66

Got this as a sample with my Verdant order this summer. The concept of this tea was intriguing: a green tea made from an oolong tea varietal and compressed into a puerh like disc the size of a coin. Unfortunately, I just couldn’t coax any flavor out of it. I brewed the entire 7g toucha in my 120ml shibo, a rather high ratio of leaf to water. I was expecting a strong cup but it tasted like hot water. There were faint notes of zucchini, okra, and dandelion but it was mostly tasteless. I decided to ambient brew the rest for a couple of hours and then poured it over ice – my shortcut cold brew method. Finally some flavor but man was it strong! I had to dilute to strength considerably to get past the bitterness. It tasted alright. It didn’t have the flowery characteristics of tieguanyin or the musty/earthy flavor of puerh and similar compressed tea. To me, it tasted like a fairly generic Chinese green tea with a chestnutty edge.

Verdant describes a pretty exotic flavor profile so not sure if I screwed up the brewing or something was up with the tea.

Flavors: Chestnut, Dandelion, Floral, Vegetal, Zucchini

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 0 min, 15 sec 7 g 4 OZ / 120 ML
Leafhopper 5 years ago

Too bad that TGY cake didn’t work out, as it seemed intriguing. Maybe that’s why they don’t usually press green oolongs.

juliebeth 4 years ago

i’m getting the same results this morning. on my fifth steeping per instructions and…nothing much. it’s ok, i guess. this is making me sad!

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Comments

Leafhopper 5 years ago

Too bad that TGY cake didn’t work out, as it seemed intriguing. Maybe that’s why they don’t usually press green oolongs.

juliebeth 4 years ago

i’m getting the same results this morning. on my fifth steeping per instructions and…nothing much. it’s ok, i guess. this is making me sad!

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Bio

My Rating Criteria:

95 to 100: Top shelf stuff. Loved this tea and highly recommend it

90 to 94: Excellent. Enjoyed this tea and would likely repurchase

80 to 89: Good but not great. I liked it though it may be lacking in some aspects. I’ll finish it but probably won’t buy again

70 to 79: Average at best. Not terrible but wouldn’t willingly drink again

60 to 69: Sub-par. Low quality tea, barely palatable

59 and below: Bleh

Fell into tea many years ago and for a long time my experience was limited to Japanese greens and flavored Teavana teas. My tea epiphany happened when I discovered jade oolongs. That was my gateway drug to the world of high quality tea and teaware.

For the most part, I drink straight tea but do appreciate a good flavored tea on occasion. I love fresh green and floral flavors and as such, green tea and Taiwanese oolongs will always have a place in my cupboard. After avoiding black tea forever, Chinese blacks have started to grow on me. I’m less enthusiastic about puerh though. I also enjoy white tea and tisanes but reach for them less frequently.

Other non-tea interests include: cooking, reading, nature, philosophy, MMA, traveling when I can, and of course putzing around on the interwebs.

IG: https://www.instagram.com/melucky

Location

around Chicago

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