5g sample into 100ml gaiwan, using 90-100C water. A couple 15sec steeps, then a few 30sec, then a few 1min, now I’m at 1.5min and it’s still going strong. Strong roasty notes with a sweet finish, especially in the early steepings – like a dark roasted oolong. Quite a bit of bright, acidity, reminiscent of fruit or citrus. I can definitely see the comparison to a lightly roasted coffee there. Gotta say, I much prefer my coffee dark roasted because I don’t usually like that acidity, so this isn’t my favourite of Verdant’s blacks. Later steepings are less sweet and more malty. Overal it’s not very chocolatey for me, though I can see the comparison to a fruity dark chocolate .