This post is for science (and Kittenna) comparing some of Verdant’s black teas I felt were similar but knew would be different, this isn’t side by side but one after the other. I had this tea over a month ago but it seems I did not log it. I don’t think I knew what to say then.
As leaves hit the hot mug, the unmistakable smell of chocolate permeates the air. Yet when hot water hit leaves the smell turned savory. There is something much more grainy than yesterday’s Anxi Fo Shou Black or Laoshan Black a prickly bit of linen, no, denser like a wool cloak.
This second steep is so savory and buttery with sweetness only in the finish. It’s sparkle is different than the wuyi sparkle, but still it tingles in a more earthy manner. There is veg here, avocado which is of course a tree fruit but it has a very veg quality.
Thick heavy savory honey in the third steep, almost raw. I keep using all these rough adjectives and yet it is really a very smooth black tea but there is no doubt it is thick, thick and malty.
This tea conjures up hearty starchy things like legumes and potatoes and makes me want chili or stew but with a bit of molé. Wow so different than yesterday’s rum raisin chocolate cake and it sets itself apart from Laoshan Black as well. I stand very corrected.
Edit to add: I continued steeping this on late last night and by around the 9th infusion or so (I lost count) it turned very chocolaty, very very sweet and even fruity, at that point I had lowered my temp to 205-208F and dragged the infusions out to a minute plus. Only by one in the morning was this feeling at all watered down.
Also watched Mirror Mirror on Netflix and preferred it overall to Snow White and the Huntsman (though Charlize was an awesome queen and had gorgeous raven inspired wardrobe and I liked the Irish tree named dwarves, Lily Collins made a much better Snow White and the prince was funny), completely different tone, very amusing if over the top.
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awesome!
Nice! I will have to read all your notes again before I sample my teas a second time as well.
Also, I liked Mirror Mirror (though Snow White’s eyebrows really threw both the bf and myself!). I particularly cracked up at the “no kissy” face the prince made… my boyfriend has done something akin to that to me once or twice in fun, and it reminded me so much of him :P
;) I know what you mean about the eyebrows, I just had to tell myself that there will probably never be a perfect Snow White in my eyes (though I really liked Kristen Kreuk in the 2001 Hallmark version and enjoy Once Upon A Time), but at the same time she shouldn’t have to measure up to conventional beauty standards, she is the fairest not the most gorgeous, sex or unearthly beautiful and I think her radiant innocence plays into that at least her skin and hair were more contrasted than Kristen Stewart and she freaking smiled. Sorry to ramble and rant.
I still have Laoshan black, Zu Rhong and Jin Hun Mei to redrink and then Master Han’s Wild Picked Yunnan Black to open, will prob end with Golden Fleece, though I’m not really comparing it to the other blacks, maybe a bit to the two Yunnan/Wild Picked teas but the light buddy teas are a whole different beast than the dark chocolatey ones, though David mentioned Jin Jun Mei when talking about the honey notes of Yu Lu Cha so yeah and I need an excuse to make progress on my tea samples.
awesome!
Nice! I will have to read all your notes again before I sample my teas a second time as well.
Also, I liked Mirror Mirror (though Snow White’s eyebrows really threw both the bf and myself!). I particularly cracked up at the “no kissy” face the prince made… my boyfriend has done something akin to that to me once or twice in fun, and it reminded me so much of him :P
;) I know what you mean about the eyebrows, I just had to tell myself that there will probably never be a perfect Snow White in my eyes (though I really liked Kristen Kreuk in the 2001 Hallmark version and enjoy Once Upon A Time), but at the same time she shouldn’t have to measure up to conventional beauty standards, she is the fairest not the most gorgeous, sex or unearthly beautiful and I think her radiant innocence plays into that at least her skin and hair were more contrasted than Kristen Stewart and she freaking smiled. Sorry to ramble and rant.
I still have Laoshan black, Zu Rhong and Jin Hun Mei to redrink and then Master Han’s Wild Picked Yunnan Black to open, will prob end with Golden Fleece, though I’m not really comparing it to the other blacks, maybe a bit to the two Yunnan/Wild Picked teas but the light buddy teas are a whole different beast than the dark chocolatey ones, though David mentioned Jin Jun Mei when talking about the honey notes of Yu Lu Cha so yeah and I need an excuse to make progress on my tea samples.