included in what was our next shipment at the time.
I vividly remember the day it arrived. I had more anticipation for Golden Fleece that just about anything else in the shipment. We were going through the box of sealed tea packages and pulled out all the ones that were labelled as wild-picked Yunnan budset tea. The red bags piled up in our office. We opened one of them to check, and in the first one found the Wild-Picked Yunnan Jin Jun Mei we ordered. Then we opened another bag and there was the Golden Fleece. The two Yunnan black teas were sent in the same colored bags with similar labels.
Anyway, I went home that night a bit drunk on the thought that we’d secured ten pounds of Golden Fleece. But then… The next morning I came to the office and David gave me the news. “I did a thorough inventory of the shipment last night, and it turns out that there’s only two pounds of Golden Fleece. The rest is the Jin Jun Mei.” Two pounds. That’s all we could get, and all that was available apparently. “Will we ever be able to get more?” I asked. David gave the answer I was most unprepared to hear, “Honestly, it’s impossible to say one way or another. When these two pounds are gone, we may never see this tea again.” It was at this point that the temptation to keep it all to ourselves had to be fought.
When you love something, and know how ephemeral your time with it is… that one day soon it will be gone… that it may never come back… and you’ll only be left with a memory to treasure… perhaps a pang of nostalgia… Well, let’s just say that it took some strength to come to grips with the situation, and accept the circumstances as they were. Ultimately, David made the point, which I already knew deep inside of me, that we should be grateful to have had the privilege to taste such a tea even one time – and not take that for granted.
That week we had scheduled a tea tasting for about sixteen guests at our office, and we had raised some anticipation for these attendees to try the Golden Fleece and purchase some if they wished to. It was before we understood how little supply we had. The day before that tasting, we were due to make the Golden Fleece available for purchase on the website, and I had to lobby with David for setting aside an appropriate amount of the tea to be available for our local guests. After that was done, we put Golden Fleece on the website with the limit of a two ounce maximum quantity per person and watched it sell out in a few hours. The most limited-edition tea we’ve ever carried.
As expected, the Golden Fleece we set aside for our local tasting was nearly cleaned out by the end of the night. I like to remember how, when we brewed it for everyone, a good friend of ours was at the end of the table and I only had about half a sip left in the serving pitcher to pour for him on the first round. He was still grateful, and appreciated what he had before him with no less care. This particular friend is a flavor aficionado, with highly developed taste from many years of developing an amazing talent for cooking, as well as from taste training in fine wines. The look on his face when he took that little sip for the first time… how to describe it? He ruffled his brow in a kind of quiet shock and consternation mixed with obvious signs of deep pleasure. He turned his face to me, wide-eyed, and whispered, “…the texture …this is wrong.” To which I replied, “Like I said… it’s not even fair.” He nodded, quietly repeating the words to himself.
I’ve now had four sessions with this tea, always preparing it gongfu style in a gaiwan. It blows me away every time, and what further bewilders me is that none of us have yet managed to exhaust all the flavor from the buds. I’ve steeped it out over twenty times in a given session and it just keeps going, even into the next day. We always get waterlogged long before we’re able to make the buds reach their limit… if they have a limit at all. My mother picked up some of this at our tasting, and she told me that she recently re-steeped it many times over for three days. The further I go into a session with this tea, the more its headiness gets to me; and in my tea-drunk musings I start to imagine that I’ll never reach the end of it… because it really may just be some enchanted mythic thing that always keeps one of its feet firmly planted in eternity.
There has been rumor from Wang Yanxin that we may be able to secure more of the Golden Fleece. But after all that’s happened, I’m not sure I’m going to really believe it until I see it. At any rate… if by some grace it does become available again, I can only suggest that you try some while you can – and taste slowly.
This is my “Hot Cowboy” sheng.
Heart Of The Old Tree…How did such a zen and peaceful name ever became “Hot Cowboy” is absolutely preposterous. And would be too long to explain. All I will say is this: gather a few silly minds together and that’s what you get… MzPriss and Sarsonator, I will not say your names
(If you are crazy curious and feel you must know, you’ll find the answer somewhere in there):
http://steepster.com/TheTeaFairy/posts/254006#comments
This is a sheng, and therefore, I drank it all afternoon long a few days ago, and took some notes.
It’s fresh and clean. The early steeps gave me peaches.
I found citrusy notes, flirting with a light astringency. It’s almost effervescent, like a sparkling wine. I got the tingling tongue.
I did not get that the first time I drank it a few months ago, but there seemed to be a very faint campfire smoke taste this time around, barely noticeable.
Later steeps brought buttery, vegetal and mineral notes…a little oolong-esque I’d say.
I did not count the steeps, but my session lasted all afternoon…this is a delicate and delightful sheng. It’s wonderful.
I’ve had this tea twice, and can I say that my cat Wizz is going berserk over the smell of it? He does all kinds of weird things, as if this was kitty grass.
I guess even the cat got all “shenged up” :-)
Sounds so tasty! This tea has been #1 on my wish list! I’ve been wanting to try it out for a while, but I already exceeded my tea funds for the month. sigh
I have yet to find a mandala tea I don’t like, to tell you the truth…and yeah…maxed out tea funds suck!!
Hot Cowboy!!! Mine came yesterday and I will be breaking into this on Saturday. And I just re-read that thread from the other day. My only excuse is that I was all shenged up – I don’t know what you and Sars’ excuse is. We need to hide Garret’s eyes though. He makes all these gorgeous and majestic names for his beautiful teas and we turn it into Hot Cowboy.
Lol! Oh, those names are so beautiful. Did you know I actually bought this one only because of the name? I figured to earn such a meaningful title, it HAD to be good…and it was :-)
I can’t wait to try it. I got a pu-pick from Garret when I got this too so I have a proper tool! Oh and right this minute, I’m using my mug warmer. The Tea Hobbit is right – it rocks!
I’m still using my silly nut pick! I’m getting a knife and a pick today.
Also, I’m going crazy over this tiny thing:
http://www.chawangshop.com/index.php/tea-hardware/tea-cups/sky-and-earth-qing-ci-cup-40ml.html
Good morning my Fairy Princess Schoompie. If you’re looking to me to discourage you, I think you know you’re barking up the wrong tea tree. That is freaking gorgeous and it doesn’t cost hardly anything. I would have already bought it. * Dusts off hands * My enabling for the day is done. Nice to have gotten it out of the way early.
Haha! And good morning to you :-)
(Shipping is $17 BTW!!)
How was your night with all that sheng you had to drink “for the cause” last evening?
Holy shit! Really? OK I take my enabling back. That is a pretty cup though. You know, I don’t know how it happened – but I slept like 5 and a half hours. WTH? Maybe I should sheng at night more often. The mug warmer is bril!
Yeah, too expensive for one tiny mini cup. Lol, yes, we definitely should have sheng more often.
(I just sent you a pm)
I am trying Yu Lu Yan Cha from Verdant for the first time, having already sucked down my Dark Beauty and some Zhu Rong. I LIKE this new one. I’m going to have a hard time writing a note on and describing it. It’s like woody-insense. mmmm likey!
Ummm, Teafairy, I spent some time at the site again and learned 2 things……1. You can order 25g of any tea even if it is not sold as such on the site. 2. They have recently started epacket service out of Kunming, so if you are really interested the shop owner said to email him about your interest in said product and you can probably get a cheaper shipping rate….
The owner is out of town until July 28 so don’t expect an immediate response, but maybe that tea cup can be yours.
[email protected]
Haha! Yyz you are so sweet!! I can’t seem to get that cup out of my mind :-)
I really love that cup. So pretty! Love the contrast of it.
Looks like minty frosting :-)
Yes, all cool and minty and then the more rustic clay. It’s sweet.
DAMMIT! I just looked at all of the “Tea Hardware” which is an odd thing to call it. I now need about 10 things from there. How did this go from me enabling you to me trying to justify $17 shipping to myself? How???
Read yyz’s comment above…she’s the sweetheart who pointed me in their direction :-)
It is really pretty. He has some pretty nice teaware. Epacket is for up to 2 kg. If the shipping is a lot cheaper a tea tray for 15.00 is looking reasonable right now too.
GAH! I just keep finding things – there are lotus cups and cute gaiwans and teapets. I even want to get a present for Awkward Soul because there is the MOST adorable little owl cup.
Yes, I guess the low cost of items absorbs the shipping costs…
Hehe…did you see the blue lotus cup? And the little piggy pet?
YES AND YES!!!!!!! The laughing piggie on its back? And the lions playing with the ball? And yes! They are so reasonably priced that the shipping might be starting to make sense. Epacket would be better though?
OH and a wee small CHEAP tea tray for my work tray that I was just saying yesterday I needed?
No, did not see that one…that would be great!
Its true, once you start thinking about a few things the price isn’t so bad.
Except – when I added all the items and I wanted and estimated shipping to Texas – I had TWO choices $40 or $60 in shipping. Um, what?
It goes up with weight. That’s why I started thinking about epacket. The prices for China post go up after 150g. Given epacket ends at 2 kg you may need to break up the order.
Actually its 50g for small packet, and then increases again significantly over 1 kg
Cries.
Epacket rates look to be under 11 dollars for 2kg Max to the US but I’m not sure of what handling fees the seller would add on.
I need to figure it out. Because I WANT those things
This post just made me want to get a cowboy hat! So wonderful. Great to see you all on here. Life is such a gift – smiles and laughter make it all the sweeter!
(But get the hat!!!)
I don’t know exactly how HOTOT became hot cowboy, but whatever!
TTF: that cup is gorgeous!!!! Love it. Am I supposed to be enabling you or not enabling you currently?
HoneyBelle: those lotus cups are gorgeous. Not sure which one you liked, but they are all pretty.
I see several things I could use. If you guys find a better shipping option, let me know. I am taking a break for awhile, but I still have a wishlist!
I’m waiting until the 28th when he comes back. Hopefully then I’ll find out the cost of 25g of their dark teas and have an idea of shipping rates. I’m tempted by too many things there. The good thing about time is it gives me time to edit.
The prices are just amazing, and there’s a great variety. Let us know what you find out, yyz :)
Good morning Steepster!
When I woke up earlier, I had a lychee craving. I happen to have some in the fridge. And I happen to have these delicious lychee pearls, so why not create a lychee feast?
This tea is very unusual. I personally don’t know any other lychee Dragon Pearls.
They are big and fragrant, but not soapy. The taste is so juicy, just like plump lychee. I get this lovely chocolaty smooth and malty Yunnan taste which makes this lychee tea so different than all others out there. I get none of that heavy perfumed lychee after taste you get in most black lychee flavoured teas.
It’s like drinking chocolate lychees. Not that I ever had any, but I’m sure there must exist some chocolate lychees somewhere. After having this tea, I can totally see their sweet floral taste work perfectly well with dark slightly bitter chocolate.
(And I just realized I wrote the word lychee way to many times in this review)
I other news, today I’m seasoning another one of my Yixing clay pots. Fun times!
I LOVE lychees. I wish I had some in my fridge right now. I haven’t had any lychee tea yet, but I did recently acquire some Lychee Oolong from Butiki I need to try. I’m going to season a Special Dark pot and I think maybe do my other pot for shous that are not SD today and when my purple pot comes, have it for my straight blacks. The SD pot will be that new Mandala one with the bamboo design.
Chocolate lychee sounds really good!
MzPriss, Butuki is my favourite lychee tea ever! That oolong she’s using is spectacular on its own…and yay! You seem to have a good plan fir your pots :-)
Ck, I guess having this tea is the closest I can get to chocolate lychees for now!
I don’t think you wrote “lychee” too much – it’s a word I love to SAY leeeeeecheeee
Lol, it’s one of those words that will have me make funny noises too ;-)
Lycheeeeeeeeeeeee! Yum!
Which pot are you seasoning, TTF?
Also, good morning, my lovelies!!!!! I am making Alia for breakfast in my new black tea pot wheeeeeeee!!!!
I just finished some Snaily. I think I’m going to give the Dragon Balls another chance and try them the Stephanie way to see if I like them better
Mmmmm, will most certainly catch a cup of Aila soon as well! Let me how it turns out in your newly seasoned pot!!
I will season my green oolong pot. It’s much larger than my other pots, that’s why I chose it for oolongs.
Which ones MzPriss?
The Teavivre ones
We call those dragon poop.
It’s deeeeeeelish in the new pot, but was there a doubt that Alia would be good? :p
I’m trying to learn to love this dragon poop – but I’m not there yet. And of course there was no doubt the Alia would be good :D
OK the dragon poop is tasting a little fruity to me at the moment – I’m getting zero chocolate and zero malt. Maybe zero chocolate because I’m eating toast with chocolate almond butter?
Sars – does it taste different to you in the pot? And if so, how?
Well HoneyBelle, I’m not sure. I got enough for two cups from Cam, and I tried the first round in the new pot, yesterday. I liked them! I am really starting to think that there’s something to this whole thing about the clay influence. It was very smooth. I definitely found malt and cocoa.
Mmmmmmmmm choco almond butter!
The choco almond butter is new obsession. I was in my little hippie co-op grocery and you know those machines they have that are full of peanuts or almonds and you grind your own nut butter? They had one with chunks of roasted almonds and dark chocolate chunks. OMG – blissful. I’m having it on my Canadian Squirrely Bread – it’s full of nuts and seeds and is so good toasted. It’s in the frozen section at the co-op.
Squirrelly bread??? OMG. I want a hippie co-op.
Speaking of squirrels and Canada… Have you ever been and seen those huge black squirrels they have? The first time I was there, I saw one near the water out if the corner of my eye and couldn’t tell if it was a squirrel or a beaver. So I decided it must be a hybrid: The elusive Canadian Squeaver.
TTF: do they have these in your area?
I have never been to Canada. Yet.
Well when you go… Beware the Squeaver!!!!!
LOL I will be on the lookout
Haha! Sorry I was off the computer for a bit…dragon poop. And Squeavers!!!
Lol, yes, we have huge squirrels! And I have a thing for them. I even name them. This is the most special one. Mr. White. Very rare. Been around for the last four years.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/laafeevertee/11969474573/lightbox/
WHITE SQUEAVER!!!!!
this is especially awesome, Foxy, b/c the unofficial mascot of my mom’s town (Palmyra, PA) is an albino squirrel. They call him whitey and it’s quite the honor to see him frolicking in your yard. I see you’ve met his cousin. :p
Haha! So awesome :-)
What does lychee taste like?
Very hard to describe hippiechick. It’s very sweet and juicy, a bit like grapes can be, but a lot more perfumed.
Dragon Lychee Pearls…this sounds amazing!
I have to agree, Butiki’s lychee oolong is the best lychee tea I’ve had so far.
SQUEAVERS!! ROFL
It makes me think of the Anthony Bourdain episode in the bayou where they ate “sqweazel”.
(just for the record – considering some of you think I eat eat weird – or least unheard of things – squeever and sqweazel are not on the menu in my house)
Thanks teafairy, for the description. :)
Dex you can cover anything in yumyum sauce and make it good. :)
Squeavers are no laughing matter! They’re bloodthirsty beasts! They’ll bite your ankles off!!!! :p
I had a nice oolong afternoon with this baby. All gone now, I had just a enough left to make a Gaiwan session.
This baby is a decadent one.
Floral notes of lilacs, creamy and buttery, with a minty fresh finish.
Love that thick texture, a total PUDDING MOUTH!!
It’s from the highest plantations in the world, maybe that’s why it tastes like the sky…
I’ve reviewed it a few times before, this resteeps for a while, and though it looses its floral notes, it remains creamy and buttery all “oolong”…
Just yum.
I don’t think I got that oolong. I got a couple of their others which I need to try. I hear rumors of a sale though.
Oh lovely! I haven’t tried Butiki’s DYL, but I have Yezi’s and this style is definitely yumz. :)
I got the Da Ye Aged and the Reserve Four Season – LTF made them sound good – I’m gonna break into them and the blue tea tomorrow :D
I love butiki’s oolongs!! Are you planning to try the aged ones this week end Honeybelle?
Sars, I haven’t had Yezi so I can’t compare…but this one is more than lovely!
LTF makes everything sound good! Luckily she always seems to be right! :p
Yes, blue tea!!! Drink it and report back!!! It’s such a party tea. It’s kinda hard not to smile when you drink it. I recommend white tea ware. :)
TTF… You should let me send you some. Seems like the perfect thing for a tea fairy.
Yes I’m gonna try the aged ones and a little TGY and the blue tea. OH and my taster is back and I’m enjoying the SB
Oh, missed the comment where you said “I’m gonna try them tomorrow” lol.
Loke Sars said, can’t wait to find out what you think of them!
TeaFairy, which of the oxidized oolongs would you recommend? I’ve been looking at them and trying to decide! Between the two aged ones, the four season, Doke rolling thunder, and the Gui Fei. I know I’m getting Oriental Beauty! But any suggestions would be awesome. :P
(“Like”, damn typos)
Oh, I got the OB too – I got the leafhopper thingie and got a cute bug magnet.
Dang. Now I want OB
OMG. I got the magnet too, but I swear I’m not tea gear stalking you. It was weeks ago. Isn’t it the cutest thing ever!?!?!
I was not crazy about doke rolling…but Gui Fei is bug bitten, just like OB and they are both fantastic and super honey like!
It is very cute!!! I like bug-bited teas!
I ordered a wee bamboo tea tray for my office today.
With the crazy shipping?
Did you see the cute little cups I got today Missy?
No, with Amamzon even though I’m wanting to quit doing anything with them. I got my assistant to try sheng the other day and it was messy- water and tea on my desk – so I just ordered it. The are a shitload of things I want on that site though
Pics or it never happened. :p
And OMG I totally forgot to show you two!!! I finally found the tea tray of my dreams after weeks of searching.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=350896243321
I did! they were adorable!!! I have that Buddha Hand holding a lotus one coming and the purple one and the crackly one from the other day. I LOVE that earth and stars one you’re getting! All of them are cute
OH that’s PRETTY Sars!!!!!
Wow, very nice sars, and it’s darker like you want!
And where was THIS when I was looking for a work thing????
I’m pretty excited. It was so hard to find a larger tray with the dark finish for a reasonable price. Every time I would find one in my price range, they were sold out. I’m really happy with this one.
That is just the cutest thing ever!!!
Cameron, I just tried a bunch of oolongs in the Education TTB 2; four seasons and oriental beauty were my favorites!
I love that set! Which tray did you end up with, MzP?
I’m excited to try them.
@LTF – RIGHT????
Thanks mj, I did read your notes! :) I’m so jealous, I want to do a Butiki educational box! I’m thinking I’ll definitely get Oriental Beauty and Gui Fei, I may choose another depending on how many things I end up getting… ;)
I,m pretty sure you’ll like them cameron!
Ok…wasn’t going to say anything but….i just got the last cherries of the season. 6 pounds. All to myself…and now, I feel like drinking you know what.
I’m glad you found a beautiful one that makes you happy!
Of course you do – I will drink some with you
Love the tiny tray, just perfect for the office :-)
And thanks for drinking with meeeee!
Kettle just beeped
That little tray is so cute!!!!
I really like that little set with the bamboo cut-out in the top and all the stuff to with it and easily packable though. What is this “Best offer available” thing and how do I do it?
I’m pm-ing you missy!
Because I can return the amazon thing
Make an offer! Woo! Haggling is kinda fun, IMO. :)
It’s not fun so far
Oh. Well poo. :(
MzPrizz that’s a pretty good price for that one. The store where I first saw that type wanted 4-6 dollars more. If you do buy from Shanghai story, I’ve heard that their jinjunmei is pretty good.:)
On a good or a bad day, I have tea. Yes, it’s part of my life everyday. It’s something that brings me pleasure no matter how shitty my day is. I’ll take pleasure over happiness. Happiness isn’t reliable, you can’t expect to be happy everyday even if you want to. But you can experience the pleasure of having tea everyday :-)
Tea pleasure is reliable and measurable. This one is proof to my theory. It’s not a concept, but a moment in time that exists and is seizable, a simple pleasure in its purest form.
It is with such a pride that I broke a piece of my first sheng cake today. I know I have already reviewed this tea not long ago. This is just a quick addition.
It is stunning… a mossy-earthy-smoky feel and fresh minty grassy notes that make it so enjoyable… if that’s even possible, it tastes better than the first time I had it!
Dexter3657, I must thank you again for sending a sample in the first place.
(See previous note)
Very philosophical! ;-)
i love this tea.
Sherapop, I guess this tea is making a philosopher out of me :-)
Sil, how much exactly do you love this tea????
I love it too :)
I love it! probably more than i love what starts at 32:01
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQD9EBCwlQc
Very beautiful philosophical note. I love it!
Thanks Kamyria :-)
Sil: hahaha!!! Of course only YOU could come up with an answer like that…you made me work there, little missy, had to find the exact spot! Good thing I looove me some Parrell <3
(Oops, I meant “Pharrell”)
those stupid things dancing kills me… i’ve been laughing for days…
Yes, and lucky me, now they will be in my head just like the swedish chef has been for I don’t know how many days now, thanks to you!!!
(Are you messing with me? What just happened to Heffalump???)
wall-e wanted to play…
I love this note. You describe the importance of pleasure so perfectly. Thank you!!
Beautiful review, fun video. I love you guys, you make me smile :)
Fab review. So very, vry true.
Are we not a crazy bunch? I think so and may lead the pack!
Aww, you guys are so awesome, thank you :-)
Haha! Mrmopar, yes we are…where else can you find at the same spot references to philosophy, sheng, Heffalump, Wall-e and weird tall yellow dancing mascots????
and don’t forget profanity! LOL
Oh Terri, how could I forget about the most enjoyable part???
Nothing to add but a smile. Good way to start my morning.
:)
I’m ordering it right now based on your review and my love of Sheng
Charles, I don’t have your knowledge with Sheng, but I don’t think you are taking much of a risk by ordering this one, let us know how you enjoy it later :-)
I will. Thank you. :)
hi Fairy, you are a good writer…very poetique:)
Thanks ligongsf, drinking this tea is very inspirational :-)
Happy Wedding to our Dear Steepster Friend Angrboda!
This is a TEA many of us have tasted (but not all) that is
the sweetest of gifts.
May it linger on and on, filling your lives with memories to grow old on and give you joy and laughter.
Blessings to you both from all of us Steepsters
Many MANY happy years to come! We love you!! I toast your new marriage with Butiki’s Pistachio Ice Cream. Goes perfect with the wedding cake! <3
Oh what a grea idea! A tailored tea for the bride :-)
Steepster would not be the same without you, and to follow on Azzrian, I toast you with David’s Tea Buttered Rum that goes perfect with the wedding fiesta!
Best of luck! I’m toasting with Top Leaf asamushi Sencha. Congratulation again, and have fun on the honeymoon!
Congratulations! I’ll enjoy my cup of Adagio’s Yunnan Noir in your honor :)
Cheers to you, our dear Ang! Many many happy years full of ponies, love and laughter :D A toast with Ginger Peach to you!
Congratulations, Angrboda! I toast you with a glass of Ginger Ale Bai Mu Dan – iced. I wish you all the happiness in the world as you start your new life together.
God Grant you both Many Years! I drank White Emperor from Osterlandsk Thehus to celebrate with you!
I wish you lots of joy in your new life together…..and I will have a cuppa Tan Yang Te Ji tomorrow to celebrate your nuptials!
Sending wishes of lots of joy and many happy moments for you two. :D :D
Congrats ~ I toast you with a mug of Butterbeer.
Congrats girlie!!!!! Woot!!!
Hope it was a wonderful wedding day! Many blessings on your marriage!
Again congrats on your wedding. I wish you both much happiness and many years together!
Have a beautiful life with your hubby!
Mabuhay! and may your life be a one of woven branches, drawing your lives closer and making them richer with your union. Best wishes on a amazing life together
Best wishes and CONGRATS!!
Congrats! Hoping for many healthy, blissful years to come!
Congrats tea friend, that is awesome!! best wishes to you and the hubs :)
congrats!!!
Tillykke med dit bryllup, Angrboda! I wish the best for you and your husband.
Thank you everybody. I’m toasting back with cherry roiboos cold brew.
ok seriously? SOOOO GOOOOOOO! i don’t have time to dig into this tea and get a proper tasting not but thank you so much Cteresa for this one. More to come later but this made my day SOOOOOO much better for being in it!
i’ll be right back…… i have to go click a button……..
argh! i should have stopped with clicking….. but no, i had to be literate. lol.
I did the same (guilty) I must have! :(
Clearly I’m brain addled tonight..what are you guys going to click?
Added to shopping list… Dreaming one day that this will be mine
Yep…I totally didn’t even think of that….my bed is clearly calling to me. I really wish I could try more teas froth is company. I hate their website and the vague descriptions though…maybe I can save enough for a random weekend to France lol just cause
your random weekend in france? just for tea shopping? i think about it all the time. all. the. time.
(which bag will i take and how little can i pack. thus the more room for tea. etc etc) i’ll meet you there.
Shmiracles – uh a weekend…you only need a change of clothes, pack your carry on size suitcase into a bigger one…then you have two to fill and come back with
Sil, you are a genius.
i told her that earlier. i don’t think she believed me, lol.
LOL, do let me know what you think – and funnily enough, do you know Thé-o-dor makes two black teas with chocolate, hazelnut and vanilla (though a lot more vanilla in the other one). Thé du Loup and Celebration, and they manage to be totally different, while both very good, black teas with chocolate and hazelnut.
sil, weekend tea shopping is sort of bad, because most stores are closed on sunday (Dammann at Place des Vosges is though). But maybe you could put all your tea shopping into saturday :)
About their site, it is horrible indeed, but there is a little trick, if you search for an ingredient or part of a tea´s name, there shows up a list with a short UP-TO-THE-POINT description which is priceless. I have tried to edit their tea entries right here on steepster to always include that ingredient list, but you know, people sometimes prefer the longer precious texts.
(i love this thread) (i love chocolate vanilla hazelnut teas and i love this thread) (see you all in paris)
cteresa…oh i ADORE this tea…it’s wonderful and amazing and so good and i MIGHT be slightly more in love with it than wedding imperial, but don’t tell the tea that! ;)
and drat it, meant Dammann is open on sundays, about only place I can think of (a very nice tip from ysaurella)
And no, I will not tell Wedding Imperial that, but I am of the same opinion as well – and wish i had celebration, so you could try it as well. Discussing those teas with another steepsterite, the description I could think of is Thé du Loup is Audrey Hepburn, Celebration is Sofia Loren – both awesome and beautiful and classy, just different styles.
cteresa – I have my hand on the button ready order directly from theodor…i was actually thinking of getting: the du loup; celebration; marabout and caramel…just need to decide if i want to just do it!
HAHAHA i just made a cart with all those same teas in it haha
LMAO ok that’s funny..
i also have a cart built from cadeaux deco vendomme with damman freres tea: puerh gourmand; fleurilege and caramel/toffee…
OMG WHAT WHO WHAT IS THAT DO THEY SHIP HERE!? are you messing with me.
lol no….YYZ found them…posted about them for those advent calenders. well they also sell tea..and it seems to be 8 euro shipping..the only sad part? they don’t have charlotte au chocolate
but they DO have coquelicot gourmand. it tastes like jammie dodgers. i’m so totally placing an order. this is messed up. and awesome.
i didn’t like that one as much…and i’m trying not to order 1kg of tea… LOL
blech…the o dor is 25euro shipping to canada + tax. forget that nonsense sigh
You guys are hilarious. :D
says the woman who bought HOW much tea when she was LUCKY enough to go to france?
Yes I sit here on my high horse, hahaha. I’d be with you guys right now if it wasn’t for that trip
i can’t really complain…you helped me eliminate some from my list of “wants” as well haha
I went on a little day dream with this thread! Mouth watering non the less. Oh to be in Paris. I wish and hope one day. These teas sound amazing! Hazelnut anything count me in! Chocolate as well! Even better! And vanilla? Wow! Sold! I wish…
so.good.
Rub it in! :p
haha i only have enough for a cup left…then i need to decide if i splurge on ordering!
Oh decisions decisions
This week has been pretty busy for us. We just got back from vacation mid week which was really a work vacation and will start prepping for another office closure as we will probably be taking off for another 2 weeks in about two weeks but this time for a real vacation. Also, we received in a ton of tea, including many new teas. We are also changing up a few teas. Here is a sneak peek of just a few of the many changes:
Adding: Hattialli Golden Paw (very similar to our Hattialli Golden Lion)
Changing: Irish Cream Cheesecake. Based on the reviews, we are thinking the base is just wrong for the flavoring. We used our everyday Sourenee, which is very good but also very fickle. It can be pretty challenging to get that tea to its sweet spot and it can turn astringent if the water cools too much.
Changing: Sourenee. We are exchanging the current everyday Sourenee for a very high quality limited edition Sourenee.
Adding: Hello Sweetie. It’s coming soon but first we will be doing a promotion with it.
Changing: Da Yu Ling. We moved too slowly on the Da Yu Ling for the winter harvest but the Fu Shou Shan is a fantastic replacement!
Adding: A baked Ali Shan.
Mi Xian: Just a little warning. We are low on Mi Xian right now and will not be able to get more when we run out as it is scarce at the moment.
These are just a few additions and changes. There are many more to come and many more flavors in the works, including the Custom Blend Contest tea which is getting close to finishing the recipe. We will also be removing a few flavors and teas that just aren’t up to the standards of the rest of the teas. I would love to hear any suggestions from anyone who believes there is a tea that should be removed from our collection.
On to the tea! This harvest has a slightly deeper dark chocolate note. There really isn’t much difference from this harvest and the last harvest but the chocolate is stronger and the malt is slightly stronger. There are less stems, which is fantastic! The upgrade version on the other hand has some cherry notes that were not detectable in the previous version.
YES Hello Sweetie! And Hattialli Golden Paw. :)
Courtney-Glad to hear you are excited about those 2! :)
Very excited to be able to try Hello Sweetie!
Also the others haha, but especially those two.
Excited about Hello Sweetie too, but also a little sad that the Irish cream cheesecake is changing. It was one of my favorites from my last order! Hope you have a great vacation in a couple of weeks :)
Hello Sweetie!!!
I have a lot of Butiki teas from the BF sale, and from what I grabbed off other people, but I WILL be buying 2oz+ of that one… And to make the shipping worth it, I guess I’ll have to get some more Caramel Vanilla Assam etc.
Will you give us all warning on the blends which are being removed? Just in case some of them are near and dear to our hearts?
Oh my! Hello Sweetie and a baked Ali Shan. Be still my heart. :D
Wow, lots of changes, everything sounds really good!
As for the teas that should be removed, the one that comes to mind is apricot Guayusa, never did anything for me, but doesn’t mean it no good, just my own personal taste.
I had stock up on Taiwanese Assam, but now I’m running low…hmmm, for the upgrade, did you really mention cherry notes??? OMG!!! I might be in trouble…
P.S. I won’t wish you a good vacation in february cause I just know it will be awesome :-)
Hello sweetie!!! Been dying to try that and the hattialli golden paw and Ali Shan!!! I have soooooooooookko much tea from you from BF though!!! So much!!!
i need more caramel vanilla….. and i think i have to have a hoard stash of black lotus. i drink it and it makes me poetical— i think that’s a sign, don’t you? and btw, the fact that steepster’s auto correct is not freaking over the word ‘poetical’ is HYSTERICAL! it must be a fan of firefly…..
Roswell Strange-Excellent! Glad to hear that you guys are looking forward to that one. It turned out so good!
Stephanie-Well, I hope you like the new version! I’m glad you enjoyed the old version. Thanks for the vacation wishes! :)
Cavocorax-The Hello Sweetie won’t be coming out completely until March, so you have some time. :) We will be giving some warnings when we decide which blends are getting chopped. I’m not quite sure which ones will go. All of the popular, highly rated teas will definitely be staying.
Moraiwe-Glad to hear you are interested in those two :)
TheTeaFairy-And those are just some of the changes. I can think of at least 10 new additions that I didn’t mention, including maybe one of Stephanie’s tea entries. I think you might be right about the Apricot Guayusa. It really has only stayed around as long as it has because a friend of mine requests it. I always make her a pot of it with a cinnamon stick and rock sugar. Oh yeah, I am definitely tasting cherry notes. Well, my February vacation is changing a bit but not sure how yet. Unfortunately, I tore a tendon in my foot pretty badly from ignoring my plantar fascistis and continuing to stay on my feet despite doctor warnings. Not sure how the vacation will change but will definitely be traveling less. Thanks for the vacation wishes, I will definitely have a good time!
BrewTEAlly Sweet-Glad to hear you are interested in the Hello Sweetie! A big thanks to James on that one, for letting the tea go wherever it goes.
JustJames-Hahaha, poetical. Love that word. Glad you are a fan of The Black Lotus. I love that one so much! :)
Oh nooo! That’s pretty tragic about your foot, so sorry about that…Hmmm, I understand why it might change your plans a little, that would suck though. I’m sure you will figure figure out something no matter what :-)
It will be hard to resist ordering soon…( keep it quiet, but I’m suppose to be on a tea hiatus)
TheTeaFairy-Of course it had to happen now. Doh! I can’t complain though, I have certainly had my fill of fun vacations. I know this will be fun too, even if scaled back. No worries, your secret is safe with me…and the rest of the internet. :D
Tea fairy… The two assams are totally different teas imo. I prefer the non upgraded version, but the upgraded one is tasty, but just a different tea. If youth in k of it as an upgrade to PTA, it falls short….treat it like a new tea:)
Sil-This upgrade harvest is a little bit different though. :)
SO excited for Hello Sweetie! :D When I read the description for it, I positively whimpered that it was a custom blend, haha. Especially since PTA is the base!
So glad that PTA and Upgrade are back in stock. :D I haven’t tried out all the teas I got from my last order from you, but I’m already loading up a cart for another. I miss my two PTAs!
… Just promise me that Foxy Roxy Banana Walnut Treat isn’t going. D: If it were to be discontinued, I think I’d go crazy and buy ALL of it and make it last as long as possible. xD
Will Mi Xian be gone forever? Or just until the next harvest?
For obvious reasons, I also hope you’re not removing Foxy Roxy :-)
No worries guys, Foxy Roxy is here to stay!
Chizakura-Glad to hear that Hello Sweetie sounds interesting to you. PTA is my morning tea, I’m glad its back too! I was rationing my tea out for that one.
It’s one of my favorites. At the moment its scarce but hopefully not for too long.
I meant to say that Mi Xian is one of my favorites and is scarce, not the PTA. Just wanted to clarify in case that is confusing.
Aw, I seem to have a curse where my favorite Butikis relatively few others dig and they get changed or discontinued! I’m not complaining really, I totally understand, but it’s funny being the odd duck out. I mean this as a compliment, not a complaint, but I love the Irish Cream Cheesecake! I’ve been drinking it as a breakfast tea and loving it that way, where it’s brisk like a breakfast blend but with that treaty reward for getting out of bed, ha. Looking forward to seeing what’s new and excited about Hello Sweetie!
oooo… I hope Pistachio Ice Cream isn’t going anywhere. I love that tea.
lolainred-Pistachio Ice Cream is safe! That was one of the first teas we made!
As you may know by now, I love taking tea and nature photos. I’m just a casual photographer with no special skills, but I like to capture life’s unexpected blissful moments. One morning this week, I checked out my window and this is what I saw:
http://instagram.com/p/rHsiYJQh_C/
The beauty in this world…simple pleasures, big rewards…such as this tea.
It’s delicate and yet so powerful. When you drink it, you are taken by its beauty.
I brewed it Laoshan Style, in a tall glass. This is reminiscent of my beloved Sleeping Bear of course, the jasmine part.
It’s fresh and floral, but not overly perfumed. The name is just right…for being in the rain and by the river quite often in my neck of the woods, I can appreciate that.
It’s so sweet and a little nutty. It’s not very grassy or herbaceous for a green tea, a thing that might appeal to non green tea lovers.
The perfect afternoon companion, while Steepstering and reading a book…
<3
Beautiful picture!
I still can’t beleive I took a pic of Bambi!
You should have rubbed its belly :)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/01/baby-deer-belly-rub-cuddle-freaks-out_n_5641931.html?ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000063
Omg…poor thing though, I almost cried. Hope the mother did not abandon it.
Beautiful!
Gorgeous!
Oh me too! I just thought it was cute how much it liked having its belly rubbed
So Cool! I miss living in an area where animals visited me, living in the suburbs is so not for me. Awesome photo, thank you for sharing!
Thanks guys….
and mj, no worries I’m just over sensitive, you always find cutest things :-)
Amanda, I’ve had my share of living in the big city and the suburbs, until I found my spot. hope you find yours too :-)
Bambi is cute :)
What a cutie! My mom lives down a dirt road, so I’m used to seeing Bambis and Thumpers, but I swear the Florida heat fries their brains and I’ve almost hit one more than once when they decide that the perfect time to jump across the dirt road is right when I’m driving by. My favorite though are the bears, they’re so. freaking. cute! especially the little cubs. Ugh, I miss the wild life, but I don’t miss the 8 legged freaks.
Now following you on Instagram.
WP, you must have your share of Bambis in your forest too :-)
mandy, I don’t have that many, that’s why I get so excited when I see one! And I loooove the bears!!! But yes, I do have to deal with the 8 legged beasts :-o
Donkeytiara, following back :-)
I swear, I only see the deer on the road, not on my actual property, so I get more excited when I see one while someone else is driving, because I’m the worst driver, and they always make my heart pound of my chest when they dart in front of me.
Especially since I actually hit a deer with a 4wheeler when it did that to me when I was younger. He ran off, and I was going slow enough that I don’t think I hurt him, but I was crying so hard that someone had to drive my 4wheeler back for me. I was devastated.
Also, followed you (;
Mandy that makes me think of The Gilmore Girls where Rory was hit by a deer while she was driving.
Oh, that’s so sad mandy…hope you didn’t get hurt, its very dangerous.
Following you back!
Marzipan it was very much like that, haha
TTF I was going 5 maybe 10 miles an hour, physically I was fine, just very scared that I hurt him
Yeah, i totally get that…I would have been been too.
I really need to start instagramming again…
Yeah, I’m doing it. I still don’t quite have the hang of it yet, but you can follow me here http://instagram.com/whisperingpinestea :-)
Great, I’ll follow brenden…I kind of like it now that I got the hang of it myself :-)
This tasting note and all of the comments are making me think that I need to start an instagram….
I actually started only last week clint because of this:
http://steepster.com/discuss/3958-steepster-members-on-instagram?page=1
It’s fun!
I suppose I’ll make one then! Peer pressuuuuure
Lol, Just do it!!!
Don’t forget to link us :-)
I might make one just so I can write smoochy notes to WP.
Yes, I’ll post my smoochy note there too…
I made one! Time to start following people and taking pictures! Wooo
Clint, are you paperduckins???
I heart you and your mini bambi!
Yup, I am paperduckins! I haven’t had a chance to post any pictures or anything yet though :(
No problems clint, following you ;-)
Mini tuocha, please help a fairy in needs of relief! I ate too much. When I do, puerh always comes to rescue. I don’t know how it can be so soothing, but it just is. I don’t have digestion problems at all. Usually. But…from time to time, things happen.
Oh, I was a bad, bad, fairy tonight, yes I was…
If you’ve been reading my notes for a while, you know I’m some kind of a health freak. Proud Vitamix owner for many years, name any fruit/veggie combination, I have had it. I don’t care much for sugar, eat lots of fish, love quinoa and leafy greens.
Having said that, I do like me some piece of meat every now and then, and I have been known for eating anything dark chocolate in excess…
But I have another flaw…( wine doesn’t count, it’s a fruit portion, Roughage said it, and he’s very smart and knowlegable) It’s a big flaw…to this day, a secret one. I’m willing to share with you Steepster friends, but husssssh, please keep it quiet: I’m a sucker for boxed KD mac & cheese. I know, I know, its no good…but I like it. There. It’s out.
Today being a migraine day (all gone now, thanks to a friend who kept my mind busy in the right way!), I needed something to indulge for dinner. After a lot of consideration, I’ve decided to open THE cupboard, the one locked under a secret code and pulled out an «in case of emergency» KD box.
I crushed some Herbes de Provence and parmesan cheese to make it «gourmet» (yes, there is such a thing as Gourmet KD in my kitchen!) and put the dish under broil for a few minutes. Needless to say, I ate the whole thing. No veggies. Just 100% pure carbs. I’m full. Burp. (Oops!!!)
Thanks mini Tuocha for supporting me.
Steepster fellows, please don’t judge me…
(See previous note)
Oh god. This is too funny. I laughed at the Mac & cheese first. Then at the herbs de Provence on it. Not having grown up in North America I don’t get the Mac & cheese. But My common law spouse is born and raised Canadian. I tried making gourmet Mac n cheese from scratch and don’t you know it, it ain’t as good as the boxed shit. I guess unless it’s glowing orange it just don’t cut it.
Haha way to be making it super gourmet.
Nxdoor, I think KF is engraved in us North Americans, it’s in our DNA, lol!
Fjellrev, it’s still crap, but I’d rather have gourmet crap than just plain crap, don’t you agree?
You’re right about that! I never thought about sprucing up KD like that.
OMG, just noticed I wrote KF instead of KD, lol! Corrected, must be my dyslexia, KF as in Kraft probably?
I pimp my food all the time, it’s my creative side :-)
I love my vitamix,it gets used every morning…everyone has a weakness…haha
Aw, thanks cryptickoi, glad to know I’m not the only one enjoying my green morning juice! Isn’t it a life changer? How long have you been using yours?
LOL Oh no! Not boxed KD! I’m not judging, I swear I’m not judging… lol I’m not much better myself lately.. I’m a fellow health freak currently on a massive comfort food binge… I really want to eat more veggies, I really do, it’s just that my hands are doing what they want and not picking them out of the fridge lately!
Kamyria, don’t be too hard on yourself, we all need some comfort binging. Fruits and veggies will still be there when your hands return,haha!
I’ve only had mine for about 6mos. but I’ve been doing protein/superfood smoothies every morning for 3 years I guess…
LOL! Same dirty secret here, but with Penzey’s Sunny Paris or Ruth Ann’s Muskegon Avenue spices added! The gooier it is, the better it tastes. Al dente, of course!
I’m sort of a health nut too…I really wish there were a lot more organic choices when it came to teas…
Ashmanra, listen to us, who are we kidding? gourmet al dente KD really? lol, as if it’s some kind of delicatessen. Oh well, I guess it is to us! Thanks for also sharing your secret! (Now gotta look for those spice blends!)
Closet KD lover as well. I like garlic sausage, onion, and tomato added. Al dente? sorry nope – over cooked and mushy for me. KD isn’t real pasta. LOL
now I’m thinking dark chocolate with berries and ripe pu…mmm…
Another KD lover here! Only time I got tired of it was when I ate a lot of it as a first year student lol, now I’m back to loving it :) dill, garlic/garlic powder, salt and pepper for me on it, in various combinations of the 4. :)
Cryptickoi, me too for 3 years, but luckily, I started with the Vitamix. Wow, it must have made a huge difference for you, after 2.5 years with a regular blender! It’s a leap of faith financially but it is worth every penny. I don’t always add protein powder (the vegetal kind) cause most of the time I add whole almonds, hemp and chia seeds, and greek yogurt. So delicious!
yeah,regular blenders suck…haha
OMG, people, I think we all came out at the same time, lol, Dexter, leave the closet open!!!
Had no clue there were so many KD lovers here :-)
Miss Lena, sounds delicious!
Dexter sausages for real??? Not judging, but, you know…
LOL garlic sausage isn’t the same as breakfast sausage, but yes I KNOW. It’s ok, ham works well too….
It’s hard not to love mac and cheese. It’s such a pure comfort food. And the Kraft version is sort of the gold standard. I’m so glad my kids have graduated from mac and cheese every other night or so as it keeps me out of trouble! I like the gussied up versions too, though I can do without the breadcrumbs that seem to be de rigueur for the gourmet types. I have to confess that we like Annie’s shells also, though I try to limit myself to just a taste!
Morgana, yes I can imagine how being exposed to it every other night is a bad, bad thing for mom, lol! Not much of a breadcrumbs fan either…
Mmm all this KD talk is making me want to make some..too bad we don’t have any in the house at the moment! Popcorn it is :)
You get my seal of approval, MissLena!
I love browning some butter in a pan and adding the cheese sauce mixed with a bit of milk to cook and melt it before adding the noodles back. That’s how I ‘gourmet it up’!
OMGsrsly, welcome to our KD outing then, sounds great :-)
We saw an episode of Diners Driveins and Dives where they made a fancy smancy mac & cheese with a ton of different cheeses. We went to the trouble of finding them all and trying it. Ehh. We are back to the good stuff made with Velveeta instead of water is in that pouch and throw in some hot dogs. I can almost hear my arteries snapping shut.
Yes bad for the arteries, but so good for the soul :-) KS, doesn’t it feel good to embrace this decadent habit of ours?
I got a case of Annie’s gluten free. So tempting to go home and make it, but I’m off grains until the end of the month! This is the first time I’ve actually been tempted. KD is miracle comfort food for sure. :)
Wow this is blueberry!
Out of all the teas I picked up today, this one smells the strongest and most true to it’s flavour. Opening the bag filled the room with delicious sweet blueberry!
I made it iced in our new children’s leakproof togo cup… what? My boyfriend spills a lot. haha! It’s super cute though. Sadly they were out of the stickers :(
Oops got off track. Okay this tea was pretty good iced (awesome sweet blueberry flavour, no crazy stevia aftertaste. Honestly when blended right I consider stevia the same as any other additive like chamomile or mint leaves, and this is blended perfectly) BUT – it is just screaming at me to be an iced latte.
I’m a sucker for milk with a black base. So next time – latte it is :)
Edit: Oh yeah – the reason we went on a mini Davids shopping spree?
I got the job. :D
I am now secretary to the Education dept! Not the highest of jobs, but I should be promoted within the year so… yay!
Hooray! Hooray for you!!! Got the job buy the tea!
yaaaaay!!! Congratulations! And you’re working for education! A noble calling. :) Will you be seeing kiddies or is this one of those administrative buildings far removed from an actual school?
Thank you! Ah this is far away from any school sadly. Apparently my coworkers are quite awesome though – so that should keep things interesting I hope!
Coworkers can definitely make or break a job. :)
Congrats on the new job!
Congrats!!!
Congrats!
Congrats on the job!
Woo hoo!
Congrats! The tea sounds yummy too!
ThankyouThankyou everyone! First thing will be training, second will be assessing the dimensions of tea-making possibilities.
Congrats on the job! Yay for tea sprees!
Congrats on the promotion! yippee!!!
Yay!! congrats, mucho congrats!!!!
Congratulations! Awesome! We now both work in the same field!
The secretaries are some of the most respected positions in Education because, well, when it comes down to it, they are the ones who really know what going on in a building; it’s like the famous line from that song, “I’VE GOT THE POWER!” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BRv9wGf5pk
(btw, Bonnie inspired me to look up that song on YouTube).
Congratulations.
Yay for you!
I really want to try this tea! And I totally want the kids tumbler even if it costs a little more. I want leakproof and well…gosh darn it, it is soooo cute!
Congrats for the job! :)
Thanks! It’s truly SimpliciTEA – I’ve worked a job like this before – you need to know the answer to every question and most people don’t even know how to photocopy their own stuff haha! That’s where we come in ;)
As for the tumbler – it’s seriously 100% leafproof! The lid is super unique but I tested it in my purse and shook it around like a madman – no leaks.
Woot!! Congratulations!!! :D
Certainly a great way to celebrate! Congrats
Thanks for the wonderful review and congrats on the new job!
I got the tumbler today and have some Tropicalia in it (iced of course). Tried the Blueberry Jam tea today, hot with milk and sugar, and it was quite pleasing. I can see how it would be good iced, and I may end up getting a bag to do some cold steeping of this in my new tumbler.
Holy wow, congratulations!
Wow – love at first sip!
My new Buttercream! :D It doesn’t have the same flavour notes as Buttercream, but it is naturally sweet like it (naturally as in no added sugar by me!) and it is delicious.
The first sip was an immediate reaction – oh my gah it tastes like chocolate chip cookie dough without the chocolate chips. That’s always my favourite part of cookie dough, smooth and sweet and buttery – yum!
I kept my tea bag in for about 10-20 minutes (I was in training) – I found that at 15 minutes (it didn’t get bitter at all) but it started to lose it’s signature cookie dough taste. At 5-10 minutes it shone and was great! So I say, don’t be afraid to keep the leaves in, but don’t use boiling water – experiment, smell and take sips as you go. Don’t put your leaves in and forget them for 10 minutes lol, everyone’s process is different!
On a different note, any “tea budget” has gone to Lush for the moment. How sad! At least I can get some DT with a small discount when I’m craving. Not that I don’t have enough tea, oi!
Haha yes Lush seems to be getting everyone’s money at this time of year :D
GAH! I had just one more tea in my cupboard than on my shopping list, and then this review came along. Now they’re neck and neck! [shakes fist] =]
I NEED THIS.
Sounds deeeelish!
Thanks for the tips about steeping it longer. I probably wouldn’t have thought that since I’m so afraid of oversteeping.
Do you work at DT? Or work somewhere else that gives you a DT discount?
Oh even at 3-5 mins it was tasty too, so it’s a very versatile tea! Love it!
I work at the mall where DT is, and all mall workers get a 10% discount! Not much, but hey, it’s something! :)
I like versatili-tea. [groan] Sorry.
Hahahahaha, I read your review after posting mine, and said a few nearly identical things! Did you try it with boiling water, as I did? (Well, mine was a few degrees below boiling. I was skeptical, but tried anyhow.)
Yep! 94 degrees! I’ll have to pick some up if I come into money mysteriously ;) lol
I had some today and I was like, it really does taste like cookie dough. I know this will be an awesome latte too. I had it with milk and sugar, but milk was not frothy.
Omg, more like love at first sniff!!! (: <3
Cookie dough white tea? Hmmm.
FYI: I was looking this up on the website to see how long to steep when I saw it’s hugely on sale right now. Thought you might want to know. http://www.davidstea.com/cookie-dough-250g-en?&TF=&DEID=
December 1, 2012 Yu Lu Yan Cha Tea arrived as a present to me.
I should be considering others, but couldn’t resist the temptation!
My main concentration was on taste and scent (which is what I will discuss). All measurements were as suggested by Verdant.
Method: Gaiwan: http://youtu.be/bp31QnuVPd4 (Wang Yanxin Brewing Yu Lu Yan Cha Black Tea)
There was 1 quick wash, followed by multiple steepings of 5-10 seconds (longer steeps with each pour). The liquor was medium gold then deeper gold, clear and vibrant.
Taste and Scent:
There was nothing predictable about this tea.
No taste or scent that I could compare it to. This isn’t Laoshan Black or Zhu Rong. Not a cleaver morphing of Golden Fleece either.
To compare one to another would be a type of Tea Blasphemy.
I took one small sip of the golden liquor and thought ‘butter’….
Off in a trailing thought…‘butter’…‘butter’….smooth and sweet and then… ‘potato’…and nothing after that.
I sat.
“What is this tea?” I wondered. There’s no chocolate flavor like the others (comparing the incomparable Verdant Black Tea’s), it’s malty, but not with a maltiness that I’ve ever tasted before.
Again I calmed myself, remembering not to rush even though I was excited. This was like opening a gift I’d been waiting for!
I poured the second steep and drank again, noticing the fragrance.
Sweet Vietnamese Cinnamon with a hint of honeysuckle floral that began to wrap around my head like the ‘Dance of the Sugerplum Fairies’. Oh yes…sweet…pastry and candies like a plate of Snickerdoodles in the Copoco Honey Shop.
There I was, sitting on my sofa but not there at all.
All I was thinking about was the Sweet Shop in Old Town.
The zillions of white twinkley lights in the trees up and down College Avenue that turn on magically at dusk every evening from October to March. Kilwins Candy Shop with handmade candies begging me to enter with the scent of fresh caramel popcorn and chocolates.
It was the buttery caramel, the spun sugar so light that a breath could crack it that drew me in past the doorway.
The tea tasted and smelled like that thinnest sweet, buttery spun sugar with a hint of honey. Somehow, the feeling is like the candy commercial on TV where the lady is looking in the window of the store and what you see is the reflection of her as a young girl.
I don’t understand how the sweetness, potato, butter, malty, honey, caramel and cinnamon flavors all dance together with such abandon on the lightest of tea toes without a mishap. What a show!
This is another exquisite tea!
Happy Tea To You! Happy Tea To Me! My Holiday’s Are in Full Swing!
http://youtu.be/eQemvyyJ—g Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy on the Glass Armonica
http://flic.kr/p/dtcfQA The Lights.
Want!
Ahhhh jealousss!!!! Still have to wait a few days before my pouch of this arrives and now I’m even more impatient!
Oh man now I’m totally impatient to gt this one
Our order is en route, Sil!
I’ll be interested in how this will taste Western Brewed. The Gaiwan method was so good.
Love a tea that brings Fairies to my cup :-) This act of Tchaikovsky Casse noisette (Nutcraker) puts me instantly in a Holiday mood, thanks for bringing that to my Sunday morning Bonnie!
Awww, I almost bought this one and then opted not to. Shucks.
Bonnie you are a wizard of words. This sounds SO yummy
BE CAREFUL NOT TO OVERSTEEP!
I love your description Bonnie and I agree! Do not oversteep! I tried this tea the first time using the brewing steps in the video and it turned out quite lovely! (I love the slight cooling sensations that dance across your palate!) I didn’t prefer a western style brew for this tea.. It came out strong and savory in a strange way….in my opinion, steeping it out gongfu style is definitely the way to go with this tea! I love this tea, it’s such a comforting tea, I feel like I could drink it everyday!
Wow Paul! I wish I was in your small farm community Senior Center! They are so fortunate to have you!
love the images you connected to
Thank you Kashyap!
I hope you weave your stories into your tea reviews! I want to hear more! Sounds like a good book to me! Tell your crew hello!
Paul, I play at retirement homes quite often, and there is one that I have played at on the 2nd tuesday of each month for 12 or 13 years now, during what they call “High Tea with Harp”. I love going there to play for them, they all call me ‘young lady’ (I’m 54, which IS young there), and of course, they are just drinking lipton from teabags, and having some cookies, but it’s one of my favorite gigs ever.
Let’s just get one thing clear here. This will probably not be news to most of you.
Fujian black = OM NOM NOM NOM!!!
That said, let’s move on.
I should do a proper intro first. You see, you may have heard about this here massive order I put in with Le Palais des Thes recently. Massive. Massive, Steepsterites. When the boyfriend came home and saw the opened box, this is what happened.
“That’s for work, right?” says he.
“Um, no…” says I.
I was being Looked At
“What?” says I, somewhat defensively.
“That’s enough tea for an army!” says he.
innocent look says I.
That was when I decided to not tell him about this order, although it’s much more reasonable in size with only three different teas. And yes, the LPdT one did get slightly out of hand. Slightly.
So the TeaVivre order arrived today. I have tinned it and hidden as much of the evidence as I could in my own room. I recently rearranged the Tea Corner slightly, so I’m counting on him not noticing the three extra tins that have appeared.
If he sees them, he’ll mock me for weeks.
So that’s the current status in my house. Yup. Sneaky tea. At least I don’t have to hide it in a desk drawer like I do with chocolate when I get cravings after having told him to help me cut down on snacking and sweets.
Now, tying it all back to the very beginning of the post, anybody who has known me for a while will know that when it comes socks-in-orbit-awesome, nothing, and I do mean NOTHING, surpasses Tan Yang in my opinion. I love all Fujian blacks, I’ve never met one in recent history that I didn’t, but Tan Yang is the very definition of tea perfection for me. Bai Lin came close, but not quite there. A little less wild, a little more well behaved. I love the wacky feel to Tan Yang that I get some times, when it seems to display multiple personalities between steeps, and often between sips if brewed Just So.
I have to say that the first sip of this one had me eyeing the cup suspiciously. I have, it appears, been drinking the wrong Bai Lin. This one hits almost all the markers that I love about Tan Yang. The only one missing the wacky feeling, but I can’t tell that from just one cup anyway. It might be there.
There’s nothing well behaved about this. It’s loud and self assured. It marches into the room shouting, “BAI LIN IS HERE! HI FANS!” It’s not at all subtle, but it seduces me all the same.
But I expect you lot wants to know about my experience in more descriptive terms as well. The aroma is malty sweet and a bit grainy. I got a whiff of caramel, but only because the flavour told me to look for it. You see, this has a pretty good caramel-y note. It’s mostly in the aftertaste and it reminds me of the dulche de leche (an expensive and rare luxury) I had on toast for breakfast this morning. The body of the sip is all long and grainy and dark, but at the very front was where I found the real surprise. Sort of prickly, kinda floral and kinda almost pseudo-smoky! More floral than smoky, but it was definitely pointing vaguely in that direction.
And that, I expect, is what broke the Good Boy image for this one. That’s the sort of thing I expect from Keemuns and Tan Yang. This tea definitely feels male to me, which is peculiar, because all other Bai Lins I’ve had struck me as rather more female tasting.
(Yes, flavours occasionally have genders. They sometimes have colours too.)
OMG I loved the sneaking tea story! My friends and family are attempting to tea-intervention me soon so I totally get it!
Good stuff, in terms of black tea it comes second just after Jin Jun Mei for me (haven’t tried Tan Yang yet).
Barley tastes purple. I love how our dirty little secrets are tea orders and we hide tea the way some people hide booze. LOL! Lately I have taken to loudly announcing that I have to order tea for my son, or for my daughter, and they are paying us back. No need to mention that there are several tins for me included in that order, right? :)
I have the mailroom guys at work making comments like, “So, you haven’t ordered any tea in a while …” For some reason they find it hugely amusing that I get tea shipped to me.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a post get 37 likes before, but this one definitely deserves it! I laughed out loud at your story. I could totally see you surrounded by tea packets and your boyfriend walking in the room, stopping, and staring like you’d gone mad. Hahahahaahhaa!! Priceless! What a wonderful tea story, and I think all us tea fanatics can relate in one way or another.
Good News Mi Lan Dancong Black is now available on the Verdant Website
Pre-release Preview Review Thank you David Duckler for this Sample
Last week I received my order of Laoshan White Tea…so happy to open the Verdant box. There was a note from David Duckler and 2 pouches of samples with handwritten labels that both said ‘Pre-release Preview’ and the name of the tea!
I’ve waited days to try the first tea. No distractions. I wanted to do a proper job of being quiet and still. Sometimes I tell a story with a tea review. A vision will come easily. Today, I had many visions of moonless phosphorescent lagoons and tropical flora. An Island lived on and others traveled to. The visions were many and mine alone. I don’t know why.
The flavors and tastes I am able to share with more ease.
Here are the directions:
4 tsp. tea leaves, 4oz. boiling water
rinse 1 second
steep 3 seconds and add 1 second for each additional steeping
(I followed this method for 3 steepings then switched to Geoffrey’s method of 6 oz water and 8 seconds on the 4th steeping)
The wet leaves smelled initially roasty and vegital, then more and more like tobacco.
The color of the liquor began as a light gold then changed and remained vibrant golden ocre and clear.
Steepings:
Flavor discriptions:
1. Shock! Is this a Black tea or a Dragonwell?
The first taste was such a surprise of sweet, succulent juiciness.
I was caught up in a rush, cream and floral smashing at full force then zoom…all the way to roasted pork loin with crispy skin and the scent of sugared stone fruit at the bottom of my cup. Wow! That was fast! Like the first Star Wars hyperspeed to warp speed…then jump to Lightspeed!
Pause
2. I experienced a little tannin and bitterness for a split second up front. Then, it was all gone. A sweetness swooshed around me like a golden cape of perfect burre blanc sauce with salted yellow plantain. Thick, sweet… ending with freshly sliced mango dripping with fruit sugar. Impossible! This was so tropical for a black tea!
I had to stop and catch my breath!
3. The tea smelled like risotto with a hint of saffron. This was the best flavor. There was no bitterness and the tannin was way back on the tongue. Sweet, honey, creamy with the mango lighty coupled with D’anjou pear. Um um um lick your lips good!
4. Following Geoffrey’s (Business Manager at Verdant) sensibility, I steeped the leaves a little longer to see what would happen.
Ok…
This was the first time I could absolutely tell this was truly a black tea. (I thought there was a mystery involved earlier. A cloak was disguising this Black Dancong.)
Now I remembered some black teas from Napal. Those lavish border blacks that have fruity lightness and are deeply rich that I adore.
The sugar noted in earlier steepings had become wildflower honey and there was a new nutty, salty, pecan flavor in the background that was so light and delicious. The previous fruit and a new floral softness was playfully dancing in my cup as if they had always been present together.
At that moment, all of it came together. The swirl of all three previous tastings and this final one ended with clarity…. of settling down.
I have never experienced a Black Tea like this one. It was like an oolong, a darjeeling or dragonwell and then not. Then again a Black Tea!
Some tea’s are exquisitly Beautiful! Full of private visions!
Some Sparkle!
This Mi Lan Dancong is one of those special tea’s filled with Radiance.
Wow, this review leaves me speechless Bonnie…amazing!
the stories you weave Bonnie! I am in Puerto Rico now… *sighs
Thank you, I took out the Puerto Rico part. I was talking about the water (at Fajardo, the phosphorescent bay) glistening on a moonless night and a bucket of water splayed over the deck of the boat and then splashed on my skin so that it glowed. Just water, but with B12 from the Red Mangrove trees rimming the lagoon. Then how tea is able to Sparkle because of weather, root development, the treatment of the leaves. BUT, I have so much trouble knowing what to do, what to say. My mind goes all over the place and as I said my visions were so many that I retracted…erased that part… and just said that I had many visions which was true. So, thank you! Between living there and Kauai, my mind spinning with this fabulous tea! I wish I could honor it better.
you honour tea like a valedictorian Bonnie, with an ode everyone looks forward to! (cuz they got honour grades heh heh!)
A black Dan Cong? Interesting… My taste buds don’t appreciate the Mi Lan oolong, but may have to try this eventually.
Yes exactly so! The handwritten label says Black quite distinctly! David refers to this as Black.
My latest Verdant order is waiting for me at home, just a half hour or so more to go. I had written David an email about a month ago and in his response he told me about this tea. I am really hoping that I may get a sample, this dang cong black really sounds intriguing to me! If I don’t get a sample of this tea at least I’ll have 8oz of da hong pao and 4oz of golden fleece…so there’s no way to lose!
You are so right. A new tea shipment is coming in this next week so…this one will go up on the site and another one that I’m reviewing tomorrow. A pu’er.
Love the Golden Fleece! I really dont have the experience to make a detailed tasting note like you and so many others are able to do unfortunately…all i know is that i love the tea! I have tried all of the dan cong teas available from Verdant, and other than the brr they are my favorite type of oolong…Lately i have been taken in by black tea…I am hoping this dan cong black melds the best of both worlds! In my mind it has a chance of becoming my favorite tea! Unfortunately it didnt come as my sample, but as soon as i see it on the site i will order immediately!
Its kind of funny…Ive basically been looking at steepster every day for the past 3 or so months, and finally figured i would start an account :)
A doubter, a cynic or just checking out to see if we’re a bunch of nuts. Well, we’re a bunch of cool nuts…and I do love the people here. Being the grand old lady grandma of the place, I can vouch for how nice everyone is and how caring. Even the owners of many of the companies show kindness that blows my mind!
Have you tried any Pu’er’s?
Lol, no it had nothing to do with thinking anyone was nuts :) When I get interested in something, I try to find as much information as possible! So I found steepster as a place with tons of teas and ratings. I actually ordered from Verdant because of all the high ratings their teas received, and I am so very glad I did!
As for pu’er, I got one as a sample from Verdant. I am sure it’s an acquired taste, I just can’t get over the extreme mustiness…to me it smells and tastes moldy to me. There is just something about that smell that precludes me from appreciating what may be underneath. As far as my prep, I rinsed twice with boiling water for about 5 seconds each time, then started brewing. I think I will try the Yabao buds when I place my next order. I know it may not be considered a true pu’er, but I’ll start small and work my way to others from there :)
I have yixing pots for dancong, BRR and oriental beauty teas. I just got a brew basket I am trying for the black teas. But my normal brewing method for black tea is to use the small perfect tea maker from teavanna, and basically use it like a gaiwan… 1g of leaf per oz of water, and I must say I think it works pretty well!
I also had the same experience with the 1960’s aged oolong from Cloudwalker teas…just not my thing. But I did like the 20 year aged oolong(looked like tieguanyin to me) Verdant used to have a 10 year old aged tieguanyin, I think I will try that if it becomes available again in the future.
Awesome review! Another must-have from Verdant
July 18 Happy Birthday David Duckler!
I cant wait until my order comes! Happy Bday to David :)
I actually received my Verdant Tea order a couple of days ago, but then I felt a bit under the weather and in a general bad mood for a couple of days. It’s not very conducive to trying new stuff, so I saved it. This morning, after a three hour nap yesterday and a full nights sleep, I’m feeling less worn out, so I gave it a go.
I couldn’t not buy this one. At the same time I bought it with many considerations first. You see, it has been so very hyped on Steepster lately. Everybody and their grandmother has tried it and they all think it’s the best thing north of the Alps. That sort of stuff tends to make me lose interest. Hype is the reason I’ve, for example, never actually watched any of the Star Wars films in full. It’s also (part of) the reason I’ve never read the Hunger Games series and don’t really intend to. (The other reason being that any book that comes with glowing recommendation on the front from Stephanie Meyers does not exactly win points with me. I have tried Twilight. Utter tripe.) I suppose my problem is that I expect I’ll just get disappointed.
So yeah, I ended up buying this one in spite of all of the above because I found the company’s description genuinely interesting, but I am still approaching this first cup with part expectation, part nervousness, part concern, part fear of disappointment, part sceptism, part curiousity and part excitement.
The aroma of the dry leaf and the aroma just when pouring the water on are very close to one another. It’s very sweet and cocoa-y. No, not cocoa. More like chocolate. A sweet milk chocolate. I’m reminded of that choco-milk powder I used to get at my gran’s house as a child. It came in a large yellow box with a rabbit on the front. I’m not sure if she gave me that because she wanted it to be a treat or if she had got it in her head that I couldn’t drink milk otherwise… If the latter, I wasn’t about to correct her, was I? (And that stuff, by the way, looks really strange when served in a coloured glass!) So, childhood association to my gran. This tea is already well on the way to awesome!
The aroma after it has been steeping is different though. Gone is the milk chocolate sugary powder stuff, and now we’ve got something that is much more like cocoa rather than chocolate. It’s a much deeper and more complex aroma. Along with the cocoa, there is also something very grain-y and another note which I can’t really work out how to describe. It’s a sort of inbetween thing of woodsy and leathery, kind of pipe tobacco-y but at the same time, so not like that at all. On top of all that, there is a rather prominent spicy note, but I can’t work out if I think it’s a note on its own, or if it’s just another aspect of that indescribable woodsy, leathery, tobacco-y, not-tobacco-y note from before. How very difficult.
So there’s a lot going on here aroma-wise and the flavour is no different. Actually, I find it very similar to the beloved Tan Yang Te Ji ♥ (which is STILL being held hostage by tax and customs, argh!). Already here I can say that YES, this tea does indeed very much live up to all the hype. Of course, with the Tan Yang association, I might be rather biased. :) It has that same cocoa-y flavour profile, but I find it to be more grain-y than the Tan Yang. It even has that same sort of fruity aspect to it. Not any particular fruit that I can think of, just some sort of generic fruityness.
Another tea I’m reminded of in this cup is Keemun, and that’s because of how strongly the grain-y aspect is coming through. Keemuns are, for me, very grain-y and have a sometimes floral but most times pseudo-smoky aspect to them. This tea makes me sort of try to imagine a Keemun which has been stripped of that top layer. What’s left then? Grainy-ness. Keemun is another very favourite tea of mine.
This particular tea I find to be a mixture of the very best bits of two of my favourite types. The Keemun with the grain and the Tan Yang with the cocoa and fruit-y business. It’s more Tan Yang than Keemun though, which suits me fine because Tan Yang is my absolute all time favourite. And at the same time, this also strikes me as being very much its own. It may taste like a mixture of the two above, but I cannot bring myself to believe that you could blend those two and get this result. Something similar perhaps, but not the same at all.
Generally, it has a lot of what I tend to think of as ‘Fujian-ness’, this tea, but it’s not Fujian grown at all, is it? I need to consult a map and find out where in China Shandong is. Still on the coast but much further north from Fujian, bordered to the north by the Hebei province which is where Beijing is. Funny, I would have thought that with such similarity in flavour profiles they would have been a lot closer to one another. There must be some similar growing conditions in those two areas. Shandong is also just to the north-east of Anhui which is where Keemuns come from. That explains that similarity. I need to explore this area some more, I think. What else grows there?
I see no reason to faff about with points here. This is a solid 100 if ever I saw one. I’ve fallen hard and will be coming back for more.
ETA: Second steep has gone all cinnamon-y! Forget about above comparisons, this is definitely new! I’ve never met a naturally occurring cinnamon note before. (I like it a lot better than if it had been actually cinnamon flavoured too. Not really a cinnamon flavoured fan, me. Uh, as in, not a fan of cinnamon flavoured things, not me being cinnamon flavoured…)
I will never read Twilight, and I resisted on Harry Potter for many years, and was doing the same for Hunger Games… but then I finally gave book 1 a try after meeting some people who were extras in the film, and I must say the unique heroine and intense story really grabbed me. I guess I just had to wait for the right time?
I read the first Twilight and thought it was superficially okay. In my opinion it ought never have been turned into a series. That first book would have worked far better as a standalone story in my opinion. I picked up the second book and it took me about a year to get through it, and gosh, did I despise every single character in it. I was fairly blinded by the newness of it with the first book but the second really brought home to me the very many problems there are with that ‘verse. I’ve been toying with the idea of getting the last two books read as well, mainly because I’ve heard the fourth one is even more ridiculous than all the others combined, but as I’d rather not have my brain melt and leak out my ears, I probably never will.
I resisted HP for quite some time as well because of the hype, and also I believed it to be primarily for children. It wasn’t until one day I went to the public library and as I was walking up the stairs to the door, a woman walked down the stairs already with her nose in a HP book. While walking down stairs! O.O It’s a wonder she didn’t break her neck. It made me give them a shot, though. Best thing I ever did, I’ve made so many online friends because of those books. :D
I did consider Hunger Games for a while, before discovering SMeyers recommendation on the front, but when I read the back of it, it really didn’t sound much like something I would enjoy regardless.
I was super resistant to Harry Potter too. I was starting to crack when I was visiting Boston, and was sitting in a cafe filled with Harvard students with ALL their noses in the latest hardback one that had come out days before. It took my friend literally HANDING me the first five books and BEGGING me to read them because she knew I’d love them to actually read them, though. Lord, I’m stubborn!!! I love them so so so so much!
Oh, and I loathe Twilight. I read the first one because I thought as a future teacher, I should know what the youth of America was wild about. The writing is so poor. I would expect a 12 year old to write better. UGH. This is not even getting into the messages that are in the book. No, no, no, no!
The funny thing about Harry Potter, is that I initially thought it was a kiddie book, and then getting to the last bits of the series and finding out that parts of it are really dark and violent and scary, especially in the final book, but really starting as early as the third. Gosh, was I proved wrong. :)
But at least it got me pulled out of that ’children’s book, therefore can’t read’ thing which is just plain wrong. If not for Harry Potter, I would never have picked up the Septimus Heap series by Angie Sage or the Skulduggery Pleasant books by Derek Landy, and I love those.
I think the best children’s literature is that which an adult and child can enjoy together. Chronicles of Narnia and Redwall come to mind; I have very warm fuzzy memories of enjoying them with my favorite 6-year-old. I’m on a “comfort read” kick and have reacquired several of my favorite Laura Ingalls Wilder books … every bit as good as when I read them till the covers fell off in grade school!
Awesome tasting note. It’s so easy to fall hard for this one. I do believe this is the show-stopper of black teas. Such a captivating profile it has!
Gmathis, I haven’t read Redwall, but I think I might have attempted starting it once only I couldn’t get into it. Narnia and the LIW, though. I loved those. I also enjoyed the series that focused on Rose, written by her stepson (I think), but I’m not sure I ever finished that one.
Geoffrey, thank you. :) It has very quickly taken a favourite position with me. I think I would even put it in as second favourite, just below aforementioned Tan Yang (♥)
This makes me smile! Tea just seems to encourage the discussion of literature and culture in every environment it is present. Wonderful!
I am glad that the humble Laoshan Black is so moving for so many people. I think that the Steepster community alone has single-handedly influenced the family who produces this to keep experimenting and improving. It is only their second time making black tea after all. I try to pass on all the compliments when I am able. I am hoping that they will take it as a challenge to keep getting even better for the Spring 2012 harvest.
If you haven’t read it, I recommend the Ralph Moody books, beginning with “Little Britches – Father and I Were Ranchers”. Wonderful books! Very much like LIW but written by a man.
You can’t tell, but I’m clicking the little like heart eleventy-billion times.
On the book topic: I am partial to any movie or book that is in the sci-fi/fantasy
genre, and some of my friends are too (many of us fall into the stereotypical DORK category, well, at least I judge I do).
Some of them (all guys) won’t even touch Harry Potter, let alone Twilight, as if neither are hard-core enough.
Phooey.
I consider myself to be as devoted to Tolkien’s works and the LOR as they come, and yet I really enjoyed J.K. Rowling’s books. I haven’t read any of the Twilight books, but I did see the first movie, and against my own male tendencies to dislike anything overly gushy, romantic, or too ‘lite and fluffy’ (the opposite of hard core, I guess), I liked it. They way I look at it, my friends are simply missing out. No big deal. I’m sure I am missing out on things because of my misconceptions/preconceived notions/prejudices.
And on the tea: Angrboda: It’s amazing how many flavors you can find in this tea. I still have a loooooooooong way to go. But I am learning. Thank you for your detailed experience. So much to explore and experience in a simple black tea! : )
One more thing: some of the coolest characters I have ever read about I ‘met,’ and will never forget, in those books, like Mad-eyed Moody, and Hagrid. And, although I’m male, I can probably identify most with Hermione; she’s great)!
You write the best tasting notes! So rich and full and informative – you make me want to do research! (and spend money…) Inspiration!
Thank you Nurvilya. How sweet of you. :)
This is really really wonderful. Thank you so much for sending me some – though it just might change my parameters of what I want in a chinese black tea.
Am I allowed to say once more that I have just drank the best black tea ever? Cause people, I think I just did!
I know, some of you will say «Oh, that fairy, she’s a little over enthusiastic» but I promise you, this tea is unbelievable.
Do you like sea salted caramel? Do you like dark chocolate? Do you like dried fruits like naturally sugar loaded figs and dates?
If you answered yes, then I don’t see why you should deprave yourself from this tea any longer. Just do it, order. Or don’t and there will be more for me, haha!
Yeah, ok, one ounce was clearly not enough. I can see more WP orders in a very near future.
I just drank the life out of my first cup, now I’m going to calm my senses and go sip another one outside in the rain, with my dog, my birds and my trees…
Happy long week end to those who are lucky to get one :-)
Flavors: Caramel, Chocolate, Dates
Preparation
i think i should order a sample. i have one from Yunnan Sourcing, so to compare
Did you like the one from YS? Was your experience similar?
its been a while. im off to fix a cup. the review is coming up soon;)
Ok, can’t wait to read it :-)
Well that sounds fantastic!
Awesome – so happy you are enjoying your WP order. LOL I don’t know about the best black though – I’m drinking the Jin Jun Mei you sent and it is crazy good – lol just saying….
oh, yummy!!!
I love all those things…dates, figs, chocolate, Jin Jun Mei…hell yeah!
Yeah, ok Dexter, i admit you have a good point there Dexter…
DeliriumsFrogs and Stephanie, yes it is both yummy and fantastic!
Oh, and you shall receive them my dear Terri :-)
Sounds gorgeous!
oh I wish Whispering Pines had sample sizes to order. :D
Check it out: http://whisperingpinestea.com/samples.html
However, if you really enjoy the sample and want to keep a stash on hand … it’s $128/lb.
Tea Sipper, if you place an order with them, you could request it as a sample :-)
LooseTman, unfortunately, I don,t think Ailoashan is being offered as part of the sample order, there’s only a few teas available.
Your correct. “My bad!” It helps to check the drop-down menu – currently 10 choices.
Tea Sipper, from this thread, http://steepster.com/discuss/7499-20-percent-off-your-first-order-with-whispering-pines-tea-company, Brenden seems very accommodating.
I sadly can’t offer samples of this tea due to VERY limited supply. :(
“Yay!”
Little Terri jumps for joy, & then plays some fancy pantsy stuff on her harp.
“I’m so excited,”
Haha! I totally envision the scene little Terri!
It is REALLY REALLY good
Thanks for sharing my enthusiasm MzPriss, now I know Im not delusional, lol! Did you just try it also?
Terri, you are cracking me up. I just had this picture of you in my head doing that moves ;-)
So glad I ordered this one! Didn’t get it this week yet though, d’oh
Whatshesaid, if Brenden sells out before I place another order, I might have to hunt you down, you shoud have kept quiet, lol!
Wahahahaha
I only ordered an ounce of it, and I’m already kicking myself. This is a gooood tea.
I tried it a week or so ago. It’s awesome. I need ro write a note on it but Ive been out of town and way busy. but Ive been drinking it. It’s yummy
Veronica, one ounce is just a tease, isn’t it?
MzPriss, I can’t wait to read your note!
So…THIS tea…is like a TEA NINJA…it karate-chops ya in the taste buds!
I tastes roasty and toasty but a bit like dark chocolate, too. In the middle of the sip I picked up some jasmine notes but they quickly faded. THEN…wait for it…Avocado! I can taste Avocado! Seriously! But then…there is a bit of dark chocolate again…or carob even. It makes me think of Jason Mraz’s famous Raw Vegan Avocado Chocolate Mousse!
Just when I think I have this flavor figured out it throws me another karate chop…malted milk flavor and fruity-goodness! What the heck?
And not only THAT…but I can pick up characteristics of both black tea and oolong teas! There are malty notes but then there are specs of charcoal notes trying to pop thru.
There is so much going on with this – I can barely contain myself! AND…I LOVE that!
As it cools at room temp for a tick…I can start tasting some lovely, delicate spicy flavors…WOW!!! What a conversation-piece! This tea makes you think…this tea makes you talk…this tea makes you question everything you thought you knew!
KARATE CHOP to the taste buds!
LOVE it!
I couldn’t agree with you more! When I got this there were no notes and I was terrified because the flavors were so all over the place. We should have been together…ha…it was like ziplining through a flavor forest!
Totally agree Bonnie!!!!!! YOU ARE WONDERFUL :)
I’d LOVE to sip tea with you – wish we were closer!
A Must-Have!!
I really want/need to buy this tea. After reading this I am so ordering some soon…
That was too nice of you to say! (Besides, you don’t know me and I’m a nut!) :)
Genius minds think alike Bonnie…I’m a NUT as well :) lol
Had me at “karate-chop”. I actually tried a Mi Lan Dan Cong. Not from Verdant, alas. It was something else entirely.
I think we all kinda nuts {in a good way} on here. We need a convention. A meeting. San Fran, Minn. or NYC??
Shopping listed.
How about Colorado? Next year the tea festival…you go uphill and hike and see wildlife (about 45 minutes away) or come here to Fort Collins and drink the other ‘tea’ from the many breweries like New Belgium. San Francisco would be my second choice though. I could tell you all the wineries too within a short drive. Hey, I have a condo thingy. I like Seattle also.
NYC too expensive! I’d stay in Sonoma and drive into San Francisco. I love planning trips! (NO, not the 60’s kinda trips)
Speaking of 60’s Trips…did you see my review about Whisper Of the Woods? Channeling my inner-hippie :)
I’ll check it right now….
Best phrase of the day TeaEqualsBliss. It totally makes my afternoon. Don’t be surprised if you see a Ninja-themed photo shoot on this tea after such a great review. I hope you don’t mind if I share the quote on Twitter?
Glad I am not the only one getting avocado too. It reminds me a of a mushroom hot pot restaurant that served up this weird avocado-sweet mushroom for dipping in Goji-berry broth. So cool.
By the way- you are all invited for an MN meetup to drink tea together if you find yourselves here, though I can’t compete with Colorado. I think our biggest attraction here (besides the tea) is the corn. Seattle sounds great too. My parents-in-law live there.
really excited to be getting this one now :) love the review
David!!!!! And YOU made MY day!!! I’d LOVE to see that on twitter as well as a Ninja theme that would rock LOL – I will put a similar review on over at Sororitea Sister with a few tweaks to it :)
I wish I could meet you all – anywhere – and everywhere – my traveling funds are questionable because of a family issue in the next few months…we will have to take an emergency trip to TN – never been there before.
@Tea – Hope that your family issue works out okay. If you get a free day or two in TN you should check out Great Smokey Mountain National Park-very beautiful (and free).
Thanks Scott B!!!!
You’re welcome :)
Not feeling so good tonight, I’ve had a really hard time sleeping this week end, worse than usual…running on just a few hours of sleep, I thought of drinking this tea. Cause it’s my lullaby tea, puts me in a gentle state of relaxation :-)
There’s something enchanting about this blend… From what I understand, Brenden the owner of Whispering Pines, goes in the forest every month to harvest a new batch of pine needles, just the right amount to keep it sustainable. The fact that he harvests his own product makes it that much more special. And every time I buy this tea, I can be sure it’s at its freshest.
When I opened my pouch of this month’s blend and inhaled its beautiful fragrance, I noticed something different. It seemed more piney and a little more earthy, also less jasmine scented than usual.
I asked about it and was told that the pine needles were now lightly roasted. I’m thinking this process might concentrate the flavours and make the needles a bit more fragrant. A new jasmine green is also in the mix. I like that I can smell more pine, but that the scent remains so soft.
The taste is as delicate and fluffy as I want it to be. The difference from before is very hard to describe though. It’s like rain in the forest. Have you ever opened your mouth while it’s pouring in the woods, and try to catch the droplets? You know it doesn’t taste like regular water, but how do you describe it?
This tea has an undulating texture, it just coats the entire mouth with something floral, buttery sweet and evergreen. It’s not exactly jasmine, it’s not exactly pine, it’s just the perfect fusion of the two…symbiosis, I’m drinking “jaspine”.
It’s sweeter than the previous blend. I don’t think I’ve ever tasted something so fresh and clean. It truly is wonderful.
Being already in love with it, I was skeptical about the change, cause I thought it was just perfect the way it was. Well I must say, it is better.
And yes, another WP blend I don’t see myself living without.
I hope you get some rest & wake up refreshed, my dear TF.
This is another one I’ll have to sample sometime.
Sweet dreams!
I agree 100%. This blend is perfect for me. I wasn’t sure if I should order it since I don’t really like jasmine. But it so subtle and it’s still there. And this combo with pine makes it kinda cooling sensation. I’m wishing you good night sleep. :-)
Aww, you gals are sweet….I’m chilling now, I should be ok <3
Terri, I can send you some whenever you want :-)
Boychik, the fact that you don’t like jasmine but appreciate this blend says it all!
I just need time to sort through all of my untasted WP, Mandala, and Verdant teas to try my SB. Sounds like I need to make time for this one. But…..so many choices, so many teas! :)
Haha! I hear you inranger!
ah you make me want to taste some Whispering Pines teas…I love the name of their teas and your reviews really exhort me to try them !
This sounds bear-rilliant. That’s another one to add to the wish list then.
Ysaurella, WP teas are full of magic :-)
Dr. Roughage, with bear-serker and now bear-rilliant, i officially declare you my favourite bear pun maker… Keep them coming please, bear puns make me beary happy :-)
Gahh I now want to order this iteration of sleeping bear! I’ve tried 2 in the past and loved them both, and if this one is even better…. :D I see yet another tea order in my near future lol
Truly addictive MissLena, but there can never be too many WP orders :-)
Don’t worry, Tea Fairy, I have bearly begun. ;)
The amount of awesomeness happening here right now is almost unbearable ;)
Sounds like I am not the only one with bear puns bruin! ;)
Awww, These bear puns make bears sound like the sweet things they are and much less barbearian.
Haha that one’s good…You got me laughing on the floor doing bear-a-rolls!
We should stop before I go into kodiak arrest!
Ok, that one is hilarious….but no worries, if you keep eating elder-bear-ries, no risk for Kodiac arrest…
Whew…bearly made it out of that alive!
Oh lord! Gotta love those bears.. Did you see the strawberry???
Hahaha yes!
You guys are unbearably cute, I can barely bear to be-hear, big bear hug to all!
<3
Those are awesome bear puns, Whispering Pines. I shall make sure to use them all as soon as I possibly can. My friends will hate you for this! ;)
This all started with Goldilocks Dr. Roughage, remember?
:)
I do indeed remembear, Tea Fairy. I still need to write the best-selling children’s book ‘Goldilocks and the Three Bearserkers’. Maybe I should make it a horror story instead …
Meme bear puns = all kinds of awesome! Super cute and funny and fuzzy. I can bearly stand it
Haha! Glad you enjoyed mandy :-)
I ended up just googling bears and annoying my boyfriend with my constant “OMG baby look he’s soo cute I could just die! Wait no, look at this one! Babe, get me one! Babe, I want. Babe, babe, babe”. I’m pretty sure he hates me now, lol
First tasting note
It is an odd occasion that this tea information was posted today May 23, 2012 and the tea arrived at my home today also, and today is my Birthday “64”! It was meant to be.
With the rain pouring down outside and a day that was going to be spent alone with no plans, the arrival of my Verdant tea was extra joyful. David (the owner of Verdant) put a little something extra inside my shipment besides the regular sample for me to try which brought a tear to my eye. The kindness of strangers as they say. More and more the people I encounter on Steepster, and several tea providers, are less like strangers and are individuals that I care about. Thank you!
I was determined NOT to do a complicated long review of this tea.
I followed the instructions on the Verdant site for Western Style preparation because it was later in the day when my tea arrived. Using Spring water I could count on a great pot of tea.
My first flavor impression was Chocolate. A big, then bigger, then huge mouthful of chocolate at first… followed by what I imagined was pecan pound cake. (Now I think the cake was not made with wheat flour but potato. I know…that sounds crazy.) The tea wasn’t vanilla, yam, cinnamon or malty tasting like so many other popular black tea’s. This was fruity (but not discernable as to what fruit) and clean. I hunted for some acid or tannin…but couldn’t find any. The smoothness was creamy and rich. The difference between this black tea and others was…well…this was like an expensive satin covered down comforter and the others are wool blankets, rough and kind of thin. Everything in a cup like liquid, shimmering amber gold.
I let the tea cool down. It was so good plain. Straight up it was sweet, genteel and smooth with NO acid at all! The finish was creamy and I am in love with it!
I love this tea! I really am amazed! This is the first Black Tea of any kind that I can and would drink straight up without sugar or cream always! I love the Laoshan Black but I think it’s a tie here. This is so mellow!
Second Steep Still amazing! I forgot to say that when I stuck my nose way down into the cup I was reminded of the fruity scent of wine inside the barrels at Fortino’s Winery where I worked one Summer but without sourness and just the sweet dry wine. The wine produced in that area of California was like liquid sunshine. Ripe sunkissed berries. That’s the fruit somewhere in the scent.
The flavor of this tea has no sourness either, but now I taste that distant berry. I feel the cedar and pepper on the front of my tongue but not at the finish so the smoothness is still good. Chocolate delight. Naked!
Third Steeping I’m not going into the flavor that much. I has all the same qualities that it had before. Such a strong leaf! What I have found at this point is another dimension. One that I stumbled upon because I had an Artist friend that cooked a fantastic dinner served outdoors in the evening served by candlelight. The end of the meal was followed by fine cigars and an aged, expensive Port. Here’s the part I want to share. This tea has the essense of fine cigars and port about it. A taste, scent…something.
There I’ve done it. I can’t explain why. See for yourself. I’m putting it out for you to tell me if I’m right or wrong! Because of this brilliance, I’ve upped the rating! I could not help myself!
Congrats! I find that Chinese black teas are also easier to drink plain.
Happy Birthday Bonnie!!!! XXO
Thank you!
Hope your bday was the best! :)
Happy Birthday, Bonnie!
Just saw Steven Tyler and Arrowsmith…he’s my age…and he’s nut’s! I guess I can be nut’s too! Thanks for the Happy B’s! Tea for everyone!
Happy Birthday!!!! I hope you had an amazing day! :)
Happy Birthday!
Well if everyone was here we’d go beer tasting…I mean…tea tasting and such!
Happy birthday! Glad you could celebrate with such a delicious tea :D
Happy Birthday! This seems like a great tea to celebrate with~
Wow. this sounds really good! I’m suddenly really excited to go to work today, to try it out!
Happy Birthday Bonnie! A really good tea helps make Birthdays more special IMHO. :))
Happy birthday! What a great package to receive. I’m looking forward to getting to know this Lady Zhurong tea better. Thank you for the exciting tasting note!
I am so honored that these teas got to share your birthday with you, and happy that they made fine companions. Your tasting note for the Zhu Rong is leagues better than my own tasting notes. It inspires me to go back and try the tea specifically with your thoughts in mind. Being a dark rainy day here in Minneapolis, perhaps I will do so. We are lucky to get to share in your well-written and thoughtful experiences here on Steepster.
Happy Birthday!!
Oh my! I am truly humbled by such words! My heart is so full the tears …ah …time for tea! I’ll go all grandma on you and blubber! Thank you! Come for tea!
Ah ha! Fine cigars and port… yes. That’s what that is. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but now it’s clear. Must go back a try this again. Thanks Bonne.
Happy belated birthday. :)
I must agree that this tea is AWESOME!!! It is like drinking dessert…
Well, no jellybeans for me! in the bag I bought anyhow.
Oh well. I dunno if it’d have made the tea any better. It was so generic. You’re basic fruity rooibos. I liked it, but I did not love it.
How sad is it that the above statement is the most complimentary thing I can say about anything in the spring collection? :(
Oh and there were little bits of rooibos floating around in the mug. I used my tea egg and that usually doesn’t happen with my rooibos’. In fact, tea bits is the reason why I use it with that type! (http://www.spiceandtea.com/images/Infuser%20Stainless%20Steel%20&%20Red%20Tovolo.jpg)
I maintain that there’s no point in me getting a tea like this as I’d just pick out and eat all the jelly bellies. XD
Yeah, the spring collection is kinda pbbbttthh. At least that saves me money this semester…here’s hoping for some good ones in the summer!
Oh, but I hope that Earl of Lemon one gets released after all. It sounded like it had potential.
Rip off! Wah! Not what you expected! Hope the chocolate cake thing they have coming out is better!
The spring collection really was kind of a bust, wasn’t it. This one is so much like Swampwater, and not really anything special, Paradise Found is a hibiscus nightmare, and Strawberry Ginger tastes really odd. I thought Daydreamer was ok, but nothing grabbing, and everyone seems to like Pink Flamingo, but it’s just a re-release.
And Daniel, of course, the tea I was most looking forward to was the Earl of Lemon, so I’m hoping that one ends up being a winner!
Ahhh considering I really can’t do earls… I’m kinda more sad now haha :(
I so agree, between boring and odd teas, and the super expensive mulberry Gold Rush tea from March, I am disappointed with Davids!! I do hope they kick up their game in the summer.
Bonnie, I am dreaming of chocolate cake now…. mmmmm
I have high hopes for that chocolate cake one!
“Hibiscus nightmare” – RIGHT?! I can’t get over how many people seem to really like that one, at least on Facebook. I tried the sample in the store, and wanted to spit it on the floor. SO sour.
The worst part is that I think it would be fantastic if there was less/no hibiscus. There were some wonderful flavours going on in the cup I had, but they were so overwhelmed by hibiscus that I actually didn’t end up finishing the cup. And I am not typically a hibiscus-hater.
Yeah, me neither. I can handle some hibiscus if it sits in the background. (Which, while I think the Blood Orange was lacking a bit, I do have to say is something in its favour, it’s NOT overwhelmed by hibiscus. I was worried about that.)
But Paradise Found is like, well, they found it soaked in steeped hibiscus, so they probably should have left it where they found it.
Hahaha, I like your last comment!
With the blood orange pu’erh, I was more concerned about the licorice, which also appeared to be an unfounded worry. Wasn’t a big fan though (but perhaps I should have steeped it longer).
I think a company can lose track of what they grew their reputation and following on. Good quality and flavor, good service and consistancy. For Davids I’d say also a sense of fun too. Maybe trying to follow the seasons and changing so many tea’s all at once is not really what the customers are looking for. I for one don’t want 15 new Spring tea’s that all are pretty much in the same theme of citrus or fruity flavors. A few are ok but it’s almost overkill. An the Pu’erh? Why orange when you already have Chocolate Orange? Why not strawberry chocolate or a toffee pu’erh or some new type? Same with other catagories. Just an opinion. Like the idea of chocolate cake, Jelly beans ok…but drop some of the ones that are so close to each other.
Totally agree with you as to the pu’erh, Bonnie – would have loved to have seen a different flavour with it! I think some of the new teas they came out with were good ideas, but not executed as well as they could have been.
I gotta say, I’ve turned into a serious hibby doubter lately. There are teas where I don’t mind it… but for the most part, I could really do without!
and Bonnie, thank goodness someone finally said it… I have been thinking that for so long now. This same old same old business is so old. Like their Jolly Jellybean? it’s a gimmicky version of their green and fruity!
And the dual citrus pu’erhs? ugh, you are so right…
I’d really love to see a kahlua black one day. mmmmm.
Oh and I saw the ingredients list for the Chocolate cake tea today. It too has “artificial flavouring” :(
@Indigobloom: They all seem to have artificial flavouring :( It does make me a bit sad, and then I switch to straight teas which have wonderful, natural flavours and wonder why companies can’t just make all-natural, flavouringless blends! I think Verdant might me doing that, although on a limited scale, but I wish the major companies did it more often.
That said… it’s not going to stop me drinking them! (Which is probably where the problem lies, right?)
I took a tour of a very large tea company once which was an eye opener. When a company is really big they sometimes have to spray on flavorings and tea is stacked in barrels. I saw one gigantic room just for MINT tea. Quality is a goal that is harder to attain when you’re that big. Then the other day I was in another well known chain and was told that they blended oolongs from many sources because they needed to buy in such big quantities that single sourceing wasn’t an option. So, when a company such as Verdant runs out of tea on it’s website… it’s because they don’t bend on quality and they buy from specific farmers. We have to wait for more to be produced or another quality resource to be aquired. There is a relationship with the tea from farm to consumer. I buy both kinds of tea but prefer the quality ones. My 2 cents worth. (I chose Verdant as an example because they are in North America and not Asia which makes their task harder…yet they are attempting a noble standard)
Kristaleyn: I know right?! if straight teas can be so fragrant and yummy, why mess with it? that said I have found flavoured teas that I love- Just not so much lately for some reason.
Bonnie: I’ve heard the same… about sprays and such. What a shame…
Personally, I’d rather wait for the good stuff than settle for less :)
One day I’ll order from Verdant!
I’ve ordered from Verdant recently! Very excited, because I’ve heard so much about them. I just hope our postal service doesn’t lose the dang package.
Oh nice, I can’t wait to read those reviews!! My fingers are crossed for your package, Canada Post is not the most reliable!
Their new website overhaul is awesome! I have 3 more of their teas to review.
ahhhh if only I didn’t have what feels like a million samples in my cupboard as it is. If I could justify another purchase… you can bet this is where I’d go :)
Canada Post is not the most reliable!
I know. :( My 52teas package that I ordered a month ago arrived something like a week late and looking like it had been kicked across a parking lot! I don’t blame Frank at all for that, I KNOW it was CP! And according to what I’ve read, our area is the absolute worst for mail carriers “losing” packages.
What I am impressed with at Verdant is that I had trouble when they were changing the website and the payment screen wasn’t working…they kept in touch with me by email (the Big Guy did!) and when the website issue was resolved made sure that I had extra’s in my order. That was over and beyond. I now feel that if I had any problems this company cares and would address them!
I’ve heard that about 52Teas before though. I wonder if there is a story behind that… like maybe 52 somehow pushed the wrong CP buttons? Or maybe there is a tea-aholic at the sorting bay haha
Your poor tea, was it in okay condition inside the package??
Bonnie: that is excellent customer service indeed!
I’m awaiting a replacement package from Tealish, to be shipped out tomorrow. Their packaging spoiled my tea, it went rancid on me :/
We’ll see how that goes…
Oooo ick erg rats!
LOL indeed!!
Yes, it was fine, actually. His little bags are packed so tight, it’s like they didn’t have room to get crushed, lol. Although maybe he should invest in some rolls of bubble-wrap if CP hates him so much!
My sister was PISSED when she saw the bag it arrived in. I mean, despite the fact that she’s deeply disdainful of my “tea boner” (DEFINITELY not my words!), she was angry on my behalf. The carrier jammed the bag in the mailbox too, and she shouted, “THAT’S NOT HOW YOU TREAT A PACKAGE!” (Good thing the carrier was long gone by then, or I’m sure no tea would ever be delivered to me again!) I assured her that even if some leaves had gotten broken, I do enough dumb things to break the leaves myself. I’m just grateful they got here at all! Ha.
How on earth is mail delivered? I have either a box option but if an item is too big they put it in a large locked mailbox and put the key to it in my mailbox. For other carriers they hand deliver or put it on my covered patio and leave a note on my door. Works this way almost everywhere except at my daughter’s ranch…it’s inside the garage by the kitchen door for deliveries. I don’t get why you’re having so many issues?
Heh, Frank… are you listening?? lol
I like your sister!! I love her ‘tude! Mmmm I’m dreaming of 52teas Pancake Breakfast now.
Not that I am defending CP here at all but please remember that teas coming to Canada have to go through customs also. That is a different group of people and when I worked at a small postal outlet you would not believe the condition that some packages made it to us in. And then to get s### on by the customers because of the condition of the package and the customs charges does not feel great. I am not saying it isn’t CP but the USPS has to handle the package and Customs so maybe it isn’t your carrier’s fault.
On the reverse…what I get from Canada has been fine!
Cattibrie: oh I so agree with you there! they even have the power to open up packages just to see… I can’t imagine the chaos they stir up in the tea world!
Bonnie: really?? so unfair lol
True, it could be on the US side, or Customs…but the postal service local to my city is truly shit, and we’ve had lots of trouble with our carrier before, so it’s not unlikely that he didn’t treat the package well. Obviously, it wasn’t Customs or the USPS that rammed a package into the mailbox to make it fit! LOL. I’d be inclined to blame our carrier first simply because he’s earned that suspicion, if you see what I mean.
@Indigobloom: More than once I’ve received packages that had clearly been opened and taped back up with “Homeland Security” stamped on them. I’m probably on some FBI watch list now. ;D
Wow you have my kind of luck! In September I drove across the border into Canada from Washington State and there were no other cars but only me and what do they do? I had to go into the big whatever it’s called border control building and show all my papers and answer a bunch of questions about why I was going to Vancouver to the Mall! Uh…I’m 63 with a Passport and just finished a cruise that had been to Canada so what’s the problem A? No one but me in the building…so maybe they were bored? Homeland Security is spending money on old ladies and tea! We should be afraid!
Daniel, I just made a Verdant order and received it successfully, undamaged (and I’m in Canada)! Hoping the 52teas order I plan to make before the end of the week makes it here successfully, as do the other 3 packages currently en route to me. The only beef I have with the postal service around here is that numerous times, they have left packages on my front step – and I live on the corner of a busy, student-ridden intersection! The least they could do would be to leave it on the back step.
Jillian: I’d be scared to receive packages stamped with ‘Homeland Security’! Yikes!
I see what you mean. Well either way… you have the tea :)
Kristaleyn: lucky girl!! I so badly want to order from there lives vicariously through others
Jillian: I agree, that is FREAKY!!! yikes!
Hi My tea was also jellybeanless lol i contacted customer service and they sent me 50g free plus 3 free samples! send them an e-mail, they will make it right!
tempting! but I wouldn’t feel right about that… since I only had a 12g sample. Still, I thought there would atleast be little jelly bits. Oh well :)
I think 52 tea’s should use that as their next tea name Little Jelly Bits or maybe the Homeland Security for the Man Tea’s!
ahhhh Bonnie you cracka me uppa! :P
homeland security.. oh I love it! you should pitch it to Frank
Never underestimate the power of kindness…I know it doesn’t show much here, but I’ve been struggling with lots of serious issues for over a year now. I had an appointment I wasn’t looking forward to this morning, but I still went cause well, I don’t have much of a choice.
I showed discouragement in front of the person I was seeing…He told me not to worry, and this:
«Moonlight drowns out all but the brightest stars».
Just a few words, but one of the nicest thing anyone has ever told me…it gave me hope and made me feel special.
Just sharing as a reminder of how important it is to show kindness whenever we can…it’s easy and makes someone’s day look brighter in no time :-)
When I got home, I opened Steepster and had this tea cause someone else was having it and I really love it.
It’s my “cream of mushroom” pu’erh. Yes, big notes of cream and mushrooms.
It provides such a sweet and silky mouthfeel.
Just as I wrote in previous review, it has very distinct taste of turnips. The person who made me think of having this tea said they found ginger. I admit I never would have found ginger on my own, but by being aware of it, I searched for it and found it at the fourth steep. It is a little spicy in that way. Could be the power of suggestion, but I thought it was amusing to experiment.
It’s so very smooth, it’s like velvet for the mouth.
Thank you Mandala for another excellent shou…
I have noticed that lots of pu’erh lovers have a preference between the two. As I’ve been diving into the world of pu’erh, I ask this question: Is it possible to be both a shou and a sheng girl?
Cause as far as I’m concern, I just love them equally!
Pic of the day, Temple Stairs session:
Hug
<3
I just ordered their new $5 sampler, but I don’t think this one is included. Although there is one called Year of the Dragon that sounds right up my alley and I’ve never seen anyone review in on Steepster. Interesting!
And you’re one of the kindest people around, so I hope you get kindness in return on a regular basis! <3
Hugs
Oh, TTF. Hugs! You shine so brightly, there’s no chance of you being drowned out by any moon!
Have I told you I love your pot? It matches to the shou. Perfect combo;)
I love y’all <3
Lol, can’ remember if I have year of the dragon cameron, will have to check. But sounds food to me! I can’t wait to read what you have to say about Mandala’s eas :-)
And boychick, I just adore the pot, thank you!!!
Don’t be silly mj, TeaFairy is totally the moon! :P
Lol, something wrong with that comment “s eas”? What the hell did I mean? All I wanted to say is thanks and I love y’all!
Awww, you guys…. <3
I see where you’re coming from, but I have to disagree Cameron B. TeaFairy shines with her own light rather than just reflecting the light of another :-P
(Yes, I took it there. I couldn’t help myself. This is why people don’t like hanging out with scientists.)
Nah, moon is cold and lifeless, she is hot and explosive
AWWW YEAH? WELL… THEN SHE’S THE SUN! SO THERE! ;)
(Hiding in a corner, watching the battle)
Cameron, forgot to mention, i love your new pic, and your as cute as a button.
Not fighting. Me fighting? North Star. You can always find your way out with it when you lost.
Cameron is very cute. I told her already. For some reason I had a different image of you. I like the original
And I do live up north :-)
If she’s the sun, she’s still a star :-P. We’re both right?
Hugs and thanks for people who seem to know exactly what we need and when we need it. I’m sorry for you struggles but I’m glad you have a supportive person helping you through it.
Your light will never be dim as long as you allow it to shine.
Yyz, mrmopar…all of you, thank you, I just adore this place <3
Hugs! And just so you know, reading your words brightens my day as well! :)
Thank you so much Caile :-)
How sweet <3 And this tea is wonderful. Also I always enjoy your photos :)
25 Likes + 26 Comments = a whole lot of <3!
Stephanie, what great compliment coming from the wonderful artist that you are :-)
LooseTman, I’m overwhelmed with <3
Sorry I’ve been absent lately my dear Steepster friends…
I really needed some hugs and comfort today.
This tea never fails me.
It is my go to tea of choice, always good no matter how I brew it. It’s like we belong together.
The taste makes me see nice soft colours…
Sweet, soothing, and so warming.
I really needed this.
Hope all of you are doing great!
have you tried the Ailaoshan black from YunnanSourcing?
I am glad that the tea gave you a cup full of comfort, tea is really wonderful for that.
im doing ok :)
apt, can you link me to the “Ailaoshan black” on Yunnan sourcing?
Hug
Kirk, this is the one from Yunnan Sourcing I’ve had that’s very similar to Ailaoshan:
{{{{{{{{TTF}}}}}}}} Hugs. I also find that tea can be a great comfort on those kind of days. I hope the rest of your day goes better and tomorrow is a better day as well.
Hugs TTF.<3
Apt I haven’t tried it…curious about it but I doubt it could be better :-)
Right you are my dead Amanda ;-)
Kirk, glad you are doing ok
looseTman, Boychick thank you for the hugs!!!
Thank you Cheri, wow!! What a gorgeous TTF hugs :-)
Love y’all :-)
DEAR Amanda, *OMG the worst typo EVER!!!! So sorry!! *
Many hugs for you, TTF!
Sending many hugs your way!
Cameron B, I just now added that to my wish list :)
I just got a one ounce sample of this tea in the mail. I may have to brew it tomorrow morning. Did you brew this western style or gongfu?
Allan, I western brew it cause it’s so good I’m too impatient to gongfu it, lol. But I hear it’s also very good that way.
My way is 1 big tbs for 16oz mug at 205F for 4 min. Sometimes I do a second steep for 6 min.
But you should check the new WP website, they now have very detailed parameters for both methods on all teas! I think you should try this way first :-) here’s the link for Ailaoshan
http://whisperingpinestea.com/ailaoshan-black.html#product_tabs_Brewing
Thank you caile :-)
And OMG!!! It’s Swedish Chef !!! So happy to see you Fjellrev!!! :-)
Happy to see you too! I really missed you all. :)
I hope you’re doing alright and better now :)
Braiiinnsss hehe no worries about the typo ;)
Isserly, thank you so much :-)
Sooo after reading your review I just spent $50 at Whispering Pines Tea Company because it made me really want to try their teas. AH! >.<
Cincin090, always happy to enable! And i’m very confident you will not regret this order :-)
contente de te revoir, sacrée petite fée cachée :)
Merci ma petite Ysaurella chérie XOX
I don’t think I’ve ever had such a fruity oolong before. This is amazing.
I thought I would be able to identify cinnamon notes, but quite frankly, my taste buds don’t seem to pick up cinnamon much at all.
What I do get is lots of apple and peach. Oh, this is oven baked apple and peach cobbler with honey drizzle!
It’s lightly roasted and nutty, smooth, sweet and creamy, no astringency present at all.I also get a faint earthiness mixed with some minerals…not strong minerals like from a giant rock or something, very gentle…like pebble minerals :-)
I really like this…pure oolong awesomeness.
Thank you so much Garret for this generous sample…
I love that your samples are always large enough to brew gongfu style.
Oh my… this sounds just yummy! Love the review!
Thanks Sars…I think I may need some of this in the cupboard…sigh.
Awesome!!! Really happy that you enjoyed it, and really happy that it’s more apple, peach than cinnamon. This was the sample that I asked for with the order I received today!!!
This does sound amazing! You always sell me on the teas you review though :), except the greens…but that’s not your fault!
Dex, how funny that we both requested the same sample! I can’t wait to have your impressions. I’m surprised I did not get cinnamon…but I don’t care, that apple taste is so good and juicy.
Mj, lol, I know you haven’t crossed to the green side yet :-)
Fairy – how did you steep this? Did you gongfu it or did you western brew it? Parameters?
Is ok mj – stay with us over here on the dark side – that green stuff is scary. ;))
Gongfu gaiwan. 4 oz water and it was perfect. Now I don’t remember how long, but I think I did 20s, 30, 60, 90, and then lost track. I’m terrible with that, sorry. Did about 6 steeps. Are you trying tonight?
Dark siiiiiide. We don’t drink grass here! :p
Lol, if you don’t drink it, what do you do with it? (Innocent face)
Mow it? :p
Lol.
You don’t know the power of the Dark Side. I must obey my master.
I’m an imposter…I play both sides, and I,m loving every minute of it….cause I want ALL THE TEA!!!!
I’m going to go the other way and western steep it in my yixing mug. I’m going to use about half the sample and do about 3-4 minutes – see if that gives a different flavor profile. Will be back….. (if I drink this tonight I don’t need to enter it into my spreadsheet)
Lol you know you’re addicted to tea when….?
LOL You know you are overwhelmed with tea when….
(How am I suppose to enter "from my personal stash 2006 ripe from Yong De area?)
The joy of spreadsheets :-o
OHHHH I found cinnamon…. this is odd – good but strange….
Yay, you found it!
i love that dexter really does have to “find” her teas…
I’m with you, TTF. I like both the dark and the light side. The dark is new for me, though.
This sounds really good
Krystal, it is hard to find a Mandala tea that isn’t!
I found one once!
No wait. That was something else. Nevermind. :p
See??? Lol.
Yes I am just finding this out now Tea Fairy! But bettet late than never
Better*
wow…such a spell binding review, cascading words that make me dream to even dwell on the idea of being inside the circle of those who have sipped from the edge of this cup…the formation of a regret that I was not able to hear even a single whisper of this tea from David or anyone, being that I’m such a Yunnan enthusiast and to dub it with the mythical reverence makes me even more captured by the elusive slyph…if only to have been able to draft a mote from such a cup…thank you for the seed of imagination and if this should ever grace the shore again, please keep me in the loop…
This is #1 on my list right now, especially given my recent fixation on black teas. Thanks for the substantive review, even if it made me green with envy.
Your review was so sensual and lovely that if I were a young woman and rich I would have invited you to run away to find that Golden Fleece! I mean this is the best of ways like reading a great story should make you feel. I hope I get to have an experience tasting such a remarkable tea before I die. If I do, it will probably come from Verdant.
What steeping parameters did you use, with the gaiwan? I don’t want to waste a single steep of mine – I keep waiting for the perfect occasion to bring it out, but it hasn’t presented itself quite yet.
@smartkitty – For this tea, in a given session I would use enough buds to fill the gaiwan to about 1/3 to 1/2 of it’s capacity (or by weight, approximately 1 gram of tea per 1 ounce of the gaiwan’s fluid capacity). I always eyeball it with these bulky budset teas, and find that about 1/3-full of a gaiwan is a reliably conservative measure for success with them. Try that and then adjust for your own taste as needed. I suggest using the best water available, which for me just means brita filtered tap. If you filter, make sure the filter is fresh and not an old spent filter. Fully boiled the water, reheating the kettle after every few steeps as needed when drinking many steeps continuously. I do an immediate first “rinse” on every tea I drink, for ritual sake, and to warm all the tea vessels, but it wouldn’t be necessary from a strictly flavor-oriented standpoint to do so. First three infusions, steep for only a few seconds (like counting 1-2-3 with my fingers). From then on I steep each infusion with an additional 3-5 seconds. Really, I do most of this intuitively though, based on what I’m tasting – the counts are just a general guideline for how it usually goes. So by the time I’m on, say, infusion #8 I’m steeping for about 25-30 seconds. The further out you go, the longer the time you might want to add to each infusion. After maybe 15 infusions I might start adding whole minutes to the steep time. And this one will keep going long after that. Like I said, I haven’t found the end of it. You can leave leave this tea and return to it the next day, and it will be in the same place waiting just where you left it, delicious and amazing. When refreshing a tea from this kind of break period, I make sure to boil up a fresh batch of water and then re-fresh the leaves with one immediate rinse before proceeding to steep again where I left off. That pretty much sums up how I brew this one.
How fortunate that you were able to acquire some in the brief window of its availability. I do hope that this perfect occasion emerges for you soon, and that you find it as inspiring as we have. When you find yourself in a quiet and receptive state of mind, and have a window of unhurried time, just make some space to sit down with it in undivided attention. I really think that will make the most difference.
And for all this is good in this world, I hope that we’re given the honor to offer this tea again – even if only a little more… as it’s clear from the responses here that we have number of people with a sufficient interest and reverence to give it that kind of undivided attention I mention.
Thank you all for the kind comments. It’s always fulfilling to know when someone has appreciated the words I’ve searched and worked for in trying to convey a suggestion of the experiences that have inspired me. Happy drinking to all! And mark my words, if the Golden Fleece comes into our hands again, I will personally make sure that each of you are among the first to hear of it.
Thanks for the tease. Save me some when you get more please. Thank you
Yikes.
i received this today
after reading this all i want is to drink it right now but…
i decided to save it for a special day, and sharing it with friends.
this was my first order from vd and i felt so lucky to acquire this tea…
@Geoffrey thank’s for the helpful brewing instruction.
Thank you so much for the tips, Geoffrey :) I feel so exceptionally lucky to have some of this tea at home. I can’t stop opening the bag to inhale the wonderful aroma.
k. I broke down and ordered this. After your romantic review, I couldn’t resist. Oolong is my weakness and I couldn’t bare to miss out on such a fantastic opportunity. I have so many excellent oolongs right now, there is no way I can justify this, but…
I posted a weak review. I don’t think anyone will ever be able to touch yours! So remarkable that this became available!
@Bob – Honestly, oolong is my biggest weakness too, strip style oolongs especially. I’m such a sucker for them. Every time we taste strip oolong samples at the office I’m in danger of going broke. It just happened again recently with a certain Shui Xian we tried that I just had to have in my private collection. It’s less often that a black teas makes such a big impression on me, but this Dian Hong and the Laoshan Black totally floor me. I’m really glad we were able to get more so that a good number of people could try it. I hope you love it as much as we have!
@ Bonnie – Aww, shucks. It’s not a contest you know. I enjoy everything you write. You’ve got a really great style of talking about things, marked with “what’s coming next” surprise, and you notice stuff that I don’t catch sometimes. It’s a joy to read your notes. Thanks again for the kind words though.
The good news is that dian hong isn’t oolong! :-)
Just watched Princess Mononoke so I finally get the reference you popped in there.
This tea frightens me, all of the reviews are so intense.
Don’t be afraid of this tea, we just get carried away by our tastebuds! I should write a review that says this is yummy, tastes great and you can keep steeping it and it will still taste really great!
I ordered it today. Along with a chai blend and an oolong. Now the wait begins.
You are wonder woman! I just ordered some more from them too!
I have to try it. And with that coupon, I couldn’t pass it up. :)
i would weep if it were discontinued… while at the same be grateful for the privilege of the experience.