Laoshan Village Chai

THIS is a great chai. Spicy and rich in all the right ways. Reminds me of that Guayasa chai I tried from Davids awhile back. Good to know I have a place to get some since I’ve ditched that Teavana wannabe :)
(and I mean no offense by that, really! I’m just saying DT has become a place that no longer captures my attention the way it once did, for reasons most of you know)
Anyhow, big thanks to BONNIE for sharing this delightful blend with me.
Without milk, it held up really well. Naturally sweet and as the description says… graham crackers!? coolio!
With the addition of some dairy, it became a bit more spicy and less sweet. Actually, it was more of a good quality common chai that way. Next time, I hope I remember not to add any milk.
Thanks again Bonnie xx

Rather than talk about how long this has been in my cupboard before trying it…let’s just move on to YAY I’m drinking it now! Actually part of what inspired me to have it this morning, was a comment someone made on one of their tastings about saving verdant teas for when they can truly sit and enjoy them. I realised at that moment, that it was kinda what I had been unconsciously doing. And at the same time i realised that if i kept doing that, there might come a day when i regretted having saved that one tea for a special occasion that never happened. So i’m MAKING time to enjoy this tea, even if it’s on the subway in to work or in the middle of a huge project that makes me want to scream. So this morning, this morning it was the village chai. I don’t have time for a re-steep this morning, but it will wait for when i get home.

So on with the tea… this is a wonderful chai! It reminds me of those flat spice/ginger cookies that we used to bake in the fall and dunk into plain old boring red rose tea. I was super little then and didn’t like tea except when i could dunk these cookies into my mom’s tea when she wasn’t looking. She usually figured it out when the partially disolved floating bits of cookie popped up haha. Anyway, this is sans milk or honey – just straight up and i LOVE it. One of these days i’ll have to try it with a bit of milk or honey.

Uhhhh. So, I’m drinking the “newer” version of this, which includes goji berries. I’m not really sure where this entry belongs… there are two Laoshan Village Chai listings, but neither is the version currently being offered…

Anyhow, I just got a sampler packet of this, and haven’t had the older (summer??) version in a while, so I can’t compare the two, but this one’s not bad. Unfortunately, I think I underleafed as I wanted my packet to last for two sessions… and I think the cup needed closer to a full tbsp of tea. However, it’s still okay with milk and syrup, just a bit difficult to pick out the spices. I think I prefer Chocolate Phoenix Chai though; this isn’t my perfect blend of chai spices, even though the blend is heavy on cardamom pods. Perhaps I need to try a longer infusion/infusing in milk… plans for another day!

My Verdant order came! Woot woot! Only a week late haha, silly Canada Post, I’m very pleased it came today, as I had an email all typed up to send out to find out the status of this glorious package. But it is here! And my car started so I was able to go get it! Happiness :)

So as it’s sooo cold here and I will be having another late night, this was the tea I needed to have first, without a second thought. I brewed it up for 4 minutes with boiling water. The dry smell is nice and gingery and CLOVES. Yumm. Very chai smelling.

The wet smell – oh my goodness. I thought my other chai tea smelled like ginger snaps. THIS smells like ginger snaps! SOOO YUMMMYYYY. AND! I can actually smell that Laoshan Black in there! Yes, I haven’t had it in ages, but that distinctive rich chocolate scent is mingling with the ginger snappiness. This smells heavenly!

THIS, my friends, is a CHAI. YES. This is a VERY GOOD CHAI. It is spicy, it is warming, and that awesome Laoshan Black makes it rich, decadent, chocolatey underneath the spices. This is excellent. Yet another Verdant win. I’m so happy I decided to get an oz right off the bat of this :D oh, and let me add, this excellent taste is without anything added. No milk, no honey, and it’s done western style. I can’t imagine the amazingness if this is done on the stove. Mmmmm I might add some honey to the end of this cup to see what happens, but this can definitely hold it’s own.

Overall, a delicious spicy blend of decadence and warmth. How David blends these, I will never know.

ETA: As this cools, it tastes more ginger snap like, and the Laoshan Black continues to show itself and man oh man, this is excellent. I wonder if it holds up to resteeping..

ETA again: yes, you definitely can get another steeping out of this, and it is still going strong! Even a bit spicier I think! Excellent tea :)

Thanks to Terri Harplady for a sample of this.

I’ve been feeling all sorts of bleh all week, and I’ve been meaning to try this sample. I was especially drawn to this because of the ginger in it, which I know helps with stomach issues. So, we’ll see.

This is a very nice chai. It’s got some nice bite but it’s not overly so. I didn’t put anything in it, so I like chai blends that can stand on their own. I still have yet to brew up the Laoshan Black on its own yet, so I’m curious to see if that will help bring out that flavor even more, but it works as a nice base. Looking forward to getting some solid infusions out of this.

This is great! I’m having it with milk. I decided after the last tea to make something I know (chai) so I couldn’t possibly screw it up :D okay I probably could but I didn’t :D this is AWESOME!! thanks Verdant Tea, so happy my order came

First of all, thank you to Amy Oh for sending me a bit of this chai. This is one I’ve been wanting to try since I’ve seen the tasting notes here on Steepster… and thank you, Amy, for this opportunity to try it.

As some of you know, I used to blend and flavor tea. My most popular blend was my Masterpiece Chai, and this is a chai that I took well over a year of testing and tasting to get the recipe just right. I’ve tried quite a few chai blends from other companies since that time (and even before that time, as my thinking was that if I could find the “right” chai made by someone else, I needn’t invest the time to create my own blend, you know?) My findings are that I’ve discovered many wonderful chai blends since I’ve closed my business, but, before I started blending to create my blend, there were very few that that I tried that I would consider “good” and none that were just what I was looking for which is why I decided to embark on my own.

Since that time, I’ve tasted many really good chai, but, I still have yet to find one that lives up to my own. (Gosh, I sound so humble, do I not?) And this one is REALLY REALLY GOOD. But, I can’t compare it with my own, because this one is quite different. I did not put saffron in my blend and that makes quite a difference, as does the burdock root.

But, this is REALLY good. I love the interesting flavor that the burdock root and saffron offer this blend. It is so well-rounded; a very pleasing sip from start to finish.

I really like this.

Every year I get a special gift around the holidays, passed on to me by a friend or family member, and best known as the common cold. Ugh! It messes with my ability to appreciate the taste and aroma of my beloved teas, and makes me quite grumpy. This year, I have found two teas that not only make me feel better, but woke up my taste buds again and make me feel alive again… Verdant teas Thai Ginger Fire, and this wonderful Laoshan Village Chai.

The base to this brew is a great tea in it’s own right, and the pairing with these spices is truly artful. I have never heard of saffron or burdock in chai, and it gives extra special layers of flavor and aroma. I have been brewing this using an infuser in a glass tea mug, and didn’t add anything the first time around. I kept inhaling the steam, and sipping the tea, and could feel the good energy seeping into my body. By the second steep, breathing easier and sore throat soothed, I added a touch of really dark local honey. Nice! :)

I will eventually try this with some soy or almond milk, but for now I am just absorbing the flavors and aroma — enjoying this fabulous blend.

This is one of the samples sent to me by Bonnie that I really wanted to wait for a special time to make it, and that time is NOW! My daughter who used to hate all tea, then liked puerh, then white and green, has discovered that she likes chai! She is visiting today so we made this two ways.

First I just steeped it in water, like any black tea. We took it without additions and she liked it very much. I like it, too, and there are a lot of chai blends that really turn me off. This one, Harney and Sons Indian Spice, and Rabbit Hole Chai have been my favorites. For a bagged tea, the Holiday Spice by Stash isn’t bad.

Next I mixed a little water in milk and steeped it that way. I did sweeten it a little, but my daughter didn’t care for it as much. Once she added some additional sugar she liked it, though. Her favorite was and is definitely still the first version, steeped like a regular black tea.

Thank you, Bonnie!

Honey, I Love this Chai! This is the best Chai I’ve ever had and I mean that! Usually Chai’s are a little too spiced…a bit heavy handed. But, the masterful blending of herbs and spices developed here are so subtle and warm that I am delighted. As soon as I finished the 4 minute steep and poured the amber liquor into my mug the air was filled with the scent of fresh baked gingerbread. Not too biteing or bitter but toasty gingerbread the way I make it at Christmas. Almost creamy. After a taste straight up I put in some milk and sweetened my cuppa…oh…yes! There is nothing better than this! Who needs a fancy car and diamond rings when you can kick it with a cuppa the finest Laoshan Village Chai! This my friends is the best of the best! Feet up, mug full!
*I shared this with my granddaughter Schey who agreed that this is a wonderful Chai. A second steeping worked well and was not watery or weak. Chai resteeped usually fails to keep the same level of spiciness but never fear, this tea has backbone! No tired old spices but honest top notch flavor.

This is an excellent chai!
Obviously, as others have said, the base makes a huge difference.

At first, the dry leaf smelled quite strongly of ginger…while I like it a lot, my wife and I were a little concerned it would be overpowering.

The aroma of the leaves after the first steep (when I focused away from the spices) was just like chocolate, and also some kind of grain… I think barley or buckwheat.
But with the whole combination, it really smelled just like Lebkuchen. If you haven’t had Lebkuchen, you are missing out. My wife is from Germany, and she thought of this too… she thought it smelled like some kind of Christmas candy she would eat every year.

Contrary to our concern about the ginger being overpowering, this was not the case at all. It was a very delicious, balanced chai, and remained strong for 2-3 steepings.

The leaves were beautifully long, dark, and continued to look nice after every steep… they invited me to just keep steeping (all western style brewing) several cups after the tea started being weak. (We probably steeped it 5-6 times, even though the last three weren’t as good, I just couldn’t bring myself to dump the leaves out, which is unusual for me).

Got a sampler size of this, and I’m now wishing I had more! This is an exceptional chai. It’s earthy and well-rounded. I loved it!

Update: Just re-steeped this. I think this may be the best chai I’ve ever had at home (my favorite being Samovar’s). I think I need more!!

This cold has got me down. In the last two weeks, I’ve had the actual flu, which turned into a sinus infection and eye infection. Last friday I finally felt 75% better. Saturday morning I woke up with another cold. I fear this one is turning into another sinus infection. One of the many annoyances of being sick is that I have all these teas to try and my tasters aren’t working properly! I’m trying my best not to waste any new ones before I can actually enjoy them, but I couldn’t wait on this one any longer, and I was hopeful it would be a strongly flavored chai that would make me feel a tad bit better.

I made it using the stovetop method so that I had the highest chance of getting the most flavor out of it and added some milk and honey. This is an amazing chai. The spices are so perfect and I love that the ginger and peppercorn make it a little spicy. I wish I could taste the Laoshan Black underneath and but I’m sure that’s cause my taster is on the fritz.

I’m currently on my 3rd steep of this. For number three I added more water to the pan, brought it to boil and then covered it and let it sit while I ran errands. Still just as strong in flavor and spice. This time I used almond milk as dairy isn’t doing my any favors with my sinuses.

I think I’ll try for #4, cause, why not?

Ohh goodness! Verdant’s chai blends are soo amazing! Such quality ingredients, both the base tea and the spices. It is apparent as soon as you open the pouch, both the aroma and the sight, heavenly and beautiful. And the taste oh my! So sweet, smooth, clean and balanced. The words elegant and fine keep coming to mind.

I don’t know why I was so hesitant about ordering this one late last winter, probably because I was burnt out on Teavana’s chai many of which are gritty, require sugar or honey and are just have none of the traits above.

I told myself I’d order some in the fall but with the special Zhu Rong Chai, I had to compare and David graciously allowed me to order by the half ounce so I could try lots of tea on my budget. An old friend of mine just placed her first order and got quite a bit of the Chocolate Phoenix Chai so we’ll be swapping in the near future, I’m relieved because while I will be placing an order soon it will be for three of my favorite teas that are low stock.

So back to this, it tastes a bit lighter bodied and sweeter than the Zhu Rong Chai which I prefered with milk, this one is definitely better straight. I love anything made from Laoshan black and green and this newest harvest is fantastic. I brewed this short which works wonderfully for my tastes, now off to reinfuse, next time I’ll play with longer infusions.

Thank you “Bonnie” For this Tea Sample! (And MANY others ;-))

While I don’t have much experience with Black Teas.! They also have not been my favorite among the varied, green, white’s and Oolongs which I prefer ;) This is the first time I am trying “Verdant” teas (Thanks to Bonnie) and I have to say that it is a very high quality tea!

I brewed My tea in a “Forlife” Curve Teamug http://www.forlifedesign.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=12_5&products_id=36 at 195 F for 3 minutes and only using Stevia (Stevia Clear) for a sweetener! After steeping I noticed that the wet leaves had a bright fresh ginger/cardamom smell with a light woodsy -smokey afternote.

The taste of the tea (for a newbie like me) is kinda hard to describe!! It had a VERY WELL BALANCED (Chai’s are usually very heavily spiced from what I remember) Smokey-black tea flavor with hints of warm ginger /cardamom and a chocolatey aroma. Finishing off the palate with a buttery smooth mouth feel. It was still flavorful after it’s 2nd steeping and if this is the quality of “Verdant” teas…I’m definitely SOLD!!!

All. Mine. I’m not sharing this one with ANYONE. The spices aren’t the blend I generally associate with chai. Like the Phoenix one, the spices lean a bit more towards cardamom.

I don’t really know what else. It’s good, it’s mine, and now I have to try mixing the rest of my laoshan black with the masala chai in my cupboard.

(0.5 tbsp for a 16oz mug, water just off the boil, 4 minutes, added honey and creamer.)

I tried this yesterday and didn’t like the way the flavors went together, then I got really sick which probably wasn’t the fault of the tea but I don’t think I want this anymore. Any takers?

Wow…very nice. I have been wanting to try this after I tasted the Laoshan black tea. I opened the package and the spices hit me. I could not smell the tea at all. I was a little worried that it would be just that…SPICE! I gave the packet to a coworker and they said that they could smell it from across the room…it was so strong.

I used about 2 teaspoon in my wabi sabi pot from Samovar. Brewed it for 5 mins and poured. Nice amber color.The chocolate aroma of the Laoshan black was there. It smelled amazing, the spices backed the chocolate flavor of the tea perfectly. I put 2 teaspoons of raw sugar and a drop of cream. It was balanced..really did not need a thing.

This time last year I was trying almost everyones chai. I bought Adagio, Samovar,Yogi,Tazo, Rishi.This to me is the best one. Its because of the Laoshan Black. That tea already has so much dept that it would have to make an amazing chai. I’m so happy I purchased 2 oz of this. I will have to pickup more and do it “old school” on the stove top.
I kind of regret putting the cream, it did not need it……

Uhoh. One whiff of the dry leaf, and POW ginger assaulted my senses like it just screamed in my face.

I’m thinking I already know how this is going to go. You see, I hate ginger. And I mean I hate it. I knew ginger was in the ingredients, but I was hoping it’d be more mild and make way for the more favorable ingredients like cinnamon and cardamom. But if the scent is any indication, it’s going to be the exact opposite. Dx

Overall the taste is better than what I was expecting, but I don’t know what I’m going to do with the full ounce… I’m going to refrain from rating as it wouldn’t really be fair to the tea, since I’m just not into ginger. If you enjoy a gingery chai, then I’m sure this is the one of the best to be had. I can definitely appreciate that this tea is well crafted.

I seem to have difficulty finding a chai that isn’t heavy on the ginger. I like my chais to be cinnamon and clovesy and cardamomy, so if anyone has any suggestions, I’m all ears. :D

I have a new favorite chai. I was trying to make my own chai blend, so the taste was just perfect, but I think I am going to have to abadon that, and just drink this tea from now on.

On first smell of the dry leaves, I immediately though ginger beef. It was so delicious, the ginger was strong which is a plus in my book. The brewed tea smells like a sweet, soft, ginger snap cookie. The taste is superb! It is malty, chocolately, cocoa, ginger, chai with a peppery finish. It is almost like ginger ice cream. This is an awesome blend.

I bought a small sized bag of this tea, but I am definitely going to have to stock up on this one.