Mmmm this is awesome tea! I had a few cups western style a little while ago, but I didn’t really pay attention to the flavor. Today, I have been making it in my gaiwan, and wow, this is delicious! The dry smell is lovely yunnan black tea, honey and malty, sweet potato like almost. I heated my gaiwan, then did a super fast rinse and steeped around 3 seconds.
The smell is thick and warm and all encompassing. Definitely getting the sweet potato. Similar to Golden Fleece, but darker, a little different. The first cup was full of malty goodness and a fruitiness that I don’t know how to describe, something tangy. Rich and satisfying, and a very smooth texture. I gave my boyfriend the second steeping, and he enjoyed it! +1 for a black tea that he likes lol. Now I’m having the 3rd steep, and it is definitely taking on a creaminess in the aftertaste and a lovely sweet honey potato flavor (as I burn my tongue/lips on it, ouch lol). A rich dark chocolate with some milkiness to it. I’ll keep my eye out for that fruit note, it was quite intriguing and to me differentiated between this tea and Golden Fleece.
Overall, a very nice tea, cozy, and making me think of fall. The leaves are starting to rustle about in the wind outside already in the parking lot, mostly from the storm yesterday that knocked a ton of them down, but it reminds me that fall is on it’s way, and in a few short weeks it will be September, and I will begin craving darker, spicier teas again. This tea is a perfect one for a late August day such as today, light enough to be summery, yet rich enough for the cooler days ahead. Thank you Verdant for another wonderful tea!
Note to self: Order Vanilla Citrus Spice and Imperial Breakfast Summer Blend in next Verdant order.
Straight black teas are my fav. Especially honey-like ones.
Oh, I had this today for the first time but haven’t logged it. It’s so delicious!
I love this tea. It’s one of the teas I hoard in my attic (bedroom). I don’t ever want to run out of it. :)
ohh… I didn’t know straight black could be sweet.. ?
Now that sounds crazy to hear about a black….but at the same time it sounds delicious!!
It was just divine, and I’ll have to have more soon. Josh, I highly recommend checking out Verdant; pricey yet worth it (in my opinion).
I adore this tea. My current favorite. I hope they get more in stock before I run out completely!