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.
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Wow, this review leaves me speechless Bonnie…amazing!
the stories you weave Bonnie! I am in Puerto Rico now… *sighs
Thank you, I took out the Puerto Rico part. I was talking about the water (at Fajardo, the phosphorescent bay) glistening on a moonless night and a bucket of water splayed over the deck of the boat and then splashed on my skin so that it glowed. Just water, but with B12 from the Red Mangrove trees rimming the lagoon. Then how tea is able to Sparkle because of weather, root development, the treatment of the leaves. BUT, I have so much trouble knowing what to do, what to say. My mind goes all over the place and as I said my visions were so many that I retracted…erased that part… and just said that I had many visions which was true. So, thank you! Between living there and Kauai, my mind spinning with this fabulous tea! I wish I could honor it better.
you honour tea like a valedictorian Bonnie, with an ode everyone looks forward to! (cuz they got honour grades heh heh!)
A black Dan Cong? Interesting… My taste buds don’t appreciate the Mi Lan oolong, but may have to try this eventually.
Yes exactly so! The handwritten label says Black quite distinctly! David refers to this as Black.
My latest Verdant order is waiting for me at home, just a half hour or so more to go. I had written David an email about a month ago and in his response he told me about this tea. I am really hoping that I may get a sample, this dang cong black really sounds intriguing to me! If I don’t get a sample of this tea at least I’ll have 8oz of da hong pao and 4oz of golden fleece…so there’s no way to lose!
You are so right. A new tea shipment is coming in this next week so…this one will go up on the site and another one that I’m reviewing tomorrow. A pu’er.
Love the Golden Fleece! I really dont have the experience to make a detailed tasting note like you and so many others are able to do unfortunately…all i know is that i love the tea! I have tried all of the dan cong teas available from Verdant, and other than the brr they are my favorite type of oolong…Lately i have been taken in by black tea…I am hoping this dan cong black melds the best of both worlds! In my mind it has a chance of becoming my favorite tea! Unfortunately it didnt come as my sample, but as soon as i see it on the site i will order immediately!
Its kind of funny…Ive basically been looking at steepster every day for the past 3 or so months, and finally figured i would start an account :)
A doubter, a cynic or just checking out to see if we’re a bunch of nuts. Well, we’re a bunch of cool nuts…and I do love the people here. Being the grand old lady grandma of the place, I can vouch for how nice everyone is and how caring. Even the owners of many of the companies show kindness that blows my mind!
Have you tried any Pu’er’s?
Lol, no it had nothing to do with thinking anyone was nuts :) When I get interested in something, I try to find as much information as possible! So I found steepster as a place with tons of teas and ratings. I actually ordered from Verdant because of all the high ratings their teas received, and I am so very glad I did!
As for pu’er, I got one as a sample from Verdant. I am sure it’s an acquired taste, I just can’t get over the extreme mustiness…to me it smells and tastes moldy to me. There is just something about that smell that precludes me from appreciating what may be underneath. As far as my prep, I rinsed twice with boiling water for about 5 seconds each time, then started brewing. I think I will try the Yabao buds when I place my next order. I know it may not be considered a true pu’er, but I’ll start small and work my way to others from there :)
I have yixing pots for dancong, BRR and oriental beauty teas. I just got a brew basket I am trying for the black teas. But my normal brewing method for black tea is to use the small perfect tea maker from teavanna, and basically use it like a gaiwan… 1g of leaf per oz of water, and I must say I think it works pretty well!
I also had the same experience with the 1960’s aged oolong from Cloudwalker teas…just not my thing. But I did like the 20 year aged oolong(looked like tieguanyin to me) Verdant used to have a 10 year old aged tieguanyin, I think I will try that if it becomes available again in the future.
Awesome review! Another must-have from Verdant
July 18 Happy Birthday David Duckler!
I cant wait until my order comes! Happy Bday to David :)
Wow, this review leaves me speechless Bonnie…amazing!
the stories you weave Bonnie! I am in Puerto Rico now… *sighs
Thank you, I took out the Puerto Rico part. I was talking about the water (at Fajardo, the phosphorescent bay) glistening on a moonless night and a bucket of water splayed over the deck of the boat and then splashed on my skin so that it glowed. Just water, but with B12 from the Red Mangrove trees rimming the lagoon. Then how tea is able to Sparkle because of weather, root development, the treatment of the leaves. BUT, I have so much trouble knowing what to do, what to say. My mind goes all over the place and as I said my visions were so many that I retracted…erased that part… and just said that I had many visions which was true. So, thank you! Between living there and Kauai, my mind spinning with this fabulous tea! I wish I could honor it better.
you honour tea like a valedictorian Bonnie, with an ode everyone looks forward to! (cuz they got honour grades heh heh!)
A black Dan Cong? Interesting… My taste buds don’t appreciate the Mi Lan oolong, but may have to try this eventually.
Yes exactly so! The handwritten label says Black quite distinctly! David refers to this as Black.
My latest Verdant order is waiting for me at home, just a half hour or so more to go. I had written David an email about a month ago and in his response he told me about this tea. I am really hoping that I may get a sample, this dang cong black really sounds intriguing to me! If I don’t get a sample of this tea at least I’ll have 8oz of da hong pao and 4oz of golden fleece…so there’s no way to lose!
You are so right. A new tea shipment is coming in this next week so…this one will go up on the site and another one that I’m reviewing tomorrow. A pu’er.
Love the Golden Fleece! I really dont have the experience to make a detailed tasting note like you and so many others are able to do unfortunately…all i know is that i love the tea! I have tried all of the dan cong teas available from Verdant, and other than the brr they are my favorite type of oolong…Lately i have been taken in by black tea…I am hoping this dan cong black melds the best of both worlds! In my mind it has a chance of becoming my favorite tea! Unfortunately it didnt come as my sample, but as soon as i see it on the site i will order immediately!
Its kind of funny…Ive basically been looking at steepster every day for the past 3 or so months, and finally figured i would start an account :)
A doubter, a cynic or just checking out to see if we’re a bunch of nuts. Well, we’re a bunch of cool nuts…and I do love the people here. Being the grand old lady grandma of the place, I can vouch for how nice everyone is and how caring. Even the owners of many of the companies show kindness that blows my mind!
Have you tried any Pu’er’s?
Lol, no it had nothing to do with thinking anyone was nuts :) When I get interested in something, I try to find as much information as possible! So I found steepster as a place with tons of teas and ratings. I actually ordered from Verdant because of all the high ratings their teas received, and I am so very glad I did!
As for pu’er, I got one as a sample from Verdant. I am sure it’s an acquired taste, I just can’t get over the extreme mustiness…to me it smells and tastes moldy to me. There is just something about that smell that precludes me from appreciating what may be underneath. As far as my prep, I rinsed twice with boiling water for about 5 seconds each time, then started brewing. I think I will try the Yabao buds when I place my next order. I know it may not be considered a true pu’er, but I’ll start small and work my way to others from there :)
I have yixing pots for dancong, BRR and oriental beauty teas. I just got a brew basket I am trying for the black teas. But my normal brewing method for black tea is to use the small perfect tea maker from teavanna, and basically use it like a gaiwan… 1g of leaf per oz of water, and I must say I think it works pretty well!
I also had the same experience with the 1960’s aged oolong from Cloudwalker teas…just not my thing. But I did like the 20 year aged oolong(looked like tieguanyin to me) Verdant used to have a 10 year old aged tieguanyin, I think I will try that if it becomes available again in the future.
Awesome review! Another must-have from Verdant
July 18 Happy Birthday David Duckler!
I cant wait until my order comes! Happy Bday to David :)