Laoshan Black

Am I drinking the wrong tea? I jumped at the chance to try five Verdant teas for $5. What a deal! I especially wanted to try this one. It looks like I have enough for at least two more steeping sessions after this one. I just wish the sample pouches for the $5 were resealable. (I think the others usually are.) The dry leaves smell like a dry field of grass. The leaves are twisty and super black… which is possibly why I expected a deeper flavor? I think I just read so many amazing tasting notes for this one that it sounded like a very rich black tea and not so delicate.

FIRST steep // closer to four minutes // a few minutes after boiling // The steep color is a lighter brown. The fragrance is chocolate but it doesn’t taste a ton like it to me. Mostly it reminds me a bit of a Fujian tea with a bit of a burnt charcoal flavor. Those aren’t my favorite, but this one is better.

SECOND & THIRD steeps // closer to four minutes each // just boiled // These steeps were also pretty much the same. They actually reminded me of the pu-erh I had from Verdant a while ago. That’s weird. But it reminds me of cedar or some sort of tree bark, rather than cinnamon or chocolate. I’m not sure why my taste buds are so different from other tasting notes!

Such a high pedestal it’s on! I don’t particularly love the flavor with this one. That’s too bad. I was getting NONE of the flavors that everyone else has had for this one. I feel like it has been mislabeled! I don’t understand how this one has one of the highest steepster ratings, but I’ve heard that other batches of this were better. It’s great to try it though!

This tea has 315 tasting notes! Wow. That’s hard to compete with. Well, here’s #316!

I have a sample of this thanks to Verdant Tea’s awesome 5 teas for $5 promotion. Woot! What a deal! I’ve only tried Verdant before through swaps, so I’m excited to try fresh tea directly from the distributor. Each packet has enough for two brewing experiences. So, I’m going to make one Western style and one Gongfu style. ;) First up, the Western style brews!

The dry leaves smell pretty good. Hard to describe, but good. I’ve never had Laoshan anything before, so I can’t wait to try this one! I hope it’s as good as Yunnan teas. I’m in love with Yunnan teas. WHOA! The brewed tea aroma smells exactly like salted sunflower seeds!!! That’s crazy!

The first sip is AMAZING! No wonder people are raving about this tea. The initial sip definitely echoed the salty sunflower seeds from the aroma. But that was quickly followed by chocolate notes, and then something sugary, creamy sweet definitely akin to caramel. Yum! What is this magical substance? The very end of the sip leans towards bitterness but doesn’t quite reach it.

I’m interested to see how subsequent steeps turn out. Second infusion was for 3 minutes. This time the aroma is less sunflower seed and more dark Formosan oolong. There’s less bitterness now and more caramel sweetness. This is the first time I’m getting honey notes too. Mmm, how yummy! I’m really enjoying this cup. It’s very different from the first infusion. The end of this cup was just slightly astringent.

On further reflection, that sunflower seed flavor I’m getting could be interpreted as a roasted grain flavor by others. It’s hard to know for sure. On to the third infusion for 4.5 minutes! There’s much less aroma to this cup. Flavors are still going strong in the taste though. There are even less chocolate notes now, replaced fully by caramel and honey. There’s a little more grain flavor and a super silky smooth mouthfeel. This just gets better and better!

My husband just came home, so I gave him the cup to try. He sipped it and said, “Oooooh!” Then sipped it again. :) I don’t really have any idea how to rate this. It’s definitely very special, but it’s not quite as consistently enjoyable to my palate as Yunnans or Tieguanyins from one infusion to the next. The first steep was probably my least favorite. I’m really enjoying this third one though. So, I guess I’ll give this a 92. Thanks to Verdant Tea for offering this great promotion! First tea was a complete success!

I was super excited to try this tea due to the high ratings it has among my fellow Steepsterites. Sad story though. I had just made some noodles and doused it with hot sauce (I’m visiting China this summer, so I’m trying to get used to eating hot food with chopsticks) and couldn’t taste the tea too well. I’m real excited to steep it later though.

From what I could tell, it was smooth and had a hint of chocolate. I’ll update the rating as soon as I try it again.

1 tsp for 8 oz

So the hype is well deserved. I was half hoping I wouldn’t like this because the list of “must-have” teas is getting long and expensive, but holy moly, this is good. Soooooo smooooooth and rich like chocolate. I look forward to brewing it in various ways to find how I like it best, but already I could drink it the way I prepared it today every day.

I am still in awe of how tea can be so varied. Comparing this to another top tea, Butiki’s Taiwanese Wild Mountain Black, it doesn’t seem like they could be the same beverage at all. But they are equally good in wildly different ways. Amazing…

ETA: A second 3 minute steeping was also delicious though obviously lighter. I might try 2min and 3min next time. And maybe I’ll try just one 4 minute steeping too.

First Verdant order, first Verdant tea. We’ll see if it’s as good as everyone’s been saying.

Dry Leaf: Smells very much like cocoa, or like dark chocolate. I’m also getting some floral aspects, maybe rose? I’m not too good at pinpointing floral smells, unless it’s lilac. Anyway…back to the tea. I’m also picking up a slight roasted smell, along with a slight creaminess.

Now onto the steeps:

Rinse (3sec): Smells roasty, or slightly smoky, with strong cocoa aspects. The floral aspect is not detected.
Taste – (Took a few sips)Very smooth, with dark chocolate aspects and an underlying toasty/roasty flavor. Fairly light, though, overall.

Steep 1 (3 sec): The scent is very much like the rinse. Roasty, dark chocolaty, this time a slight sweetness emerging. I’m also picking up some very subtle cinnamon aspects, as well as nutty aspects.
Taste- Slightly bitter dark chocolate aspects, with some cinnamon aspects popping through here and there (lingering in the aftertaste as well), and a very subtle caramel aspect. There is also a grain-like taste here that I can’t really describe. Slightly sweet, smooth, still toasty, with just a hint of spice. The aftertaste is not only cinnamon, but a slight honey note. Interesting.

Steep 2 (6sec) – Smells much like the previous steep, only a little sweeter and heavier (if anyone gets that).
Taste – This one is almost creamy. Slightly sweet, I’m getting caramel-like notes in the front of the sip along with chocolate and the roasted aspect. The cinnamon is also more pronounced in the front of the sip, and still lingers at the end as well. The honey note seems to have dissipated, but the grain/wheat taste is still around. Interesting steep.

Steep 3 (9sec) – Smells like dark chocolate, caramel, with an added hint of vanilla. Still picking up the roasty scent.
Taste: Light (in texture, not taste) cream notes (cool whip?), slightly muted dark chocolate aspects, some cinnamon, and significantly toned down roast-y aspect. Interesting. The caramel seems absent in this steep, but the honey taste is back and lingers at the end of the sip.

Steep 4 (12sec): This steep smells the most like a pan of homemade brownie mix. I’m still thinking mostly dark chocolate (or bakers chocolate), but there is a sweetness here. I’m once again detecting the caramel notes. Yay! Very slight cinnamon in this one. The cream/vanilla scent is also still present, possibly even more this time around.
Taste: It tastes just as it smells. Like a pan of brownie mix! The creamy notes are to die for in this steep; I’m really digging them. They are sweet and smooth, and they mesh well with the chocolate flavor and the caramel flavor I’m getting. The cinnamon is also playing a bigger role in this steep, present very much in the beginning of the sip. The roasty flavor is still around, but it’s toned down a bit. It actually reminds me of when you go to eat a freshly made brownie, but it’s wayyy to hot. I don’t know if this has happened to anyone else, but I always get a light smoky flavor from brownies that are too hot. Or when you microwave a brownie so it’s hot, but you leave it in there a little too long, so it burns just a smidge. It’s not a bad flavor, though. It’s just different. (Ok. Hopefully that explanation didn’t lose anyone… I was trying to be clear, but my mind’s kinda frazzled).

Steep 5 (15sec) – I’m now picking up a thick cream scent. YUM! I’m also getting stronger caramel notes. This one smells the sweetest out of them all. The bitter dark chocolate smell has pretty much disappeared in this steep, leaving more of a creamy chocolate smell in its wake. Still roasty, too, which I am actually quite appreciating in this tea.
Taste: Sweet and toasty at the same time! The toasty taste is up front, while the sweetness takes up the back of the sip. In the center they merge in a delightful way. Caramel, cream, chocolate, and subtle honey notes are all present. I’m also still picking up a slight cinnamon aspect. Yum. This was a really good steep.

I have a feeling this tea could keep going for quite a few more sessions, but I think I need a break from this one for now. Plus, I’ve got a bunch of work to get done, and I have to get over to the neighbors to watch the dogs.

Overall, I liked this tea. I didn’t think it was as out-of-this-world as most reviewers here seem to have, but I found it complex and tasty. I also like that it’s holding up very well to multiple steeps. I’m glad I bought an ounce to try.

UPDATE: Bonnie has mentioned that this tea might be best brewed Western style, so I’ll be giving that a go next time around. I will update the rating and such accordingly. Until then, I will reserve my verdict concerning whether this is a permanent cupboard dweller or not. Thanks again, Bonnie!

I have been so excited about my first Verdant order – it arrived Tuesday but I’ve been entertaining company all week and didn’t have the time to give any of my new teas the attention they deserve. But today, I finally got to pull out the Laoshan Black, and decided to brew it gongfu-ish style this first time in my 3.5oz glass teapot.

I… I don’t have much to add to the descriptions above. I’m on the first 3 steeps and this is delicious, light, creamy, chocolatey (the dry leaf smells intensely of chocolate) – very smooth. I’m curious to see how it will change with further steeping!

It’s a bit on the light/weak side, but I might not have used enough leaf – I used the 1g to 1oz rule for 3.5oz, whereas the instructions recommend 5oz… It’s not bad! But I like my tea a bit stronger :) Fortunately there’s plenty in the sample pack to try it differently next time, and I’ve yet to see how it does with longer steeps.

ETA: I steeped this at least a dozen times. It was getting a bit weak by the end (though still tasty!) so I left the last steep for a few minutes, and that ended up being one of my favorites! It was sweet like fresh grain – I was thinking barley, but apparently semolina is more common – a fittingly bright amber color, and very smooth.

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

Thanks to Michelle for this sample. I bought 2 oz right away. This is like eating a caramel dark chocolate brownie. No lie.

I can’t believe I haven’t rated this tea yet! It was from my first order with Verdant.
This is my first time using more leaves than I usually do. I am starting to think I should invest in a scale as I have no idea about tea weights to tsp conversions.. and judging by this first flavourful cup – I feel as though I have been cheating myself out of AMAZING tea experiences with this tea.
1st: Thick and succulent liquor with a tasty toasted graham cracker and chocolate taste. Nicely sweet too, but not too much. It reminds me of 70% dark chocolate. Maybe 80%. For me- the higher the better so I am HAPPY!
2nd Oh gosh. Chocolate milk. In my cup. I love it. Definitely buckwheat honey too. Oh goodness this is so tasty.
3rd: I just caught myself eyeing up Verdants many Pu’er. Oh jeez. It all started when I decided I needed more of the heavenly Laoshan Northern Black. I may just leave my adventuring into Pu’er for a few more years. This steep is reminding me of raisins for the metallic-like sweetness that is going on around the back of my tongue. Very interesting development on the buckwheat honey taste that is for sure.
All in all – I need more of this tea before I run out. Thats it. An absolutely wonderful tea that will be my go-to for black (tied for first with Bailin Gongfu black of course).
Ooh.. I also introduced my mom to my tea stash. She wasn’t frightened, but supported me and embraced my tea loving ways. I gave her a cup of the Bailin Gongfu and she melted. Later with drinks, I made an extra strong Alpine Punch from DT for mixing. She really enjoyed that as well. Another convert? Maybe =)

I was pleasantly surprised by a knock on the door from our postman today. He had a package for me from Bonnie that was a TON of teas to sample! It was like Christmas on the 14th of June! Thank you so much for the package Bonnie, I cannot wait to try all of the teas you sent!

I found myself unable to decide on what tea to make first, so I sniffed around and finally picked this one. I’m reading a riveting book right now & I thought the aroma suited my mood. Complex. That’s the first word that comes to mind when I breathed in this tea.

After steeping it in my little white teapot, the aroma was bright and roasted, warm & autumny. Like going outside as the hot air turns cooler and breathing in the last of summer. The taste was just the same. Notes of roasted grains, bright and ever so lightly malted.

I was right to choose this tea as it perfectly suited my mood and I look forward to the second steep as I am finishing up my cup now. I will most certainly be purchasing some more of this! Thank you so much (again) to Bonnie for sending this!

Another BIG THANKS to Steepster Bonnie for this sample!

About the only tea that I enjoy more than black tea is flavored black tea. I love them all- fruity, sweet, nutty, chocolate, coconut, you name it! So, this was another variety that I was excited to try when it arrived in the mail.

When I opened the packet, a wonderful sweet, chocolatey, coffee-like smell emerged (I don’t like the taste of coffee but I love its aroma) from the packet. I had a feeling immediately that this was going to be good!

I followed Steepster Bonnie’s recommendation and steeped this tea for three minutes at 212 degrees. The color was a light amber. I thought that was interesting for black tea.

At first sip, my palate was instantly pummeled with a terrific sweet taste. I could also detect a slight fruity attribute. Altogether, the flavor is evenly spread with sweetness, tea, and fruit, in perfect harmony. One sensation does not overpower another and there is no bitterness. This tea is extemely pleasant and tasty.

On the packet, with the instructions, Steepster Bonnie summed up this tea in one word: “YUMMY!” I couldn’t have described it any better myself so I’ll leave it at that.

EXTREMELY Malty! Very smooth! It also has an interesting charcoal or roasted marshmellow likeness to it! I can also pick up on the honey notes, too! I am going to do multiple infusions of this one to compare…first impressions of this is DARNED TASTY!!!!!! 2 thumbs up!

I got my Verdant sampler yesterday, so I was really eager to try something from it this morning. When I opened the the packet, the dry leaf smelled fantastic: strong and fragrant (I don’t mean floral when I use fragrant).

The first steeping was for 30 seconds. It was smooth, slightly buttery, but dark and richly earthy. No bitterness or astringency. No dry mouth aftertaste.

The second steeping was about a minute. This was smooth, but even darker. I can see why some people compare it to cocoa. It had the feel, but not the taste, of a very, very dark chocolate. It also had these fantastic roasted notes. It tasted slightly less earthy to me, but still as satisfying. I also started to get traces of something spicy, not the hot kind of spicy, but just having some sort of spice to it. I don’t know what to label it though.

I’m on my third steeping now (again about a minute) and it’s very similiar to the second steeping, but a little lighter. The earth tones have come back a little more. I don’t feel the spice as much.

I loved this cup of tea! :-) I’m so glad the sample has enough for one or two more cups.

Smells beyond incredible dry—like comforting sweet chocolate. Brewing it also smells chocolate-y, and once in the cup initially it takes on a toasted sugar and buckwheat-y (or is it oats, or barley? Barley, that’s it!) dimension. After it cools a while it starts to taste a little bit like chicory coffee (in a delightful way!). It’s amazing how much flavor is artfully packed in these tea leaves alone, that it isn’t a blend or flavored or anything. As a bonus, somehow despite having all of these elements it isn’t overpowering, imbalanced, or at all bitter (especially impressive since it has that beer-ish malt/toasted grain thing going on!). Pretty much perfect. The leaves are also pretty gorgeous once they expand.

And ah, that rare bird, a black tea that tastes really good, and also markedly different (in a good way!), upon resteep! It does indeed pick up a warm cinnamon aroma and flavor while the chocolate recedes, yum. I’m on my fourth steep and it’s still delicious! Update: now I’m on my 6th and it’s wonderful too…it gets so much sweeter the more you resteep it, nearing licorice root-based levels. Huh!

Totally agree with the reviewers who’ve said this is not a tea to waste those mornings you’re in a rush and can’t fully appreciate all this lovely stuff, the flavor transitions going on here. It’d be ideal for midday or early afternoon when you have some me time carved out to devote to this experience full on.

I know everyone pretty much loves this tea, but to me, it smells like a very high quality potting soil. I’m having a lot of trouble with the smell. It tastes nice enough, though more earthy than I like.

While I can appreciate that this is a unique and naturally richly flavored tea, it isn’t for me.

The leaves are the darkest black, thin & slightly curled. This is a beautiful tea to look at!

First infusion: Smooth, sweet with a tinge of a leathery note. I detect something bitter in the background, but it just stays in the background and doesn’t press forward.

Second Infusion: The scent is a bit like sweet potato. A bolder version of the first infusion remains for this cup. As I am walking to the kettle for more water, I realize the flavor that has lingered on my tongue. Chocolate. I almost missed it, but it’s there.

Third Infusion: A nice malty, chocolate note is what I primarily taste. The chocolate is a bit like cocoa – drying, not too sweet and a little bit rich. Mmm. I think this is my favorite infusion so far!

Thank you, Meeka for a sample!

Oh wow. This is so good!

I finally bit the bullet and placed an order with Verdant Tea. After all the hype on Steepster about their teas, how could I not?

Well, I am not disappointed. In. The. Least.

This is a rich, chocolatey, grainy and spicy cup. I’m positively smitten.

Maybe this will be the tea to finally kick that last lingering morning cup of coffee I’ve been holding on to drinking. Because this is infinitely more interesting than that, isn’t it?

Yum.

Just wow.
I never really care for plain blacks. But this? I could be a convert. Dry, this smells of dark chocolate and looks spindly, curled, and honestly? Beautiful. This tastes wonderful! Thick, cocoa-esque, barley, and just, does not really remind me of any other blacks I’ve tried. This tea has a very interesting mouthfeel.
I love this tea. More notes later!

I’ve never had a high end black tea like this before! Thank you cheetah_pita for including it in our swap! The first steep is so malty and caramelly and complex. I can see why everyone raves about this one! Can’t wait to steep it again :)

Ugh it happened to me! Steepster just malfunctioned and I lost my entire review I spent all morning typing up for this one! What a bummer.

This morning when I woke up I decided I’d spend the day listening to music, drinking tea, doing a face masque, curling my hair, and just spending some time with myself without the TV on. The rats had big plans for the day when they woke up too – peering at me with their sparkling eyes through their cage door like “mom we want to enjoy the day with you!” So now I’ve got all four of my little monsters running around on the couch begging for sips of tea. Thank goodness for black tea!

And what an interesting way to start the day out. This tea has such rave reviews on here! I’ve still been using my gaiwan faithfully. I wonder if the magic will wear off eventually?

This tea is rich, creamy, and deliciously sweet. I can see why this is a popular tea. It reminds me a lot of honey. With each steep the liquor turns a darker gold color and the leaves are unfurling with a curly madness. I adore the way these leaves look dry and damp. This is a very pleasant way to start the day.

Oh, and in case you were wondering the rats give Laoshan Black tea two paws up!

http://flic.kr/p/dtv82z -— Fintan and Derby enjoying some tea
http://flic.kr/p/dtAEsC -— Fievel giving a lick of approval!