Verdant Tea

This tea is beyond good. This is the best jasmine I have tasted. I actually GIGGLED while sipping it. I was expecting greatness, but I wasn’t expecting the wonderful white tea base to come through so much. It’s actually CREAMY. Creamy and jasmine together equals epic win. And there’s more!! This tea is sweet. Stealing from someone else, it reminds me of powdered sugar, plus vanilla. Creamy vanilla jasmine powdered sugar. Da bomb.
Because of my husband-induced limited tea budget( he just doesn’t get tea yet..he’s proving to be difficult to convert lol) I normally would have never ordered this tea. Now, I can’t resist. Thanks, David, for including this as a sample in my last order. Meant with sarcasm. :P No, really, if you like jasmine or even if you don’t like jasmine, try this tea.
As this is a yunnan, I am still getting that linen aftertaste I’ve described before as not enjoying. But I can’t get over this tea. It’s indulgent, luscious, and exquisite.

I’ve had this for a good long while and reviewed it before. Today’s a follow-up.

It’s a sweet green, that medium dark green flavor of the sweettart leaves that are similar to clover. Golden tones along the side of and under the tongue. A darker, more… Almost bitter but not… A richer green at the top of the mouth and upper back of the throat in the long finish.

With each sip the golden sweetness to this tea is the strongest thing to hit me. Green, but first and foremost gold in taste.

Really enjoyable.

Made it to the directions on the back of the package.

Went with the “traditional” brewing instructions on the package.

First steep, 5 sec: This is very light and sweet in the roof of the mouth. You can tell your sipping a green, but it is subtle, soft on the tongue.

Second steep, 10 sec: A very light bitterness is coming through on the middle of the tongue… not unpleasant, just a touch. It still has that light sweetness. It makes the swallow and finish refreshing.

Third steep, 15 sec: Bitterness is gone. It’s now a mildly grassy sip.

Fourth steep, 20 sec: The green is a bit stronger now and there’s a definite astringency there.

Over-all? A good tea, but not a favorite for me.

Thanks to David at Verdant Tea for enclosing a free sample of this more pricey tea in my recent order. Other places just throw in the same cheap stuff no matter what you order-I’m talking about you TEAVANA Youthberry, among others.

Quality Yun Nan Dian Hong is kind of a special tea to me. It’s relaxed and mellow, meant to be savored. I only drink it when I know that I have time to get 3 infusions out of it-no one and done cups like with a breakfast tea.

The dry leaves here are medium-long, tighly-rolled, and colored golden brown. The brewed leaves turn chocolate brown and contain notes of cinnamon and sweet potato. Liquor is a pleasing copper hue.

The flavor tastes mostly of the sweet potato and cinnamon (no orange citrus notes like in some Dian Hong). I also detect some other spices-perhaps clove. The cup is very smooth. Zero bitterness or astringency. Good stuff.

I have had 3 infusions so far, brewing one minute longer each time. Very nice.

This summer blend is true to its name! Sitting on my couch with of cup of this sweet nectar, watching the morning sun rays radiate a gentle morning summer heat. Hearing the birds (there are gorgeous blue jays around my area! I have never seen one up close until we moved to Halifax). It’s all part of the same experience – it’s all here in my cup!

The first thing I notice with this tea is a caramel note – it’s in the colour, taste and smell. There’s a lightness to this tea – in the texture and way it fills you mouth – not the flavour! The flavour is full and intoxicating. What I love about this tea is how it’s relaxing yet invigorating at the same time. It’s not a kick in the pants – but it drags me awake just the same.

J’adore this blend. The Big Red Robe and Willow Grove puerh add a touch of earthiness that doesn’t overpower at all – it’s running almost as an undercurrent to add movement and depth to the blend, while the touch of aged Silver Needle adds a brightness and a refreshing lightness to the sip that just jives so well with summer.

I haven’t even begun to touch the surface of how delicious this new, summery Imperial Breakfast is. I cannot wait to try it iced!

One thing I’ve noticed about Golden Fleece – due to its spicyness it is a perfect complement to lunch:) While I mostly drink other teas more or less as a standalone, this one is just great with some spicy pasta :)

By ordering this tea I was moderately sure that this might be something to become my favourite yunnan black but it ended up not to be the case. It is very-very good though, do not take me wrong. Just that it has some features that prevent it from being “all-time-favourite”.

The most prominent featurs of Golden Fleece, I’d say, are its smell and its aftertaste. Such a strong smeel of dry leaf is not something one expects from unflavored tea. I can’t really place what it smells like other than “Golden Fleece” (lol I know, not much of a comparison) but it certainly is nice.

Speaking of the afertaste – it IS the most complex aftertaste I have ever experienced and there is no yunnan black comparable to this that I know of but at the same time it is kinda heavy. You wouldn’t be able to enjoy a session and just go with your daily routine. THIS will linger on your tongue for hours. While the aftertaste is undeniably great, it is not always desirable to have it there for such a long time.

Also video directions on the site are kind of misleading. I hadn’t had much success with the taste using as little tea as shown there. Being generous while measuring up next portion helped a lot.

And the most important part – the foreground of Golden Fleece is, to me, inferior to Fengqing 58 Classic. It is, of course, great(as pretty much everything from Verdant), but lightness and sweetness of fengqing is unparalleled, imo, and Fleece cannot really reach the level of enjoyment I had with Fengqing.

Overall: a really great tea but due to high cost and an aftertaste that is a bit too strong for its own good – not an “everyday” one. Maybe a tea for “once a week”.

Just received my order from Verdant tea and brewed this right away. So good. “… aroma of antique lacquered furniture that has absorbed decades of incense.” describes it really very well. Sometimes I like this overbrewed so that the tea gets very dark and intense.

David, thanks for the Wuyi sample. Wuyi is one of my favorite teas so I’m super happy to try this one.

This is somewhat contradictory tea: it’s earthy but light at the same time. It also has a “clean” taste. It’s a perfect after dinner tea. I had vegetables from the farmers market, black beans with herbs and feta and marinated tofu strips and finished it with a cup of tea. That was SO good.
Sadly this was the last cup left. Everybody in my family likes this so it did not last long.

This is complex, rich and at the same time light tea. It has also what I can describe as “mineral” taste that I find so appealing. I’m having a piece of raw, extreme dark chocolate with my cup. So good ….

Amazing. Turns out I love this kind of Pu-Erh. It’s not funky or fishy at all. The underlaying flavors I can detect are apple and honey. I had this with a small piece of raw, extra dark chocolate: what a perfect pairing. Will certainly reorder.

I just saw that Adagio teas now has a tumblr and they have posted the new Zodiac Series tins. I worked on the design in December and finally I can see the finished product. So exited!

You know what I love about this blend? it’s the only herbal I know of that POPS with a one minute steep, and diminishes in quality with anything longer!! (asides from that DavidsTea peppermint from awhile ago)
I’ve had a really long, but fantastic day… and a seriously crappy night. I guess it all balances out in the end, with this tisane to smooth things over.

Backlog from the other day. Oh man, what a treat! and the first ayurvedic blend that has ever made me swoon.
I think it’s the burdock root that pulls everything together, for me… Despite what I said in my earlier note.
Sadly though, I was distracted by making tea for Mum and gave this a longer infusion than intended. It was a bit thick and lost a bit of the sparkle. Oh well, still super tasty!

Wow this was great!! Thanks so much to Azzrian for the sample!
I love non-traditional spicy teas and this really fits the bill. Parsley tea(my first herb tea), and now basil! what’s next? :)
Anyhow… It had that soupy sort of sweet yet pungent aroma and flavour to match. After noticing all the fennel seeds I was a little concerned, as I don’t much like fennel. or licorice for that matter, and I’m iffy on ginger… wow I should really not be liking this! But surprise! Everything pulls together splendidly in this blend. I think it’s the fennel and ginger that give it a little kick in just the right way. Mmmmm!!

Essentially the same as this one(so my tasting note from there can easily be applied) : http://steepster.com/teas/jk-tea-shop-online/27011-2011-spring-premium-mt-wudong-huang-zhi-xiang-gardenia

The difference in taste and smell is negligible enough to make 2 different names for this tea look kinda strange.

Compared to JK’s this one has weaker smell when put in water but retains taste for more steepings. Tbh, I’d go with JK Tea Shop’s version as their smell is way more powerful.

I received the 2012 harvest as a sample with my latest Verdant order:) I had two ounces of the ’11 harvest, so it will be interesting to see if I can taste any difference between the two!

Soooo delicious, what wonderful thick, creamy, dark sweetness. At first I couldn’t quite put my finger on what the smell and taste of this reminded me of, besides my two other favorite shu. I wanted to describe it as caramel but no, I had a caramel cake at Fridays tonight (my gods, delicious) but definitely not it. Then my mother-in-law asked me to bring her down a bottle of old fashioned cream soda, bingo! I’m much more pleased with this non sickeningly sweet, non teeth rotting version :)

Just before bed, in the fifth infusion (I think) the tart elderberry note became very present and has thankfully stuck around till morning for five more infusions. I’m going to keep reinfusing for as long as I can, amid the toddler’s birthday party preparations, because I’m having a love affair with this tea. I definitely like the original better than the Elderberry creation it inspired, yet that totally helped educate my palate to find the notes inherent in this most amazing shu.

If I win the Tea Cat’s contest I’m ordering more of this and it’s getting its own tin along with the Eight Treasures Yabao. So if you haven’t voted already go check out the gorgeous felines and consider voting for Pan http://verdanttea.com/tea-cats/crouching-kitty-copper-dragon/ I should not that it didn’t stay “thick” for long, it has a much lighter body than I first described, but still very, very flavorful and yes very “clean”. I only rinsed once, but did actually like that second infusion, ::shrug::

Wuyi is one of my favorite teas ever. I almost always have at least one variety in my cupboard. This was less dark/toasty than I expected, still very nice. I did detect some herbal (rosemary?) undertone. However, the tea magically transforms when cooling down – all the lovely toasty flavor shines through.

God, this was just gorgeous. Such a flavourful straight black tea, it’s amazing that it doesn’t have anything added. I was savouring each mouthful (brewed a small pot, Western style), but I would definitely make this for an everyday cuppa as well. Very mellow and with a hint of natural sweetness.

Ahh! It’s been so long since I last logged a tasting note, mostly because I’ve been away lately. I have written several physical notes of some teas which I’ll be uploading in the coming days.

>Dry Leaf Appearance/Aroma
Large long twisted leaves, mostly unbroken, light brown in color with some leaves tinted with a yellowish green hue. Faint tangy citrusy aroma.

>Brewing Method
Small gaiwan, gong-fu style, boiling water, two rinses.

>Liquid Appearance
When viewed in large quantities, such as a glass server, the tea has a clear honey-like amber color. In smaller cups, it’s a beautiful golden color.

>Taste/Aroma
The first cup had a sweet tangy aroma. The tea was sweet and very accurately described by verdant tea, sparkling. I did not find this “sparklingness” similar to that of a wuyi rock oolong, but more of a feeling after drinking it. It’s hard to explain but it gives me a feeling of “brightening” up my body, if that even makes sense. I also found it to be a bit silky and with hints of citrus.

The second cup became thicker and notes of apricot began to surface. Third cup retained the basic flavor profile, but that thickness of the liquid became almost “juicy.” In the 4th cup, I noticed a strong apricot taste that started sweet and juicy, then finished with a slight dryness in the mouth.

The apricot hint and dryness were mostly gone in the 5th cup. Now the tea has a very pleasant thickness to it that fills your mouth with every sip and after a while, the taste lingers in your mouth well after you have put down the cup.

The 6th and 7th cup lost most of the thickness of the previous infusions and lost most of its aroma, but still very flavorful. While I ended my session there, this tea can very well take more rinses. I re-infused the leaves 2-3 more times but I did not write any notes about the taste, but I do remember the basic flavor profile remained there.

>Wet Leaf Appearance
Yellowish brown leaves, other than that, nothing out of the ordinary.

>Overall
If I had to summarize the taste/feeling of this tea, these words would be the perfect description: Sunny, Sparkling, Refreshing, Summer. I don’t know why, but this tea reminds me so much of summer. Maybe its the citrusy tangy taste, the juiciness and subtle apricot notes, who knows, but it’s definitely a very different experience from other oolongs.

Good News Mi Lan Dancong Black is now available on the Verdant Website

Pre-release Preview Review Thank you David Duckler for this Sample

Last week I received my order of Laoshan White Tea…so happy to open the Verdant box. There was a note from David Duckler and 2 pouches of samples with handwritten labels that both said ‘Pre-release Preview’ and the name of the tea!
I’ve waited days to try the first tea. No distractions. I wanted to do a proper job of being quiet and still. Sometimes I tell a story with a tea review. A vision will come easily. Today, I had many visions of moonless phosphorescent lagoons and tropical flora. An Island lived on and others traveled to. The visions were many and mine alone. I don’t know why.
The flavors and tastes I am able to share with more ease.

Here are the directions:
4 tsp. tea leaves, 4oz. boiling water
rinse 1 second
steep 3 seconds and add 1 second for each additional steeping
(I followed this method for 3 steepings then switched to Geoffrey’s method of 6 oz water and 8 seconds on the 4th steeping)

The wet leaves smelled initially roasty and vegital, then more and more like tobacco.

The color of the liquor began as a light gold then changed and remained vibrant golden ocre and clear.

Steepings:
Flavor discriptions:

1. Shock! Is this a Black tea or a Dragonwell?
The first taste was such a surprise of sweet, succulent juiciness.
I was caught up in a rush, cream and floral smashing at full force then zoom…all the way to roasted pork loin with crispy skin and the scent of sugared stone fruit at the bottom of my cup. Wow! That was fast! Like the first Star Wars hyperspeed to warp speed…then jump to Lightspeed!

Pause

2. I experienced a little tannin and bitterness for a split second up front. Then, it was all gone. A sweetness swooshed around me like a golden cape of perfect burre blanc sauce with salted yellow plantain. Thick, sweet… ending with freshly sliced mango dripping with fruit sugar. Impossible! This was so tropical for a black tea!

I had to stop and catch my breath!

3. The tea smelled like risotto with a hint of saffron. This was the best flavor. There was no bitterness and the tannin was way back on the tongue. Sweet, honey, creamy with the mango lighty coupled with D’anjou pear. Um um um lick your lips good!

4. Following Geoffrey’s (Business Manager at Verdant) sensibility, I steeped the leaves a little longer to see what would happen.
Ok…
This was the first time I could absolutely tell this was truly a black tea. (I thought there was a mystery involved earlier. A cloak was disguising this Black Dancong.)
Now I remembered some black teas from Napal. Those lavish border blacks that have fruity lightness and are deeply rich that I adore.
The sugar noted in earlier steepings had become wildflower honey and there was a new nutty, salty, pecan flavor in the background that was so light and delicious. The previous fruit and a new floral softness was playfully dancing in my cup as if they had always been present together.

At that moment, all of it came together. The swirl of all three previous tastings and this final one ended with clarity…. of settling down.

I have never experienced a Black Tea like this one. It was like an oolong, a darjeeling or dragonwell and then not. Then again a Black Tea!

Some tea’s are exquisitly Beautiful! Full of private visions!
Some Sparkle!

This Mi Lan Dancong is one of those special tea’s filled with Radiance.

Made this for someone new to loose leaf tea tonight. I love sharing the goodness! She was amazed at how the flavor changed after each steeping, and liked each steeping very much. Hopefully she’s hooked! :P

It’s just so unbelievably sweet! Every time I drink it I am surprised again. I think that’s a mark of an excellent tea!