Verdant Tea

Mmmmmmmmm so tasty. Used a random amount of leaf (maybe a tbsp?) and used my nose to figure out when I should pour it out, and my nose indicated I should start at 20 seconds, so a 30-second steep it was! Just love the light sweetness of this one and complete absence of astringeny and bitterness. I think finding the best dragonwell tea may become a goal of mine, although I’ve probably started at the wrong end of the spectrum, with the two from Verdant!! Upping the rating because this tea is remarkably consistent in its amazingness.

ETA: Second infusion (168F/1min) also great.

Verdant green tea #2 for the evening.

First infusion:
The liquor is unbelievably pale. So much so that I would be sure it was understeeped, but I highly doubt that. The aroma is the lightest, sweetest, vegetal aroma.

I cannot believe the sweetness of this tea. I really can’t. Like the first time I drank it, it’s rock sugar goodness, with a hint of vegetal. It is just SO sweet! No astringency/no bitterness. I think my decision to use more leaf this time was a good one. It’s still light, but not the verging-on-hot-water-flavour sort of light. Just amazing. Up with the rating.

Second infusion (2min/175F):
Still so pale. I have to sniff awfully hard to smell any aroma, and since I don’t want to inhale tea, I’ll just say that there is none. This time there’s a bit more flavour, in a sense. There’s still sweetness, but less so, and there are still vegetal hints underneath. There’s a touch of astringency (probably because I fiddled with parameters again), but it’s not bothersome. I think I actually could have reduced the amount of water I used and gotten a better cup out of it.

I think this dragonwell would be a tea for times when I want something sweet and delicate. I still feel like I would like to try using a bit more leaf to get just a bit more flavour out, but it is lovely as is. The smoothness of the cup also makes it perfect for times when astringency is completely unappealing (during which I usually would select a white or herbal).

ETA: Third infusion (175F/2min) definitely loses some of the magic. Astringency now present (bleh), although the aftertaste is still deliciously green tea. This may have been better had I steeped the third infusion last night (it seems green tea leaf doesn’t hold up well to sitting overnight). I think three is it for this one.

Got my third/fourth Verdant order(s) today. I haven’t been into flavoured teas a lot lately, so it was perfect timing!

This is my first dragonwell, I think (or at least the first that I’ve drank knowing it was a dragonwell). I made sure to check the instructions on Verdant’s website before brewing this one up – so used a bit more than 1 tsp of leaf in my 1 cup infuser. The instructions recommended 1 minute of infusion, but I goofed and hit 1:30 the first time, and 2:15 the second (but you’ll see below that it wasn’t a problem).

First infusion (175F/1:30):
There’s not a lot of aroma; I didn’t really notice if there was one. Very light and sweet, definitely getting rock sugar with hints of vegetal.

Second infusion (172F/2:15):
Wow. Still so sweet! Sweetness is the predominant flavour I’m getting, maybe with a bit of nuttiness.

Third infusion (175F/4:45):
Sweet, but a bit of a different flavour. A bit of a green peas aftertaste.

I think I’d use a bit more leaf next time just to amp up the flavour a bit (it was VERY subtle), but this one’s very tasty. Azzrian, why don’t you give my parameters a try?? They seemed to work really well.

After Big Red Robe and their autumn tie guan yin I’m falling in love with all of verdant teas. This is one of best yunnan’s I’ve had. Instead of pepper being the overriding flavor the first steeping is creamy with an aftertaste of vanilla bean gelato and cinnamon. The tea is very forgiving and can handle longer steeps in which the flavor expands even more. 2nd steeping has that chocolate milk taste which is really interesting. This tea has a lightness and stamina of a dark oolong which I really like.

Hm, looks like I had this before, but never got around to writing a note for it. Anyway, better late than never, right? (Speaking of late, this is a backlog from a few days ago.)

I got this tea as a sample from an order from Verdant a while back. I already tried some a few months ago, I guess, but I don’t really remember it, heh. Anyway, I brewed this gongfu style, since I didn’t have very much of it left. I wrote some notes that I could make sense of and read back when I was writing it. Now it kind of looks like a gigantic jumble of scribbles on a small notepad. Time for some deciphering!

Dry leaf: Sweet, roasty-ish? Kind of reminds me of a lighter version of Big Red Robe or something.

Steep 1: Very mineral-y with a sparkling/light mouthfeel at the end. Sort of numbing on the tongue. Smell reminds me of my uncle’s house (my uncle is a huge tea lover).

Steep 2: Definitely still very mineral-y. Lightly fruity aftertaste that lingers in the throat/nose.

Steep 3: Mineral fades. Fruit notes more prominent. Kind of ‘juicy’, if that makes any sense?

I stopped taking notes after that, since I think I was lured away from my tea with the promise of chocolate peanut butter cookies made by my suitemates. :)

Backlog from last night.

During my first steep of this, when I took out the tea strainer from my mug, I thought to myself, “Gosh, this looks so clear. Did I steep it wrong? I don’t think it’s ready yet.” But, I caught a whiff of something from the mug, which convinced me to take a sip.

Reading Verdant’s description of this tea gave me an idea of what the tea was like, but I still had no clue what I was tasting in my first few sips. At first, I thought I could taste some pine-iness, which was followed by a slight spiciness, joined with some sweetness, which lingered in the aftertaste. I was blown away by the complexities in what I was expecting would be a very watery/light tea.

With later steepings, the spiciness fades a bit, but the pine-iness remains. The sweetness changes from a rock candy-like sweet to a slightly marshmallow-y sweet.

As I was drinking this, I almost felt as if I were walking through a forest in New England. I wonder what would happen if I were to brew some pu-erh alongside this— I could get the earthy smell of a forest in the spring after some rain, along with the pine smell of the trees. A pine forest in my dorm room!

Wooweeeee this tea is sumthin else!! so good!!!! Thanks to Kristaleyn for sharing with me!
Now on to the TEA!
I rinsed this once for a few seconds before getting to the real steep, but I think I should have rinsed again because the first steep was really weak. I mean, I thought that for a moment there this one was a waste! but don’t worry, it got progressively better, it really did!!
The second steep was great, salty and a little sweet. Like buttered green vegetables (though I can’t pinpoint which ones precisely) wrapped in something hay like. Hay-leaf?
The third steep was less salty, only in the aftertaste but in it’s place was buttered sweet corn bread! oh YUM!!! The immediate aftertaste was sweet, with an afteraffect of having had something lightly salted.
The fourth steep was less bready, but still strongly so. However, it shared the spotlight with something else that was a bit nutty and sweet. Hazelnuts perhaps?
Also, I found the faintest suggestion of something apple but I had trouble distinguishing it from the nuttiness so I can’t be sure.
One other thing. It was all so smooth, I can’t believe a tea could be so velvety. Like silk!
Overall, I am very pleased with this oolong but I regard it as a special experience… it would be too much to have every day. Like a trip to the spa! Thanks again Kristaleyn!

When I first see the picture of this tea, I am suspicious of the dark green color of the leaves. This usually means a late harvest time that will yield a bitter, unpleasant brew. Still, I want to give Verdant green tea a chance, so I add this one to my cart, which already has the Autumn 2011 and Spring 2012 tieguanyins.

When I receive the bag, I let it sit on my shelf, expecting nothing special. During the tea’s quarantine, I decide to e-mail David and ask about its harvest time and picking standard. He tells me that it was handpicked during the autumn. This response enhances my suspicions about the quality of this tea. I have never heard of an autumn-picked green tea. The best green teas I have tried are picked within a two-week period between March and April.

When I finally get around to opening the bag, the tea leaves greet me with strong, sweet, vegetable aromas. I spoon about a tablespoon into a wine glass. I am surprised to see that the leaves are very long, longer than a standard dragonwell green tea. I pour 180 degree water over the leaves, which immediately release a strong vegetal aroma that is extremely pleasant. I take my first sip. My palate is greeted with a nice, medium-light body. The flavors astound me. I get notes of lightly steamed broccoli and peas, maybe a bit of cooked cabbage. Very nice. I let the leaves steep a little longer, maybe five minutes or so. I blow the leaves away and take another couple of sips. The flavors get stronger. I notice other notes, kind of like unripe mango or melon, just without the sourness. There is no hint of bitterness. Okay, David, what are you playing at? A green tea, harvested in autumn, steeping for ten, twenty minutes, and not even getting bitter? My entire perception of what goes into a good green tea is completely turned up-side-down.

Now for the second steep. Will it retain its flavor? I am pleased to notice a very high ratio of whole leaves to broken leaves, about 90% plus. This shows me the intense care that goes into the processing of this tea. Another testament to the strict attention to the wholeness of the leaves is that the brew shows absolutely no sign of cloudiness. It glows with a brilliance that I rarely see, even in a good green tea. The flavor is still there in the second steep. The balance between sweet and savory is enhanced, if not entirely different, from the first steeping. There is still no sign of bitterness.

David has confirmed many of my perceptions of what goes into a good green tea. The leaves should be whole. The brew should never go bitter. It should also have a clear brilliance to it. However, some of my perceptions have been trumped. A good green tea can be picked in the autumn, not just early spring. It can be dark green and still yield a wonderful flavor.

I have tasted scores of green teas since the inception of my tea obsession almost three years ago. I hold this Dragonwell-style Laoshan green in my top five, up there with Seven Cups’ Meng Ding Sweet Dew and Shi Feng Long Jing. It is by far one of the best green teas out there. You should buy it now before the demand causes the prices to go up!

Came as a sample in my order. I have to say that I was happy to see it and now I’m just looking at the small bag and suffering as it disappears. I had this tea Gong fu style and it does NOT disappoint. Sweet and malty almost caramel like but feels smooth and clean in the mouth. It later gives its pepperish hints into a spicy greatness that seemed apparent for the rest of the other steepings, gives that ‘sparkling’ sensation in the description.

What can I say, samplers are the gateway to 4oz orders.

Every once in a while I come back to this Oolong just to see if I get new hints of flavor, smell or just to plain enjoy it. It is a heavier yet soothing Oolong, I love it has malty and smoky taste to it without opaquing the chocolate, fruity and sweet notes of it.

It is a VERY forgiving tea that will allow you to enjoy multiple back to back steeps or multiples through out the day and even the next one. I never do this but I happened, after being interrupted several times I went to bed and the next day I remembered the tea still in the gaiwan… upon lifting the lid the amazing smell made me crave the brew.. and it was great.

My first order from Verdant tea. And it was great. I really liked this Oolong and would recommend to people who like ‘heavier’ notes. The notes specified on their page are right in tune with the tea. The most apparent to me were: Cinnamon, Chocolate, Malt; the fruity notes were more like hints to me.

I’m saving this tea for those moments that I’m fully dedicated to tasting, this is the kind of tea that makes it worthy.

PART II

I am very busy lately, and a total of two days pass until I am able to get back to this pot of exquisite tea.

Steepings 6 through 10, 2 to 8 minutes. The flavors have digressed significantly over the two days, probably because I am stupid enough to leave wet leaves out for so long. Nonetheless, I still get flavors of melon and sweet vegetables, and not even the slightest hint of bitterness. I am immensely pleased with this tea experience, and as soon as I get my next paycheck, I will be placing my next, bigger, order with Verdant.

PART I

So what’s all the hype about Verdant’s tieguanyins? I have been asking myself this question since I first joined steepster. Finally, I broke down and ordered an ounce of this tea just before it sold out.

I open the bag at home. Subtle scents of orchid and plumeria greet my nostrils. As my 5oz yixing pot heats up, I spoon my 5g of tea into a lotus plate. I see deep green, loosely rolled pearls. This sight tells me that the tea was lightly oxidized and lightly baked, indicative of a modern Anxi-style tieguanyin. My yixing is hot, so I dump out the water, add the leaves, shake the pot thrice, and enjoy the aroma once more. Once again, I smell tropical flowers, but the warmed leaves release a much heavier scent.

First steeping: 30seconds, longer than what David recommends, but I want to give the leaves an opportunity to open up a bit. No scent greets my nostrils with this brew. I become quite skeptical. Why do people on steepster rave about a tea with no aroma. I take my first three sips, and I suddenly understand. Candied honeydew melon and sugar snap peas. A lingering aftertaste of saffron. Thick, rich, buttery mouthfeel like I’ve never experienced it before. The color of the brew is a glowing yellowish green.

Second thru fourth steepings, 5 seconds. The sweetness of the honeydew dominates, but the sugarsnap pea has not left completely. A fine balance of sweetness and umami. The saffron aftertaste is still there and getting stronger. The buttery texture leaves in the second steeping, but returns full force by the fourth steeping. This is an outstanding tieguanyin. I’m beginning to wonder if David mistakenly replaced my order with his personal store of award-winning gold. Could it be?

Fifth steeping, 10 seconds. More butter, more melon, and candied peaches. Mushrooms with exotic spices. This tea is changing the way that I think about tieguanyin. Flowery? Yes. I would expect that. But I don’t expect the lingering aftertaste, the smooth, heavy body, the durability to last for five full-flavored steepings under 10 seconds. I am almost nearly convinced that David accidentally mismatched my order with some competition winning tieguanyin that was meant to be sold for $20,000 for 100g.

I know that this tea can give me more steepings, but I am currently unable to do more. I must take a break. I will log my appreciation of more steepings on another note.

Thank you David Deckler, you have won yet another loyal customer.

This was my first experience with Yabao Silver Buds. This is a very welcomed new experience. I already knew Puerh was world by itself but I had no idea it was so broad as to deconstruct my perception of Puerh and what to expect.

When dry it has very faint scents, that reminds me almost of freshly cut pine wood in the distance. While steeping the scent is more apparent but seems a little more wood like. The tea itself is very subtle and sweet, a bit spicy but not heavy more refreshing than anything. Once again, I’m glad I tried it.

I’m glad I tried this tea, and I’m glad I went back and ordered more to keep. Simply put ‘Sweet and gentle but very present Jasmine’. Usually all you can taste is the Jasmine if it is overpowering the actual tea, but I feel like this one is like a well written melody and everything goes in place, complementing each other. Once again I recommend to Jasmine lovers and those who are ‘Meh’ about it.

I just received this tea and I when I opened the bag I felt nothing but excitement and anticipation. I was about to have a sip of water while I held the bag looking at the leaves, when the wonderful scent hit me. Just amazing, I’ve had around 4 other white Jasmine teas and non have hypnotized me like this.

The buds are just beautiful and when I picked them they were soft, felt like picking up a bunch of cotton in my hand. While steeping the scent because more apparent and more pleasurable. The liquid was almost clear with just a bit of yellow and the scent was as if it had cloned into the liquid itself, yet the leaves felt just awakened not depleted of its smell.

I was able to do multiple steeps of the leaves with out it becoming bitter or astringent and the scent wasn’t faded at all. It has a bit of delicate spiciness to it. If seems savory but it has an apparent sweetness to it. I’d recommend it to any Jasmine lovers and if you had bad experiences with Jasmine before, this should be the one that makes up for it.

An ode to my favourite Tuocha.
I shed a salty tear as I drink the last one down! Milking it for all it’s worth! I will miss you, Cornfields Shu.

<3 Ash

http://www.daisychubb.com/review-cornfields-shu-tuocha-by-verdant-tea/

Enjoying an amazingly delicious and soothing cup of this tonight immediately following supper. Supper being the BEST fish & chips in all of Halifax (imho) and poutine! Sooo full, and my tummy feels instantly better after my Shu Session.

Not only that, but the scent and flavour of this tea always takes me over the moon. Relaxing and so. freaking. delicious!

Buttery sweet corn and extremely refreshing, even on the final deep dark steeps. Heaven! Keeping me sane and comfortable while I work on my blog post for tomorrow: super chocolatey Nutella 2 bite brownies :3

It’s almost Friday, we can do it!

Enjoying this tea after a giant crock pot disaster! I exaggerate, I made a botched recipe of mac and cheese, the ingredients should have made a delicious creamy gooey meal, instead it was greasy, chewy and well.. we ate it anyways and I had to throw the rest out (enough for 4 more meals :( ). The joy and disaster of new recipes.

I knew I needed cheering up and a tummy settling, so immediately I craved this tea. I’m on steep number 7, and just now getting the slightest hint of spearmint notes.

I was naughty… I intentionally used cooler water than usual to coax out all the buttery, sweet corn notes I was craving. It worked better than I expected. Each steep was more flavourful than the last – but mostly just the flavours I wanted. That is manipulative of me o_o But I needed it today.

So yes, now the spearmint notes are coming out and tingling the tip of my tongue in celebration of alliteration. The water was the proper temperature this time, so now I will let the tea take me where it wants to. It’s a delicate balance, but we’ve definitely reached an understanding

:)

Had a wonderful gong fu session with this beauty.

The flavour is wonderfully light and smooth. Buttery corn in the air, sweet corn in the taste. Very refreshing.

The perfect compliment to soothe my tummy after a hearty and heavy meal – I took the time to enjoy the beauty of the sunny day and spend some time with this tea.

Details review coming next time I drink it. First – I enjoy. :)

This tea is well past its prime, and tastes like it too. It’s just a hint of its former self – smooth tieguanyin, and just a hint of floral. Still drinkable, but I know this used to be much tastier. Sad times.

Boo, this was another tea that didn’t work well at all in a travel mug. It just tasted off, and I’m not sure why. It is a pretty old bag of tea though, so maybe something has changed in the flavour over the years (yes…. years…) Will have to try it normal-mug-style to see.

The smell is oolongy and delicious. Not as much floral as I was expecting.

Taste-wise, I’m obviously getting lovely strong autumn tieguanyin floral flavours and butteriness, which just seem to be enhanced by the blending. Delicious. It really isn’t a blend that’s all that far off from the autumn tieguanyin, but just enough to make it different. I can’t specifically pick out jasmine, saffron, or citrus though (which is ok with me!)

Ohhh yes. Loving the oolongy aftertaste. Looooving.

Definitely curious to see what the second infusion will bring. Probably not tonight though, after looking at the time… (what can I say, I was in the lab until 1:30am!)

Thanks for the sample, Azzrian!

ETA: Ok, definitely tasting the orange in the second infusion! Actually, at a little over 3 minutes I feel it’s a touch oversteeped (at 94C this time). A bit of astringency coming out which is unnecessary. Definitely much less floral as well. (And again, the funky taste which confirms that yes, indeed, brushing your teeth half an hour before tea is a Bad Idea. Good thing it’s only an aftertaste.)

ETA again:
Mostly oolong in the third infusion, but I can get some floral notes that aren’t usually around in oolongs for me at this point. Still good. Mmmm!

What an unbelievable taste this tea has! The first two infusions were indeed mineral-y, it was as if I could feel the minerals on my tongue! This was strongest with the first couple of sips, and then an apricot-y flavor began to emerge. This apricot flavor became stronger with the third and fourth infusion. Subsequent infusions bring flavors of wood and spice.

Quite an incredible Oolong. But then, this is Verdant we’re talking about here, and they offer nothing but the most incredible teas!