Earl of Anxi

I’ve been waiting for this tea to arrive, so curious about the use of Frankincense in tea. It is curious also that my new blog (soon) is called tea and incense and that the incense I use at home is the same type of resin incense used in the tea. FRANKINCENSE

When the tea arrived I wasted no time making a cup. The wet leaves were beyond amazing…with an aroma that transported me by scent association to ‘Places of Prayer’, ‘Honey Cake with Orange and Nutmeg’, ‘Ancient Holy Spaces’, ‘European Museums’, ‘Grandmothers Antiques’ and ‘Lightly Bergamot Scented Linen’.

I was stunned!

I took a sip of tea and the scent and flavor were one and the same.

What to do? The Oolong tea, orange, jasmine and goji berry were woven together so beautifully that the hint of saffron warmth and incense unfurled like an exquisite silk carpet full of intricate patterns.

Impusively, I called Verdant to leave a message of congratulations and David Duckler answered.

(I’m not going to pretend we’ve never talked before, we have. And I’ve chatted by e-mail with other Tea Company owners who make an effort to be friendly like Stacy, Garrett, Bo, Elise and many others.)

We talked about this tea, how he lets the tea (this Oolong) guide him as he pulls down one ingredient, then another in some mystical way until he has the final blend.
I kept telling him how beautiful the wet leaves were, the cream colored puffy jasmine with the dark green Oolong leaves set off by long rusty red goji berries.
Then the scent, perfectly peppery when cold…then almost nutmeg. I kept picking out pieces of jasmine to eat, then nodding my head down again to smell the aroma.

We spoke about my use of Frankincense and how older cultures used resin instead of chemical incense, how my brother uses a long censor with 12 bells on it to bless the people during Vespers on Saturday nights. With a flick of his wrist, out goes the censor using a technique that looks like he’d be super great with a YOYO.
(My brother is a Deacon)

In the cultures where this type of resin incense is used the smell goes into carpets, furniture, wood and fabrics usually creating an association with a ceremony, season of the year or holiday.

We went on to talk of other things, other tea’s and the trip to China in the near future. I kept coming back to this tea, however. I couldn’t help it.

I said, “David, I’ll probably review the Earl of Anxi tomorrow since I want to think about it to do it justice. It’s remarkable! Earl Grey lovers who love the strong taste are going to complain probably, but I think you were right to keep the bergamot very light! It’s in harmony with the other flavors!” He agreed that it was better this way, saying that the softer and lighter nuance doesn’t overpower the blend.

This was absolutely a mind-blowing and unique Verdant tea!

I LOVE THIS TEA
http://youtu.be/V3rRaL-Czxw

UPDATE
I had some more tea later in the day at my tea pub and by the 3rd steeping the Frankincense became more pronounced in a very fragrant, flavorful way which blended with the Oolong tea and Jasmine beautifully.

Thank you to Azzrian for sending me a bit of this tea … it’s awesome!

This is a totally interesting and unique take on Earl Grey – so much so that you’ll question whether or not you’re actually drinking a bergamot flavored tea! It is so amazingly balanced to create an amazingly smooth beverage unlike anything I’ve ever tasted.

The goji berry accents the tangy notes of the citrus, while the sweetness of the Oolong offers a balance to the acidic nature of these ingredients. The frankincense offers balance to the fragrant notes, while the jasmine accentuates the floral tones but not in a way that comes off too flowery. The saffron offers an undertone of savory bitterness to the overall cup and together the ingredients create a delicious new way to taste bergamot.

If you’re a fan of bergamot, you really should try this. It really changes the profile of bergamot, while keeping some of the basic qualities of it … and the end result is a really wonderful and new way to experience the exotic fruit.

I really, really like this. David outdid himself with this blend! It’s amazing!

Thought I’d try a couple new teas tonight. I may regret this, as it’s “lights out” in like 11 minutes…

Anyways! This was one of the lucky winners. I’ve been super curious, so into the infuser it went! The floral-y/citrusy aroma is oddly familiar (can’t say I know what either saffron or frankincense smells like, so I’m not sure if it’s that), but underneath the familiar aroma is definitely Verdant’s distinctive tieguanyin. The flavour is much the same – a solid base of the vegetal, delicious oolong overlaid with citrusy and floral notes. I was going to mention that I wasn’t really getting bergamot in here, so it wasn’t really working as an “earl something” for me, but I see that there is no bergamot – the citrus is orange peel! I think I personally prefer this choice of citrus, and am finding that it compliments the oolong very well. The jasmine is likely providing the floral note that I’m picking up, but I love that it has been so delicately used such as to not overpower everything else. (Now that I read there’s jasmine in here, I imagine that the familiarity in aroma may have been in part attributed to it.)

I am really enjoying this blend – all of the different elements are making it quite a treat to drink, and I have to say that I could see myself preferring this to a straight tieguanyin just because it’s so interesting, yet retains the strong oolong character.

Great tea for tonight!

ETA: Second infusion (didn’t pay attention to parameters) is super strong today! It probably got around 3 mins, and the aroma is definitely of jasmine, and the orange peel is still a prominent flavour, along with what’s likely the frankincense? Either way, it could stand to be a bit more dilute, but it’s quite delicious. Can still taste the oolong as well. Mmmmm.

ETA again: This tea does not quit! There is still a ton of flavour on infusion 3 (lovely orange, light oolong, probably frankincense, less jasmine). Delicious. Also, I noted waxy stuff on the bottom of my last cup – must be that the frankincense melted and sank to the bottom during the infusion. I opted to use a metal infuser in case wax got on it that I needed to clean… I guess I’ll see how it fared after another few infusions!

IT HAS ARRIVED! Yesterday, my university mailroom sent a notice that this package had been processed…three minutes before they closed, and I was 10 minutes away. Regardless, I managed to reign in my not insignificant ammount of rage, and calmly waited until they opened this morning. After getting back to my dorm, I opend the bag, and was nearly overwhelemd by the strength of the aroma. The citrus and spice overwhelms everything, and I had to take a moment as I wasn’t quite prepared for such a strong aroma.

After I got over the initial smell, I put some in my brew basket, and fired up the electric heater to test the flavor. I followed the directions on the Verdatn Tea website, and used near-boiling water and let it sit for 2 minutes. The resulting tea smells like a fine cup of Tieguanyin, but with subtle fruit and spice notes that lurk beneath the surface. Contrary to the dry aroma, the taste of the tea is smooth and refined, the flavors of the orange peels and the goji berries working together in harmony to accent the tieguanyin, but not to smother it. The delicate green oolong taste still controls the foretaste, and it fades away while allowing the other flavors like orange, berry, and jasmine to take over during the trasnition to the aftertaste. This is certainly a tea with hidden depths, and I can’t wait to see how it develops.

Second cup, same preparation as the first. The frankincense has started to develop. I know it’s the frankincense, since it reminds me of my great grandmoster, who used to have it in her home, and who smelled like it after she came back from church. It’s really taking me back to my childhood, and is truly an interesting experience. Another interesting thing is that the orange flavor has subsided a bit, but the goji berry is still fairly strong. Teh jasmine seems to have subsided for now, but the saffron shines through during the aftertaste, which results in a pleasant and flavorful finish. After this cup, I can’t wait to see what else this tea has to offer.

Third cup, four minutes. The frankincense is really, really strong now in both the aroma and the flavor of the tea. There are still otehr flavors, mostly the orange peel and the saffron, lingereing yet not strong enough to really shine amidst the frankincense, but I’m not really complaining. This tea has undergone such interesting transformations, and I suspect that it will continue to do so for a long while yet.

Forth cup, two minutes. The tea is actually pretty cloudy. It’s like a fine Japanese green tea, but the color is wrong. I suspect that this is because the frankincense is really starting to disolve into the tea, since that is still the dominant aroma and flavor. Unfortunately, stuff has come up, and I can’t take the tea with me, so I have to cut this one short. I’ll try to get another cup or two in before I go to bed.

…Well, real life decided to crash with me tonight (figuratively, not literally), so I’m not going to be able to taste more of this tea today. Sorry about that…

Music of the Day – Prelude (oud) dir. Jordi Savall

Link – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FBlA_iGZu4

This is from another album that I bought (I really, really, REALLY can’t resist historically-informed performances), which is another book/CD combo. It’s a lovely album, full of music with rich histories, and the book has lovely essays on the history of Jerusalem.

I really want to like this tea. The title is cool, the ingredients sound good. I know all of the ingredients are top quality. I followed all the instructions. It smells wonderful, & is visually appealing.

The first steep, which I shared with my son Drew, was nice, with flavors & aromas of Tieguanyin, jasmine, & orange peel, but after I drank it my tummy felt funky. Drew enjoyed it.

The 2nd steeping (a few hours later), which was mostly served to my daughter Arianna & her friend, also gave me a quasi-nausea, even though I only took a few sips. They both loved it, saying things like, “This tea is so mysterious! I taste the jasmine, but I don’t know what these other flavors are.”

The 3rd steeping is when the Frankincense really comes out. I have ‘real’ frankincense resin here, which I burn on occasion (I also burn sweet grass & sage on other occasions), & I love the smell, but the taste isn’t really doing it for me. Also, I think my body is saying “no”, because after a sip, I could feel that Quasi sensation again. Ari & her friend really loved it! They totally grooved on the incense smell & taste.

I will put this away for a few weeks, & then try again… If it doesn’t work for me, I can use it as ‘tea currency’ on a trade.

Oh why did I only get a sample of this?!

I like Earl Grey but I prefer a lighter bergamot flavor, so this is already off to a great start before I even drink it. It brews up a very pale yellow and smells full of flowers.

It’s citrusy, like you know there is bergamot, but at the same time it doesn’t really feel like it, if that makes sense. The floral notes are even better. Jasmine goes so well with orange, I want to seek out more teas with that combination…it especially goes well with the tie guan yin (I’ve pulled up a green tea base one, meh).

I was really curious about the frankincense. I had to try a piece from the dry tea. It’s a bit waxy and now stuck to my back teeth but it was worth it. I thought maybe it was going to taste too much like a church, but it’s a very intriguing taste. I don’t even know how to describe it…definitely is like eating incense but in the cleanest possible taste. It definitely has all the elements of this tea in there, though.

I had two steeps of it and it was amazing, and I hope to make at least 2 more cups from the sample packet. And then get more. Because yum.

I picked up this one as a sample a few orders back and figured I should take the time to run through a few steepings of this one since i’m at home today and exausted. I didn’t think i’d enjoy this one too much but i’m open to trying as many teas as possible. First off, the scent of this one dry is wonderful! I really enjoyed that first scent that creeps out when you open the bag.

After running through a few steeps of this tea, i can safely say that i don’t hate this tea, but I don’t love it either. David has done a wonderful thing with this tea, blending the flavours together so that they ebb and flow through the tastings, changing ever so slightly as you get through a sip and then an entire steeping. What i don’t like about this tea is the dryness my mouth feels after drinking it.

Not for me, though I’m happy to have tried it and enjoyed my tasting with it.

I finally got this tea on Saturday but was very tired that evening and yesterday was spent at the movie theater, literally all day: Lord of the Ring Trilogy Marathon(extended edition). The first thing I noticed about this tea was the oolong not the spices. What an amazing harvest of tieguanyin, I can’t wait to brew it on its own! So smooth and rich a creamy and so well supported by the other notes, that are starting to take on more and more of an exotic quality as I sip and inhale. Soon I notice a feeling building up in my chest, cool at first, then heavy, it feels a bit hard to breath. Hmm drinking frankincense might not be the best thing for me. Still I resteep a couple more times until I am too tired. It is truly sumptuous and I am very grateful for the unique experience. However I can’t tell if the physical effect is normal or perhaps an allergic reaction, I do have so many sensitivities. For that reason it will not be keeping it on hand but I do recommend trying a sample, its worth experiencing.

I can never say no to one of Verdant’s bergamot-based blends, nor can I say no to one of their tieguanyin blends. So this? Had to happen, I was just waiting for the right time to order it. And the right time came last month, when I went a little tieguanyin crazy.

Steeped, this bears the familiar aroma of buttery tieguanyin combined with jasmine, orange and saffron. Hmmm, Gardens of Anxi reborn, with more ingredients? I don’t think I noticed that before. There is an added spiciness, to be sure, which must be a bit of the frankincense, and the brightness of bergamot as well. But definitely a comforting familiarity with one of my favorite tea blends of all time (now retired forever).

The flavors are lovely. Saffron always seems to bring out the rich butteriness in tieguanyins, and this is no exception. Sweet and citrusy, with a darker, slightly spiced background, and over all a high floral orange-blossomy note. I will very much enjoy this blend, although it may suffer a tiny bit from “too many ingredients”… at least for me. It’s a very very tasty tea, but there is so much going on, and they compete a bit. But if I weren’t mentally comparing it to a simpler, beloved blend I might be more entranced I suppose.

Oh, wow. Received this from CrowKettle at the swap. More like I was left there holding it because no one else grabbed for it. I’m SO grateful, and if anyone local(ish?) wants samples let me know. Also let me know if anyone wants other things (I think I ended up with one of Heather’s) and I’ll see about sending it over this weekend.

I really, REALLY like this. First cup of the day, steeped 1 minute. The jasmine and orange peel are reminiscent of the “Earl Grey Special” I have, which has jasmine green tea mixed in. I’m not sure if I got any frankincense resin in my spoonful, but the flavour has transferred to the other ingredients.

Definitely going to do another steep this morning, and this is going on my buy list. Verdant has done well with its blends, even though I don’t care for any of their teas plain!

Edit: Steep 2 has more green oolong flavour. This is an oolong, right? I mean, it grew so much the leaves were poking above the top of the water in my basket! The flavour here is darker and richer. Yum! I’ll do another steep when I get home. Gotta go hike!

Edit again: Steep 3 still had lots of flavour. Steep 4, and the frankincense is coming out so strongly and the oolong is becoming more vegetal. The leaves actually look and smell like there are more steepings, so I’ll do another in the morning and travel mug it if it’s tasty.

This isn’t an every day tea for sure. The flavours are so powerful you need to be in the mood for that. I will definitely be purchasing some of this, and also making everyone I know try this tea! Except maybe my mom. But I’ll make her smell it.

Trying another new tea today! This one intrigued me, as I haven’t ever had frankincense or saffron in a tea. I will try to accurately describe everything, although the descriptions might not be quite right as I don’t have experience with those ingredients.

So the dry smell is so intense! I get quite a bit of citrusy Bergamot, very bright. There’s also something else, definitely some floral notes, not sue if that’s the goji and jasmine, and I don’t really know what frankincense smells like, but I’m sure it’s in there!

Wet leaves are more familiar Tieguanyin, very creamy and green (haha, I wrote greamy instead of creamy and green first time I typed!). But there’s an extra note, something fruity and intriguing, mixed in. As it cools, I get a bit of the Bergamot, and then it seems kind of weird, like Earl Grey with Tieguanyin? It is intensifying slightly too I think. Interesting! Also, I steeped a tsp for 2 mins.

Now for the taste, this is spot on. I am very impressed. It is very much like Earl Grey to me, but with Tieguanyin. It’s creamy, bright, and delicious. I am not sure if there is much in the way of floral in this steep, or the frankincense, but that may be because I don’t know what it tastes like! Ooh, I got an interesting pop of an aftertaste! That could be the jasmine!

Overall, very nice. I’m not sure if I did a good job summing up what I tasted, but I like it, and that’s the main thing. :) very interesting, I love interesting teas! Excellent blend with Tieguanyin, first blend I’ve had with this tea in it! Not really sure what to rate yet, maybe need a few more cups worth to fully decide. Luckily my 7g sample will go for at least a few more :)

ETA: It’s doing a good job of making me feel uplifted. With finals and the depressing news in the States today, this is a welcome friend. Prayers out to those affected by the Connecticut shooting, sending <3 and support from Canada.

I ended up unexpectedly out in the cold today (free outdoor Aerosmith concert less than a mile from my apartment, on a day I took off from work? Ok!) so needed a real warm-up tea by the time I got back. Fortunately my Verdant winter order has been patiently waiting for me to have time for it.

This is delicious. Quite fruity, from the goji and bergamot, but also very creamy in taste and texture, and the Tieguanyin really ties it all together. I wouldn’t present it to anyone as an earl grey; the bergamot is there, but it’s one note among many. I don’t know exactly what frankincense tastes like, but this blend definitely achieves it’s goal:a bright tea with bergamot that it also uplifting, comforting, and warming.

Big thank you to Terri HarpLady.
I definitely glad I got to try this tea. I’m not wowed by it, but it’s still a good cup. I’m thinking it’s because I built it up so much in my head.
The leaves are absolutely beautiful, both dry and wet. It’s amazing how much it expands in water. The 8 oz of water is completely taken over by multicolour leaves. It brews up a light yellow.
Very fragrant liquor. As Bonnie had stated it tastes exactly as it smells.
I don’t know how to describe it, I’m not familiar with what I’m smelling.
All in all, it brews a beautiful cup. I likely wont purchase this one though.

A very well blended tea that has ingredients of Bergamot,Jasmine flowers,Frankincense and Oolong Teas that blend together in perfect harmony to create a blend with a very bright,cheery, sunny and refreshing experience. NO ONE blends teas together in such perfect synchronicity as Verdant teas, their Alchemy blends are simply Exquisite!! The first thing you notice after drinking this tea is an elevation of your mood, it brings about a “Sunny Disposition”, the perfect tea for the transition in seasons to colder and gloomier weather ;) Early steepings are very bergamot/lemony, with subtle hints of jasmine and frankincense to balance out the Oolong that it is paired with. No component of the blend becomes “Unruly” at any time, and blends together like a fine perfume, in perfect harmony, with each subtlety and nuance creating the perfect symphony !!

UGH! I CAN’T WAIT FOR THIS SEMESTER TO BE OVER SO I CAN LOG IN MY TEAS!!! I have a lot to log in. I at least want to log in this one today.

I have had this sample pack lying around for a little bit and need to start drinking my other ones. I did the normal brew reconmedations from the site.

First thing first, I normally dislike Jasmine. I find it to be to per fumy for my taste and dominating in flavor. Verdant Tea, however, seems to have mastered how to use the flavor so it is not dominating or overly perfumy.

The flavor of the tea is crisp, effervescent spice tingle, and the perfect touch of aromatic floral. The bergamont flavor is light but present and works well with vegetal like tea base.

Also another plus is that the tea is fine on it’s own with out any sweetener.

I wish I had more time to write about this tea and others, but for now this will have to due.

P.S. Sorry for the misspellings.

When I read the ingredients considering what to order this blend seemed to have everything I really like: bergamot, jasmine, saffron and goji berry. So I had pretty high expectations.

It’s a nice blend, I love the citrus sweetness and hints of jasmine. But I have to admit that this is not really my favorite. I still will definitely enjoy it and do not regret trying it.

Thanks for this sample cheetah_pita!

This one has a lot of ingredients that I don’t like. I don’t like floral flavors and I don’t like Earl Grey. But this certainly isn’t a traditional Earl at all and the dried leaves smelled strongly of frankincense rather than of flowers. I was uncertain how I’d feel about Frankincense as a flavor, but it was worth a try.

I brought it over to my parents house so that they could sample it too. Once brewed, the frankincense aroma was completely gone. All I could smell was a cup of flowers. My parents agreed. My mother was happy with it because she likes floral teas. My father said that the flavor was tolerable but that the aroma smelled like ‘ladies perfume’ and that he could probably do without a second cup. I, myself, didn’t finish my cup. I could have, as I’ve learned to accept floral teas when they are already in front of me, but I gave the rest of mine to my mother as I knew that she would appreciate it more.

Although it didn’t turn out to be my cuppa, I’m glad that I had the chance to sample this unique blend.

What a nice tea. I don’t feel like I need to write notes on it because there are already so many of them. I will say that the TGY base is awesome! The frankincense and saffron can be hard to detect if you aren’t very familiar with those aromas but they are there. I love floral teas, I love the natural floral aromas of a TGY, I like jasmine, I like incense, but considering how much I like all of those things I don’t like this tea as much as you would imagine I would. It’s weird. Hmm…

Dear Earl of Anxi,

I don’t know how to begin to thank you for helping me through a harrowing evening of very last minute tax preparation. Your multiple lovely steepings were the only bright spot in the process. You lack any astringency and bring such lovely citrusy and bergamot flavors. You also have the faintest peppery finish to keep me on my toes. You are very aptly named, as you are the Earl I should turn to in times of Anxi(ety) to calm me down and bring me peace. You will always have a place in my cupboard!

Mmm dry this smells of orange, and jasmine!!! Why oh why did I only get a sample of this?! The tieguanyin tastes so good as always. But with the orange, jasmine, saffron, and Frankincense, it has gone to a whole new level of deliciousness :) this tea is so refreshing, and calming yet energizing all at the same time. I could for sure drink this everyday! The orange makes it feel so light, the jasmine so calming mmmm I love how all these flavours swirl around in my mouth. I need to have more of this, I sure hope verdant has it again soon!