Imperial Breakfast Blend

Tea type
Black Oolong Pu'erh White Blend
Ingredients
Black Tea, Oolong Tea, Pu Erh Tea, White Tea
Flavors
Bread, Roasted, Caramel, Dark Chocolate, Dark Wood, Leather, Smoke, Tobacco
Sold in
Loose Leaf
Caffeine
High
Certification
Not available
Edit tea info Last updated by Shae
Average preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 1 min, 15 sec 3 g 9 oz / 266 ml

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85 Tasting Notes View all

From Verdant Tea

chocolate + malt + cinnamon + creamy + caramel + semolina

"Rich yet refreshing breakfast tea with chocolate base notes and sunny Yunnan texture…"

A fine breakfast tea should gently wake you up, acting as a transition and ritual to welcome the day. Too many breakfast blends achieve this through caffeine alone, brewing up so intense that they are hard to palate. We realized the best breakfast tea is going to give you more than caffeine. Its flavor is going to be warm and sunny, the texture gentle but satisfying, the aftertaste refreshing. The sensation of drinking the tea should make you want to start the day.

We achieve this by starting with Laoshan Black and Zhu Rong Yunnan Black. This combination creates a satisfying body with a warm and bright flavor. A touch of Shui Jin Gui Wuyi Oolong accents the warm fruity qualities, while Master Han’s 2002 Shu pu’er strengthens the base and a bit of Bai Mu Dan White tea provides a uniquely refreshing aftertaste.

This brews up beautifully hot or cold, and can be just the comforting cup in the morning or throughout the day.

ICED: Bold, enlivening, sunny. Notes of bread, fruit and florals. Vanilla in the aftertaste. Yunnan linen texture. Excellent any time of the day.

Western Brewing
Use 4g of tea (2T) in 6-8oz of fresh-boiled (205°F) filtered or spring water. Steep for 30 seconds in a brew basket or equivalent. Enjoy many infusions. Add 10-15 seconds with each steeping, or to taste.

Gongfu Brewing
Use 4g of leaves for a medium gaiwan or yixing pot. Heat the gaiwan or pot with boiling water and pour out. Add leaves, rinse leaves with boiling water for less than a second. Use this steeping to heat cups and pour over yixing. Steep each round for 3-4 seconds, increasing time by 3 seconds each steeping after the third steeping. Enjoy at least 15 infusions.

Iced Tea (Cold Brewing)
Use about 4 grams of tea for every 12oz of water. Combine with room temperature water in a covered vessel and refrigerate for 8-12 hours. Enjoy!

Iced Tea (Flash Chilled)
Use 1TB (5 grams) of tea in a 6-8oz vessel. Steep for 1 minute with filtered boiled water. Fill a martini shaker (or equivalent) with ice, then add brewed tea and shake until well-chilled (usually 10-30 seconds). Pour out through martini-shaker top over fresh ice in a new glass and serve.

About Verdant Tea View company

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85 Tasting Notes

3294 tasting notes

So far today I’ve been just laying around at my house, but I finally made some breakfast & have also been enjoying 3 & 5 min steeps of this tea. For some reason, it’s not as wonderful as I remember it, & seems kind of weak, even though I know I used the same quantity I always use.
It’s probably because my tastebuds & sinuses are allergy-affected.
OR maybe there was a higher ratio of white tea in that TB.
Who knows? Who cares?
It still tastes good, & although I drink hot tea year around, I especially enjoy it when the cool weather arrives, & it is pleasantly cool & wonderful here is St. Louis!

My visit with Sil was awesome, but short. We laughed a lot, & we drank a bunch of tea!
If you’d like to see a video of her playing my small harp, here it is:
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10204087208195877&set=vb.1095023403&type=2&theater
:D

SarsyPie

That’s so cute! It’s wonderful that you guys got to hang out and drink tea together. I’m a little jelly!

Also. That’s a SMALL harp??? LOL

Sil

yes…it’s the small harp LOL

Terri HarpLady

Actually, I have several that are even smaller, but they are all rented out to students. That’s the one most of my students play.

Terri HarpLady

I’m still thinking that when my kids all (finally) move out, I should turn this place into a bed & breakfast.

SarsyPie

Terri, that would be awesome. Can I make a reservation now? :)

Terri HarpLady

(Turning to open my calendar)
Sure!

Ubacat

Play the harp in the morning with some good tea and I’ll book my next vacation there!

Terri HarpLady

If you guys don’t want to wait until my kids move out, you can always sleep on the futon, although it’s not really all that comfy, & there’s no real privacy, LOL.

SarsyPie

LOL. That’s a very sweet offer, but I think I can wait :p

Terri HarpLady

:)
That’s probably for the best. I’m not going anywhere!

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75
14991 tasting notes

soooo busy today. This was my first tea of the morning as i’m nearly done this one so i wanted to make sure i’m working on finishing it off. This weekend i need to get some serious sipdowns in, so i’m trying to help that along this week :) I still enjoy this one but i feel like i’d prefer to just pick up the individual teas. Maybe i’ll try making my own slightly different version heh

caile

You should!

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676 tasting notes

I’m Back! Hi my Friends!

I’ve been very, very sick the past few days with a violent allergic reaction to a handful of dried peas.
This was something like being seasick and having the flu and a migraine all at the same time.
Today is the first time I’ve been able to eat anything or drink tea.
Hooray for Tea!
Very carefully, I chose a tea that was not flavored with anything that would make me turn green since I’m still a little queezy.
A good malty tea with warm chocolate and caramel tone would go down well and Puer would be good for my stomach also.
I’ve had the past version of the Breakfast Blend as a sample, but not the Imperial Breakfast Summer Blend. I had ordered the tasting set of Alchemy Blends which arrived today (great timing).

This afternoon, I prepared a 24oz pot of tea. I was so ready, you have no idea how much I had missed tea for 2 days. I chose Western Style brewing so that I could continue with multiple steepings for soothing my stomach throughout the afternoon and to rehydrate myself.

Steep time 1min. Color of liquor light golden honey brown.

The tea was malty and naturally cocoa cinnamon with good body. The richness was what I wanted…a real tea hug. I can’t explain it better than that. I love this tea flavor. Malty, caramelly, cocoa rich tea makes me do a bad, bad thing.
I have an addiction!
When I run into a very good malty tea, I go to my secret stash of ginger cookies and take a few…
and slowly break off pieces of cookie and eat it crumb by sweet spicy crumb while drinking the malty cocoa, creamy tea.
I can’t explain the sensual goodness…the delight in this combination…of unsweetened tea…that blends in the mouth with the sweet of the ginger cookie somehow enhancing the flavor of the tea. Oh My Goodness! Absolutely sensational!

So, yes…ok…I went for it and had the cookies and tea and I came alive again! (Here I should insert organ music like in the Phantom of the Opera…She’s Alive!)…The tea was…Delicious!

I’ve conversed with a few people lately about what Puer would be good for evey day use and this is one tea that I recommend because the Puer is mixed with other tea’s as a blend. This is such a delicious tea, a perfect way to begin the day and a wonderful tea to have as an afternoon stress reducer.

I’m back! (Not in the horror movie sense of the phrase) ; )

Michelle

Glad you’re feeling better!

Hesper June

So happy you are back, Friend!

Bonnie

Thank you!

Garret

It’s not a secret stash of ginger cookies anymore, Bonnie :)

Kittenna

Yikes, doesn’t sound fun! Glad you’re back, but I’ve been so absent lately I feel like I have no idea who is and isn’t around right now!

Relmaster

I’m glad you are feeling better Bonnie ;) I believe you were telling me about this “imperial breakfast” on the posting I did on “everyday Pu-Er”!! Still trying to find a good everyday Pu-er?? Alot of people mentioned the 7572 and the 7581 Dayi (meng hai factory)!!(what company should I buy them from?) The only Pu-er I have had so far is the “ripened aged pu-erh” (teavivre) and the “silver buds Yabao” (verdant)!! Thank you for both of those samples by the way..I am trying to put together a “swap box” for you very soon ;) The silver buds are kinda unique tasting as far as pu-erh’s go (tastes more like a white tea) and the Ripened aged pu-erh was very earthy , which I actually liked very much!! I wish pu-erhs had more of a floral/jasmine taste..that would blend very well with the earthy/grounding component of the Pu-erh!!?

Charles Thomas Draper

Glad to hear you are well again Bonnie!

Bonnie

Garret…not telling you my address!
Relmaster….Menghai tea has the 7572 I believe. I think you might enjoy sheng puerh instead of shu .

tigress_al

Glad you are feeling better!
Ginger cookies sounds like an excellent pairing with malty tea!

Missy

Glad you are feeling better. :)

Relmaster

Bonnie is this the “7572 Menghai” that you were referring to? (the listing says it’s a shu Puer?!) http://steepster.com/teas/menghai-tea-factory/2590-2008-dayi-7572-pu-erh Where should I get it from ? Puerhshop.com ? I like teas that are more floral in nature “jasmine dragon phoenix” is one of my favorites so far for example…and I really liked the “riped aged pu-er” by Teavivre!! Are their Pu-er’s with more of a floral nature to them?? I can’t wait to try all the other Pu-er’s and samples you sent me :)) (Highly appreciated ;)

ashmanra

The Mengku Palace Puerh (shu) was a favorite for me, from Teavivre. Soooo good. I will be serving it today to a puerh newbie.

Bonnie

My favorites are Shu Puer Relmaster, but what I was trying to tell you was that if you prefer lighter and more floral tea and still want Puer then maybe Sheng would be worth trying. Try a sample kit from Verdant or Teaverve or ask Steepsters.

Garret

I have been a huge fan of pu’er, shu in particular for years. Since my 2008 buying tea trip to Kunming, I am also now greatly into sheng pu’ers. At our shop, we have many ripe teas and our raw tea selection is growing fast. We now have 9 private label pu’ers with more on the way! If you ever have any questions, Relmaster, shoot me a message or phone me at our shop 507.453.7941. I am more than happy to help you and can often make recommendations based on what folks are looking for. We’ve got some very nice teas at mandalatea.com

Bonnie

Thanks Garret! I sent you a PM too…

Spoonvonstup

Glad you’re feeling better! You know, I’ve only gotten to try this one iced at the Farmers’ Market up to now (super good, by the way). Yummm..Your review makes me want to try this hot very soon.

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92
1186 tasting notes

First tea of the day here, we are under a snowfall warning, so my plans for the day are to sip tea and make cookies later! And watch my kitty, he got fixed yesterday poor little guy so he has to wear a cone now and he really doesn’t like it! :( so lots of pets for him today! Anyways, back to this tea, it’s so tasty western style! I should try the last little bit in my gaiwan, but it’s just so cozy and warming and soft in the mug. It went nicely with my waffles with apricot jam for breakfast. An excellent tea! See previous notes :)

Preparation
Boiling 1 min, 0 sec

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98
807 tasting notes

This is SO SO SO SO Good!!!
Now THIS is what I’m talking about!
Chocolate
Malt
Caramel
Vanilla
Cinnamon but only ever so slightly
Creamy
DREAMY!!!!
Yes in fact I do get all these flavor elements and what a lovely wonderful much needed grounding tea right now!
Everyone’s schedule in this house is chaotic with exception of mine so I am the one doing backflips to accommodate everyone else after 10 years of being the only one working in the house and everyone accommodating ME lol
Its nice to have more income indeed and wonderful WONDERFUL that my daughter is working not one but TWO jobs September 31 of last year will be a YEAR since her neurosurgery!!
Amazing I am proud and grateful!
Still OMG make the noise STOP!!!!
LOL
everyone is bouncing off the walls and I am needing much more grounding, center, and focus to do MY work which is being fit into when I can get it done.
SO with that said – OH YES bring it on – THIS is the perfect tea for this. I am glad I got a sampler and now I am off to get a BUNCH of this!

Sil

going to have to try this one again… have a vague recollection of not enjoying it that much when i first tried it but that seems like eons ago.

Terri HarpLady

That sounds like everything I want in a tea, Azzrian! I just checked my order (due to arrive tomorrow, I hope…), & that one isn’t on there… :( Actually there are a few others I want to try now. Verdant Teas look SO awesome, I really want to try everything! I guess I’d better finish paying my bills…

Sil

Terri – verdant has gorgeous teas! Totally worth saving up for.

Azzrian

Sil we can’t love them all I guess but this one really is nice for me! :)
Terri I am sure whatever you did get you will find at least one or more new loves! :)
Yeah lol the bills are calling my name as well.
I also need to reply to your last PM – today has been chaos will reply asap xox

Nik

I just ordered the summer blends that Verdant Teas still have in stock, and this was one of them. I’m happy to read your tasting note on this and can’t wait to receive my snack-sized order. (Although, after reading this note, I am already kind of regretting only getting the smallest (7g) size…)

Indigobloom

wow you have alot goin on girl! but I am SO happy for you and your daughter!

Sil

Nik – that’s fantastic!

Missy

Hurray for your daughter!!

tigress_al

wow, you have a lot going on! So nice you could stop and enjoy a tea!!

gmathis

Real rest is rare these days, isn’t it?

Azzrian

Thanks everyone!
Emma did decide to NOT work two jobs today after only one day in the training it was just too ambitious for her (they work the employees REALLY hard there) but she is going to apply at the YMCA for a counter job tomorrow and I am sure she will get it as my son used to life guard there. So that will be a far more manageable second job and its a block from home!
LOL thats how things roll here lately though change change change :)

@gmathis – you know it lol

@ Nik I know I only got the 7g myself

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86
6768 tasting notes

After David’s MARVY Surprise Yesterday of a Karate Chop to the Taste Buds – I decided to try this one out to begin my day! I’m on my 2nd cup already and I’m really liking this!

A blend of Black, Oolong, Pu-erh, and White teas…I’m game!

I can totally taste individually and as a harmonious combo of the Black, Oolong, and Pu-erh. The white is slightly noted in the background, but not overly so. This is amazingly creative and the loose leaf ratios of each are done awesomely – in my opinion.

I haven’t been sleeping well the last several weeks. It’s my dogs. Mostly the one…Riley…he wakes me up at 3 – not sure what changed – he never has done this prior to a few weeks ago. I’m a Night Owl…I usually get settled in around midnight or 1. With Riley waking me up at 3…that isn’t fun…on top of that DH gets up for work at 3:30-ish and leaves shortly after 4. My alarm is set for 5:55 but I haven’t been making it that long lately. Riley either wants water, has to pee, wants to eat (he’s a piggie), or just wants to lay on the sofa. And that’s where I end up…on the sofa. Tremendous.

This morning in addition to lack of sleep Suzie (the other dog) bolted out of a dead sleep on the sofa and lunged at Riley – which I refer to as the “Bitch Attack”…I jump off the sofa and had to pry them off each other. 99.9% of the time these two dogs LOVE each other…but when the “Queen of the Castle” is in a dead sleep and the other one is too close to her she sometimes freaks.

So while this was happening…I could feel various tendons and muscles ripping in my neck, shoulder, and back. OYE.

So…yes…long story and way too much info…I totally needed a special tea to help me start my day!

This is IT!!!

This is certainly on the verge of a Karate Chop AKA Ninja Tea but not as in-your-face as the other GEM from yesterday. Perhaps I will refer to this one as The Round-House Kick :)

Malty-Chocolaty notes first and foremost are overly welcome and appreciated.

There are some cinnamon powdery hints throughout (even more-so in the 2nd infusion)

It has some odd but lovely creamy flavors that move like a football-stadium-crowd-wave throughout the sip.

In the first infusion – not really in the 2nd – I could taste reminiscent flavors of wet noodles as well. Also in the 1st infusion there was a completely different texture than in the 2nd infusion. It was somewhat grainy…much like a Gluten-Free Pasta Alternative or something. I found this very different, interesting, and likable.

This is a real work of art! Another wonderful offering from David and Verdant!!!!

ashmanra

Oh my! I hope the dogs get sorted out soon and start sleeping through the night so you can, too!

Bonnie

This is so good. One that I often suggest to newbie Puer drinkers too. Poor you with no sleep!

TeaBrat

I didn’t sleep very much last night myself… ugh

Kittenna

Ow, does not sound fun :(

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90
412 tasting notes

Oh wow… from the aroma of the dry leaves I was expecting this to taste a lot like the Laoshan black, but it’s much richer and smokier – maybe that’s the pu’er, or the Big Red Robe? I don’t know, but I like it. I can taste the oolong for sure, but not a lot of caramel or vanilla on the first steep; on the second the caramel started coming out, and the oolong is still prominent. I don’t know my pu’ers well enough to pull out either of those flavors. There is a solid cocoa flavor, thanks to the Laoshan.

This has a stronger flavor than the two straight black teas I’ve had from Verdant (Laoshan and Golden Fleece), which I like. As a breakfast tea, it certainly makes me more willing to face the day, if it means getting more tea like this!

On steep 10 or so, I found this getting unexpectedly creamy. I hadn’t noticed any cinnamon in the flavor, but my mouth is convinced I’m drinking a light chai. Nifty!

gongfu style, 3g leaf to 3.5oz water, steeps starting ~5 seconds

Preparation
Boiling 0 min, 15 sec

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90
6105 tasting notes

Sipdown! Thanks Sil!

I re-read my tasting note of this from last time, and I pretty much would write an identical note this time. The flavour is very reminiscent of a lighter Laoshan Black, but perhaps with a bit more sweetness, and there is more depth in the flavour profile, in that there are many different things going on here. I’m choosing not to think about them too much though, and just enjoy this. As I mentioned before, this would be a great morning blend for me, as I’m not one for a tea with any sort of astringency/punch in the morning, as my stomach does not like that. Not to say that this isn’t packed with flavour, but it’s not an assault on my mouth, as I presume (perhaps incorrectly) many breakfast blends to be. All robust and strong.

Anyhow! A yummy cup, sad to see it go but I probably could recreate something pretty close with the other teas I have from Verdant, hahaha.

Preparation
Boiling 1 min, 15 sec
Bonnie

I love this tea!

Sil

is it bad that i have zero recollection of this one – ie giving it to you?

Kittenna

Yes! Haha. I got it from you in the summer though.

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652 tasting notes

2 tsp for 300mL @100C, steeped four minutes Western style, drunk bare.

Oh, oh, oh.

Liquor is quite dark, letting me know there’s pu-erh in the blend. I can smell the pu-erh, too, and it’s a type of tea I generally don’t care for, but it’s giving heft and depth to this blend. Bready and toasty — roasted grains, and a winey finish that reminds me of some good Keemuns. Some faint Yunnan pepper, stronger in the aftertaste, and some honey notes. Florals in the finish, too. Deep notes of cocoa and sweet potato and minerals. Wow. I’ve never tasted a blend like this.

Michelle Butler Hallett

Oaky notes, too — like Keemun again, or some malt whiskies.

Michelle Butler Hallett

Second infusion, four minutes thirty seconds … more
flavour than some first infusions. Less oak and pu-erh, more Yunnan, honey, and fruit, with dark cocoa notes in the finish. Liquor is dark copper this time; the first infusion liquor was brown.

Bonnie

Can’t wait to write about this tea too but I have family visiting from California this week and writing is impossible! All I can say is hallelujah it’s back!

Michelle Butler Hallett

I must save this tea for weekend mornings. I have spent waaaayyyy too much money on Verdant Tea this summer. They sell such beautiful tea, and I think it’s fairly priced, but I must practice some restraint. I shall save this for mornings when I rise early, and I’m the only one awake in the house. It’s a peaceful tea.

Ooooh. I like it even more at a three-minute steep. It’s sweet!

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98
1353 tasting notes

As is the norm for me, because I can’t remember from nose to mouth, I placed a Verdant Tea order and promptly forgot about what three quarters of it was. Then I saw TerriHarpLady post about this one and hoped that it would be in there. And it was! How excellent!

On the paper it sounds like an extremely interesting blend and not a single ingredient like your average breakfast blends. No Assam, no Ceylon, no Keemun. Is it even possible to create something breakfast-y without those three? Yes. Yes it is, apparently. Instead a mixture of the Laoshan Black (which I lurve) and some Jin Jun Mei, which Spoonvonstup introduced me to (although I preferred the Fujian ones, but really… who’s surprised by that?), and then some Da Hong Pao and some Silver Needle and some pu’erh to fill out and accentuate and what have you. I mean seriously! I’m not surprised that it turned out that I did order some of this. I’m highly surprised that I couldn’t remember doing so, because really! O.O I sounds like the sort of thing I’d remember…

The leaf smelled wonderfully grainy, and there were some Yunnan-y notes in there, but none of the ones that I don’t like. When I was pouring it after steeping (still from the stupid pot and over the sink, WHEN OH WHEN will my new Roy Kirkham china arrive???) I got a faceful of something thick, sweet and grainy. It’s really hard to describe this aroma as anything other than thick. It smells like something that really ought to be tangible at first. After the cup has settled down a bit, it becomes less so and actual notes start to seep out.

My first thought is dulce de leche. And LOTS of it! Underneath that something chocolate-y and something cinnamon-y an just a smidge of smoke, which weirdly manages to somehow not be a top note. blink I don’t get that bit. Smoke has always been a top note for me. Always! Curious.

This peculiarity is fixed in the flavour, though, where the smidge of smoke is restored to its rightful place at the top. And all is again right with the world. That note is immediately followed by the chocolate, cinnamon, dulce de leche combination, which lasts for the entire sip and then goes straight to the aftertaste, which, to my surprise, is indeed with a bit of vanilla to it. I wasn’t actually expecting that. Whenever I see vanilla (and to some degree also caramel) described as a naturally occurring flavour in something, I can never seem to find any, so I’ve stopped expecting it. Maybe it has to do with my obsession with finding the perfect vanilla flavoured black?

It’s not until after I’ve swallowed that I realise something is missing. Where exactly was the body in this? Where was that grain and malt and stuff that I picked up from the dry leaf? Where did that go? Laoshan Black and Jin Jun Mei are both teas with pretty assertive and strong flavours, so… where did they go? It’s like all their top notes just banded together, ganged up on the rest of the notes and locked them in a cellar somewhere. I can’t find even a hint of grain in this. How peculiar!

And yet… And yet, if you really could take the body notes out of the equation all together, I don’t think you would actually end up with this result. They are there, I just can’t taste them because they are the stuff that holds all the rest together in a united front. Without them, it would probably just be something that tasted layered and somewhat thin. They are there. They are important notes. They’re just working behind the scenes on this one.

I apologise for that last be becoming a little odd. Blame it on my having acquired some sicks somewhere, it seems. I feel all ‘W and F’, as the father in law says (Weak & Feeble).

‘Peculiar’ seems to be the keyword here. What an all round peculiar tea. Peculiar, but living up to my initial expectations completely and utterly. Auggy, there will definitely be a share of this in your care package. I’m very much looking forward to what you think about it.

Terri HarpLady

HAhahaha, I had 2 overlapping verdant orders last week, the first was placed to get the Dragonwell, that one came yesterday. The 2nd was placed on Friday when I realized I was getting low on Laoshan Black, & I loved the Zhu Rong Yunnan sample & wanted more, &… oh yeah, those 2 new oolongs were coming in…I had to try those, right??? and maybe a few other things…

Azzrian

Haha I had the same thing going on with overlapping orders due to those rare teas being released!

Bonnie

I think we’re all together here. I loved your review! And you other ladies, I love your reviews also. When you find a tea that truly moves you…the words come welling up. They just do. You become the voice of the tea and the beauty of it is easy to express.

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