Dragonwell Style Laoshan Green: Autumn Harvest

Short steeps of this “not-Dragonwell” in glass gongfu pot.

Coming from leftfield, the smell of the dry leaves and the taste of the first steep remind me of a McDonald’s Apple Pie- which is something I haven’t had in at least ten years. It’s tartly sweet, in a fruity way, and loaded with brown sugar, vanilla, and something “zippy fresh”. There are hot banana notes that come out more as I sip this first steep but the fruitiness tends to drift more into the realm of apple dessert for me. A bit of puckering mouth.

This is not as buttery or creamy as Mrs. Li’s, at least, not yet. Instead, it has more of a refreshingly green quality to it that is delightful in its own right. I haven’t been drinking any simple green teas, besides Genmaicha and Dragonwell, lately. I need to fix that!

This is very good although I don’t think I’d get it again.. not that it seems I will ever be able to get the same tea twice from Verdant. I hate how I’ve fallen in love with these smaller companies that will never be as consistent (maybe “constant” is a better word) as a David’s Tea or a Teavana sized company. I guess that’s part of the charm though. :)

Thank you to Invader Zim for the huge sample of friendship tea!

I cower before green tea! If it were not for the instructions and videos on the Verdant website (THANK YOU!) I would not try brewing green tea at all. I am intimidated by the shape-shifting nature of some of them (or so I am led to believe). Reading through recent Verdant lessons about pouring this tea back and forth between two pitchers, straining the tea and keeping the steep time short, I thought my PIAO glass pot would work fine doing the same thing which it did! Pour, release, pour back through, release and drink it.
Sounds vulger my way, but then I’m alone at home. If I were to entertain, I think the flourish of 2 glass pitchers swishing tea back and forth would look tres’ smart!

My steepings here are 4 oz. pot each time. 2tsp. tea. PIAO teapot.
First steep
The liquor is blush yellow-green. The vegital flavor is fleeting…a tease and gone. Poof! Up front there is a mineral rock sugar sweetness I’ve read about but never tasted altogether in one tea-bite. Here it is. The elusive oneness…the tea without tannin, not bitter, or sour, no acid-rotten vegital ruination that we all dread…and the sigh of relief ah….! Juicy!

I have to do another steeping…off I go…
Second steep is a bit darker and there is some tannin. I noticed that the wet leaves don’t smell as vegital as I expected. They are beautiful dark green unbroken leaves, long spears like broad grass. The tea is juicy…very juicy…but not as sweet as the first steeping. I might like this steeped a shorter time. Usually you add a little time but here maybe not. Something went wrong. I did it. Steeped 20 seconds too long.

Third Steep…
I reduced the steep time which is much better. The mineral has returned and the tannin is gone. No vegital flavor anymore. The perfume of the liquor is floral reminding me of the Springtime blooming trees here in the Rockies, not flowers. Rock sugar which has that subtle aire of Cane Molasses is creeping up from the bottom of my little cup. When you live in the countryside in the Caribbean, you know that Cane Sugar and Molasses are the beginnings of RUM. People went out to the fields and made all three right on the spot, stills and iron pots in the cane fields. (Maybe not now…but when I lived in Puerto Rico they did 25 years ago). Add a little sweetening to this tea and the full sweet buttery rum appears….along with a steel drum and some good looking guys on the beach at Isla Verde! Uh…I got carried away!
(Sorry Verdant!)

So, I like this green tea! You won me over! I know how to brew this tea, drink it which is wonderful! Makes me giddy! This is not a dinner tea I think. This is a tea to enjoy talking with friends or with a light bit of rice or toast. A before dinner appetite stimulant.

With my first sip, I say “this is a Dragon Well?” Then I read the label again, and see that it is Dragon Well Style… not Dragon Well. And yes, it does look like Dragon Well, especially the dry leaves which are flat but a bit brighter green than most Dragon Well teas that I’ve tried.

But the flavor is different to me than a typical Dragon Well. While I love a good Dragon Well, I’m REALLY loving this too. There is an intense sweetness – like sugar! – and yes, I do taste a caramelized banana flavor too (the description suggests a bananas foster taste … and I get that, sans the cinnamon).

This is my tasting note for the first two infusions, more to come!

I got this sample size from Amanda. I really want to brew this gongfu style but my life has been so nuts I just can’t. I have a little bit of time before I run some more errands, so I’m just brewing this up western style (1tsp/cup, 175 degrees, 1.5 minutes) or else I might keep saving all my Verdant Tea for “later”.
The liquour looks so light, I really wasn’t sure if I didn’t add enough leaves (I hate measuring dragonwell without a scale).
Okay, amazing notes now!
This actually smells like rain.
I am a fanatic about rain. I cannot work when it is too bright out, I would be perfectly happy if it was almost always raining. There are so many perfumes, candles, etc that are supposed to smell like rain but they don’t.
This smells like petrichor. And it’s reminding me of The Wasteland. My own headcanon version of The Wasteland where the rains actually come and the thunder isn’t just dry and sterile.
I get a little of the banana scent as well.
This tea is interesting – it has a rather delicate flavor. Initially it tastes very green, goes into a sweetness, segues into a slightly bitter flavor, and then resolves tasting like cream.
There is a slight mineral aftertaste, as though I had the smallest square of tin foil between my back teeth. And because I like strange or interesting flavors, I am calling this a good thing. Nowhere near some of the other Verdant Teas I have tried but head and shoulders above some other teas I have been drinking lately. I might try the last of the gongfu style later.

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

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

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

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

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

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

I knew this was still on my desk staring at me for a reason! I had a cup a while back but didn’t have time to give it a proper first review. I remember REALLY liking it – so – I am jumping into this one again! Here we go!

Dry aroma is airy and pleasant. I LOVE the flat spear shaped leaves :)

Once infused it’s a very warm garden type smell…not flowers, per say, but greens! It’s lovely! There is a bit of sweetness and a little nuttiness to it and I think it’s wonderful!

The flavor of this is remarkable. It’s clean and sweet but not too sweet. It’s slightly nutty. I didn’t really pick up on the banana notes until I re-read the description…and as a BANANA HATER I would say it’s more of a Plantain comparison than Banana for me…maybe because it’s just a hint of banana and not an actual flavoring…not sure…but this is a terrific green tea! (AND NO – I know there isn’t actual banana in this tea! I had someone ask me what I meant by that…it’s just a taste on the tongue I could pick up!!) It also has a lovely aftertaste that lingers and almost seems to freshen my breath!

lovely!

The dry leaf is beautiful and fresh. After maybe 2 minutes in the Gaiwan I have an irresistable aroma of a very fine green tea. I am definitely getting a slight banana aroma. This is as good as it’s spring ancestor although I feel it is a bit lighter. I am getting the bananas foster after I have swallowed the tea and not while it’s lingering in my mouth. Tea can do some pretty cool things at times. This is my second tasting. Last night I wasn’t bashful with the amount of leaf and it was very flavorful. Not that it’s not as flavorful now. It’s just showing me another complexity altogether. I’m steeping cup #2 much longer. I am far from a traditionalist in terms of preparation. I like to tweak until I find what I feel is the best. I do try to follow the guidelines that have been followed for thousands of years but sometimes one must stray to find their own tea voice. Cup #2 has a honey sweetness. I’m getting a slight chill when I drink it. I consider this a plus. My mouth is watering. This truly a very fine tea. Cup #3 is soft and subtle. Whenever a tea gives me the chills and has a fine flavor and aroma I have to recommend it highly. But for some reason my phone never allows me to rate it numerically. 96….

I love this tea shaker thing but leaking on me is not nice. This is actually what I was going to grab to drink this morning over that oolong and since I couldn’t finish it, it was time to switch teas.

I have been holding on to this since the older harvests were on sale and of course I had to get this one. It’s freaking me out that autumn stuff is already popping up…I saw two kinds of pumpkin beer in Whole Foods yesterday…it’s still summery here for a good 10 weeks!

This to me though does not taste like fall. It tastes like fresh green beans soaked in butter and sparkling water. The sparkling quality is kind of crazy in here! Very much like champagne but with a far, far richer flavor. And I don’t think this flavor has a season because I want it all the time. As this first steeping cooled too I started to get brown sugar.

Second steep took on a bit of a nuttier taste, losing a bit of that green bean flavor, but it’s still sweet and sparkling.

More later, perhaps. Going to a movie in about an hour but it’s one of these small theatres where you can get drinks and food inside so sneaking tea is not going to work!

This tea came in my sample pack that I bought awhile back. So I will say I this is my favorite dragonwell. It has a citrus undertone to it that I love. A really great tea for sure.

This is amazing. Very sweet, and I am absolutely getting the description of bananas and brown sugar. I thought that was a weird description but strangely enough, that’s what it tastes like. I am a sucker for naturally sweet tea, so I am impressed!

Experience buying from Verdant Tea http://steepster.com/places/2886-verdant-tea-online-minneapolis-minnesota

Age of leaf: Stated as harvested in autumn 2011; I received the tea in early winter and brewed it up not long after (I also included notes about their spring harvested Dragon Well style tea in this review). I slightly updated this on 6/5/2012.

Appearance and aroma of dry leaf: Looks beautiful! Light and dark green bud sets (or sparrow’s tongues), with some yellow color mixed in here and there. Very mild, but fresh, aroma.

Brewing guidelines About 5 tsp = 5 cups water. Glass Bodum pot used with with leaves floating freely. Stevia added.
……….1st: 175, 1’
……….2nd: 180, 1.5’
……….3rd: 182, 2’
……….4th: 183, 3’

Color and aroma of tea liquor: light amber color; good, fresh aroma.

Flavor of tea liquor Fresh, sweet, chocolate-y, tasty; it has what I think is called a full mouth/full bodied feel. It had great flavor up through and including the forth steeping.

Appearance and aroma of wet leaf: smells fresh and very aromatic; all whole beautiful looking leaves, buds and bud-sets; no broken pieces.

Value: expensive for any tea by my standards: (as of 6/4-2012) it is roughly $10 / OZ when you buy four ounces of it; but it’s worth having some around for special occasions, and great to give as a gift!

Overall: Although, as LiberTeas pointed out in her review of this tea, it is not technically ‘DragonWell’, it is by far the best ‘Dragon Well style’ tea I have ever tasted (it tastes as good as the Laoshan spring harvested DragonWell); and with one or two exceptions, I think it is the best green tea I have ever tasted. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but there was something different about the aroma and the taste of this tea than any other green tea I’ve had. The leaves remained on top of my Bodum for every steeping, which seems to be a good indicator that this is indeed a quality tea. I really like the contrast of the light and dark green colors of the dry leaf; it is clearly one the the highest quality teas I have ever seen. I love the complexity, the sweetness, and the unique flavor of this tea! You go, He family and Verdant tea!

Oh my. How have I not rated this yet?!
So delightful. I wanted something light and playful after a big pho dinner and Dragonwell screamed my name. So so good.
Sweet vegetal greens – almost close to sweet sweet soy milk as well. I only did 5 seconds, and shared the second steeping with the boy so I’m not sure how that was. Though from previous sessions I know it was good!
So much love for Verdant.

Edit: Posted in the wrong tea area… Still shocked I had not written a note for it though..

These leaves while long and pressed flat are less uniform than the dragonwell I have experience with.  There is variation in size, shape and a lovely contrast of fresh bright and lush dark green leaves, they are beautiful.  The smell of the leaves don’t bring anything to mind except tea (lame I know, but there are too many other smells going on in the kitchen).  

It is in the rinsing of the leaves that a strong vegetal aroma is released and stays for the first 15 sec steep.  Very pale brew, with a tinge of blush against my white bone china cup, later steeps are near clear in my glass infuser mug. It is fresh and sweet with a hint of nut and evergreens.  The taste isn’t an overwhelming sort of vegetal, it’s light, bright and smooth and just so very fresh, which is what I have come to expect from Verdant’s teas.  The smell reminds me of matcha, the taste more of Gyokuro with such a nice sweet finish.  As I reach the bottom of the first cup there is a bolder, thicker body .  

I didn’t take notes for the second and third steeps which I also kept short, though I surely enjoyed them.  Yes there was a bit of mint and even vanilla. Fourth was warm and pleasant (I had it with breakfast so don’t ask me about flavor) I let it steep a minute.  

The fifth which I steeped for two mins had an interesting orchid note that of course brought to mind Tieguanyin and the sixth which I steeped for 3 mins was the least vegetal and the most sweet.  I don’t really get the banana but then I didn’t read that last night but there is a desert quality, maybe like a meringue minus the lemon.  Oh hey and there’s nice green tea flavor at the bottom of this cup.  Let’s have another go shall we? Hmm bit of spice, tastes like a second or third steep of a tea that isn’t meant for multiple infusions. I’m sure I could have gotten more if I had kept to shorter steeps, but my toddler renders me impatient sometimes, but thankfully there is another servings worth left.

First of all I’m very happy because today I received some samples from a friend from Athens and I got my parcel from Taiwan with tea so I got like 10+ teas to taste! I started with two green and a red.

120 ml gaiwan, 2 gr tea, 78 C water, about 1 min first steep +45-60 sec for next

Dry leaves aroma: Vegetal, grassy, hint of nuttiness
Color: Light green, amazing clarity
Gaiwan lid aroma after steep: Sweet, vegetal, spicy undertone, hint of lime?
Taste: Sweet, grassy, vegetal, little spicy, mint and maybe lime overtone, mostly vegetal
Body: medium-light, light creamy texture.
Leaves examination after steep: Mainly whole, one leaf one bud, almost no oxidation

Not much stamina, though the amount was little. Taste faded out nicely in consequent brews though a bit fast.
Not even a hint of bitterness/astringency even when brewed at high temps, I love that quality in tea :)

Overall a nice everyday green for people that want quality, without any major flaws which is nice, but hasn’t got anything too special about it.
*Don’t know what the rating will be because of the strange bar but I would say somewhere around 80