Mi Lan Dancong Black

Tea type
Black Tea
Ingredients
Not available
Flavors
Burnt Sugar, Dates, Honey, Sweet Potatoes
Sold in
Not available
Caffeine
Not available
Certification
Not available
Edit tea info Last updated by David Duckler
Average preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 1 min, 30 sec 4 g

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52 Tasting Notes View all

From Verdant Tea

A perfectly realized synthesis of honey-fruit, avocado, wafting jasmine & chocolate malt. . . .

Mi Lan Dancong Oolong and Laoshan Black are two of our favorite teas in existence. Little did we know that out there was a tea whose flavor profile perfectly combined the best elements of each. At least, until we found this Mi Lan Dancong Black.

The aroma of the wet leaf is that of sweet sesame, caramelized asparagus, cinnamon spice and ice wine. The harmony is intriguing and unexpected. The first sip reveals the intensity of this tea. If raw honey were transfigured into a pomegranate, the sensation of tasting this tea would be like biting into the honey-fruit’s pulp and feeling it burst open in a mouth-watering juiciness.

The aftertaste reveals a wafting vaporous floral note, like fine jasmine incense picked up by a light breeze. There is a sweetness that is both creamy and vaguely savory like perfectly ripe avocado, and a gentle lingering malty chocolate flavor. Later steepings introduce a sparkling spicier texture, with flavors moving towards cacao nibs and malted milk. This is a perfectly integrated and harmonious realization of the ideals of black tea and oolong.

About Verdant Tea View company

Company description not available.

52 Tasting Notes

96
1186 tasting notes

This tea! I bought it because I LOVE Verdant’s Mi Lan Dancong oolong, and wanted to see what it would taste like in a black tea. I decided to brew it in my gongfu teapot, and have no idea how much leaf I used, I have only a 7 g sample, so I used about half the bag for this brewing.

I did 2 rinses, then steeped for about 4 seconds ish. Oh, and this has that amazing honey smell of the Mi Lan oolong which I LOVE! Mmm this makes me want to have a Yixing session after this, I haven’t in quite some time :( anyways, onto the taste!

The first steeping tastes like pure honey! Even more than the oolong did I think! The dancong taste is still there, but SMOTHERED in honey! I love this! Oh, and I thought this would brew up a darker color, it’s a lovely golden color. Wasn’t expecting that!

Second steep – yes, more honey, not quite as potent, but as I was sipping and reading the discussion boards, I randomly got some of the avocado!!! YES! It’s in the aftertaste, and not overly intense, it’s more almost a textural thing? Anyways, it’s good! Not a whole lot of chocolate yet, still tastes mostly like a bit stronger oolong to me. Bah, my untrained palate :P

I mixed a bit of the second and third steeps before I will have just the third steep, yes, there it is, the black tea taste. It was a little while coming, but now I can taste a bit of that chocolate malt, not overpowering, but just a nice hint of it to remind me this is not an oolong. And the honey is still there. YES!

This is probably my favorite black tea from Verdant so far. I have only tried this and Laoshan Black, but I think I currently prefer this one, it’s more honey and not as chocolatey (maybe I’m crazy for not liking too much chocolate lol). This is really, really good.

Oh, and on a sad, and angering note, I think Canada Post lost my Verdant order. Not impressed. It’s almost a week late, if it’s not here by tomorrow, I will have to call them and figure out what to do..not looking forward to that.

Preparation
Boiling
Bonnie

On this end in the U.S. there was a Postal holiday which could have delayed your order and the weather changed also.

mrs.stenhouse12

Hmm I’m hoping it’s that, it said it left the facility way back on the 10th though, so it should have been here sooner..and my friend ordered a day after me and got hers on Tuesday :( so I’m quite sad that it definitely might be gone.

Bonnie

Verdant has tracking on it so let them know if you don’t receive it in a few days.

mrs.stenhouse12

I will for sure! Hopefully it can be found!

Kittenna

MissLena12 – Canada Post can be ridiculously inconsistent. I’ve received orders from the States in about a week, and sometimes it takes nearly three. If your friend only just got hers on Tuesday, I wouldn’t be super worried yet (but perhaps best to look into it anyways).

mrs.stenhouse12

Ok thanks! That makes me a bit less worried :) I’ll wait a little bit longer before I contact them, they might just be slow from the weather here too

OMGsrsly

Canada post ‘lost’ my tea parcel from Montreal, then as soon as I had a trace initiated, they delivered it… 10 days late for an express post. So I wish you the best and hope your tea shows up ASAP!

mrs.stenhouse12

I really hope it does! I’ll give it maybe until next Tuesday then find out where it is, I want my samples for this weekend though :(

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97
6768 tasting notes

So…THIS tea…is like a TEA NINJA…it karate-chops ya in the taste buds!

I tastes roasty and toasty but a bit like dark chocolate, too. In the middle of the sip I picked up some jasmine notes but they quickly faded. THEN…wait for it…Avocado! I can taste Avocado! Seriously! But then…there is a bit of dark chocolate again…or carob even. It makes me think of Jason Mraz’s famous Raw Vegan Avocado Chocolate Mousse!

Just when I think I have this flavor figured out it throws me another karate chop…malted milk flavor and fruity-goodness! What the heck?

And not only THAT…but I can pick up characteristics of both black tea and oolong teas! There are malty notes but then there are specs of charcoal notes trying to pop thru.

There is so much going on with this – I can barely contain myself! AND…I LOVE that!

As it cools at room temp for a tick…I can start tasting some lovely, delicate spicy flavors…WOW!!! What a conversation-piece! This tea makes you think…this tea makes you talk…this tea makes you question everything you thought you knew!

KARATE CHOP to the taste buds!

LOVE it!

Bonnie

I couldn’t agree with you more! When I got this there were no notes and I was terrified because the flavors were so all over the place. We should have been together…ha…it was like ziplining through a flavor forest!

TeaEqualsBliss

Totally agree Bonnie!!!!!! YOU ARE WONDERFUL :)

TeaEqualsBliss

I’d LOVE to sip tea with you – wish we were closer!

Ze_Teamaker

I really want/need to buy this tea. After reading this I am so ordering some soon…

Bonnie

That was too nice of you to say! (Besides, you don’t know me and I’m a nut!) :)

TeaEqualsBliss

Genius minds think alike Bonnie…I’m a NUT as well :) lol

Geoffrey Norman

Had me at “karate-chop”. I actually tried a Mi Lan Dan Cong. Not from Verdant, alas. It was something else entirely.

Charles Thomas Draper

I think we all kinda nuts {in a good way} on here. We need a convention. A meeting. San Fran, Minn. or NYC??

Scott B

Shopping listed.

Bonnie

How about Colorado? Next year the tea festival…you go uphill and hike and see wildlife (about 45 minutes away) or come here to Fort Collins and drink the other ‘tea’ from the many breweries like New Belgium. San Francisco would be my second choice though. I could tell you all the wineries too within a short drive. Hey, I have a condo thingy. I like Seattle also.
NYC too expensive! I’d stay in Sonoma and drive into San Francisco. I love planning trips! (NO, not the 60’s kinda trips)

TeaEqualsBliss

Speaking of 60’s Trips…did you see my review about Whisper Of the Woods? Channeling my inner-hippie :)

Bonnie

I’ll check it right now….

David Duckler

Best phrase of the day TeaEqualsBliss. It totally makes my afternoon. Don’t be surprised if you see a Ninja-themed photo shoot on this tea after such a great review. I hope you don’t mind if I share the quote on Twitter?

Glad I am not the only one getting avocado too. It reminds me a of a mushroom hot pot restaurant that served up this weird avocado-sweet mushroom for dipping in Goji-berry broth. So cool.

By the way- you are all invited for an MN meetup to drink tea together if you find yourselves here, though I can’t compete with Colorado. I think our biggest attraction here (besides the tea) is the corn. Seattle sounds great too. My parents-in-law live there.

Sil

really excited to be getting this one now :) love the review

TeaEqualsBliss

David!!!!! And YOU made MY day!!! I’d LOVE to see that on twitter as well as a Ninja theme that would rock LOL – I will put a similar review on over at Sororitea Sister with a few tweaks to it :)

TeaEqualsBliss

I wish I could meet you all – anywhere – and everywhere – my traveling funds are questionable because of a family issue in the next few months…we will have to take an emergency trip to TN – never been there before.

Scott B

@Tea – Hope that your family issue works out okay. If you get a free day or two in TN you should check out Great Smokey Mountain National Park-very beautiful (and free).

TeaEqualsBliss

Thanks Scott B!!!!

Scott B

You’re welcome :)

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98
676 tasting notes

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.

TheTeaFairy

Wow, this review leaves me speechless Bonnie…amazing!

Indigobloom

the stories you weave Bonnie! I am in Puerto Rico now… *sighs

Bonnie

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.

Indigobloom

you honour tea like a valedictorian Bonnie, with an ode everyone looks forward to! (cuz they got honour grades heh heh!)

Autumn Hearth

A black Dan Cong? Interesting… My taste buds don’t appreciate the Mi Lan oolong, but may have to try this eventually.

Bonnie

Yes exactly so! The handwritten label says Black quite distinctly! David refers to this as Black.

HyBr1d

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!

Bonnie

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.

HyBr1d

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 :)

Bonnie

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!

Bonnie

Have you tried any Pu’er’s?

HyBr1d

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!

HyBr1d

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.

Charles Thomas Draper

Awesome review! Another must-have from Verdant

Bonnie

July 18 Happy Birthday David Duckler!

HyBr1d

I cant wait until my order comes! Happy Bday to David :)

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1220 tasting notes

Thanks Amazon for your really great servers!!! (It was an Amazon cloud server problem and not the usual Steepster bugs this time around, it took out Reddit and Foursquare too.)

So now I can finally write this note. I’ve had 5 steeps so far today in my gaiwan and I want more.

The first was the best though. If I could live off avocados, I would. This one tasted like honey and chocolate dipped avocado slices. I got the hints of pomegranate too. Amazing.

After that one, the avocado kind of faded and the chocolate notes got malty. I did start to pick up some jasmine notes too, and the honey definitely stayed through them all.

I should have been writing stuff down as I drank although I did have it pretty much all in my head, but then my mother had to insult me so I pretty much lost it.

The avocado though, ugh so good.

I don’t feel like sleeping so I have steeps 6-8 in a mug right now. There are mostly now honey flavors, with a bit of maltiness. It’s reminding me a lot more of oolong than black tea now. I guess this is a good dancong light for those of us who really aren’t sure about them :P

Daisy Chubb

mm I am totally hunting out the avocado next time I have this! Tomorrow!

Bonnie

Me too!

Kittenna

Oh wow, I’m seeing so many reviews of Verdant’s blacks all of a sudden! I drank two today myself!

Indigobloom

aha!! my website guru didn’t call me last night, probably bc of the server issues :s
(amazon is a major stakeholder)

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88
15019 tasting notes

Quick note because the parents are still here and they’re laughing at me taking notes on teas. I figure there will be a number of back logs from me tonight once they leave lol. Been having this one most of the day while we play games and enjoy our time together. My parents loved their little package of presents and I was able to surprise Ian with his expansion to the game he loves. I’m still in awe over what my parents bought us though – a full set of d5 all clad pots! Add that to the tea kettle I Bought myself and I’m over the moon this Christmas :)

Donna A

I love my All Clad-have had it for years. D5 didn’t exist then, but it sounds like it’s an improvement over an already great product.

ashmanra

Woo-hoo! That is a fantastic gift! You will think of this day for years and years as you use them!

Indigobloom

Nice!! always a pleasure cooking in fancy pots :P

Sil

yeah i’m pretty blown away… we were going to but a MUCH cheaper set to get us a set..and then once both of us were working, pick up an atual set to last for years…

goes nicely with the breville variable temp kettle i bought myself lol

Indigobloom

aha well now you can save up for something else instead! a yixing pot maybe! :P

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84
359 tasting notes

Happy to be back! (Once more, I’ve had to unplug from Steepster for awhile… (My dad was sick again, so I’ve spent most of my time with him at the hospital)

It’s ok, not beign the most active member here, I still greatly enjoy following poeple and their reviews. Even if I have to disappear from time to time, I always come back!

So I’ve had «regular tea» for the last few weeks, not having enough time to indulge in «special tea» such as this one. Tonight is special…I have a date with myself! I’am alone in the backyard, it’s nightfall, and I can hear the owl’s chant, whooo, whooo, very close by…The woods are in my backyard, so I get lots of wild life sounds, and from time to time, wild life visitors. I love all my visitors, they sometimes just pass by, or they stay for a couple of days. Today, we had a red fox sniffing around. It stayed a few hours under the bird feeders, hoping for a snack.

It’s been raining a lot, there’s a wonderful vegetation and earthy smell out here tonight, so fresh and warm at the same time.

I have brought the cast iron kettle outside to keep my water hot, along with the gaiwan. I will write this review the old fashion way by the candle light, in my tea notebook. Not kidding, a real paper notebook, with a real pen, with real ink. I realized lately that I barely ever «write» anymore, using the electronic devices all the time. I’ve missed that feeling… See, in French, (my first language) I write a lot! It’s a habit and a necessity for me. I write everything and nothing. I think in one day, I probably write more than I speak! To write on paper just feels like reading a real book after reading a thousand digital ones! It feels right again…

Back to the tea. I’m following Verdant’s instructions. A few seconds only for big flavor. I will not pretend I can review this tea the way others have. Although I can always identify some of the notes, the experience for me is more about the way it makes me feel than about the actual taste. I don’t care much if I can’t get the « cinnamon» or the «avocado». And I’m not saying that in a pejorative way, au contraire, I do admire people for being able to do that so well in their reviews and I thoroughly enjoy reading them, but it’s just not my main concern when I try to describe my tastings. However, I think it’s fun when I find exactly what has been described, I guess sometimes it’s just more obvious than others…

Anyways, I get so many different notes in one sip of this tea, it would take a lifetime for me to identify them all!

The first infusion was a burst of sweetness, yum! Chocolate and honey for sure… it’s so warming, it surprised me in such a pleasant way.

As the other infusions evolved, it got closer to oolong than black tea for me. I find roasted nut along with ripe fruits and light spiciness. Even after many infusions It’s very intense and slightly astringent.

I can’t write anymore than that, sorry… I’m too chocked up by the pure bliss it is giving me, and the night is just too beautiful not to get my full attention…The perfect tea for the perfect moment… I will type that on Steepster later when I get back in…

Thank you for that, Verdant…

Scatterbrain

I enjoyed reading this.

Bonnie

Very good review. You expressed your enjoyment of this tea which is what I look for in a review. You drew me into that enjoyment. I hope your father is well, God Bless you and him.

TheTeaFairy

Thanks Kyle…last time I was on Steepster, you were having terrible headaches, were you able to get them under control?

TheTeaFairy

Bonnie, I’ve missed you…Thank you!

Bonnie

You also. Thank you!

Charles Thomas Draper

Yes. Very enjoyable. I hope your father is well….

TheTeaFairy

Thank you Charles…

Autistic Goblin

I hope your Dad is feeling better. I mostly see deer, squirrels, and bunnies where I live :D Although I’ve seen a fox at work, as well as a black tailed prairie dog which was cool :D

TheTeaFairy

Thanks Helena,
Prairie dogs are so cute, but we don’t have them around here, you’re lucky to have seen one :-) I see mostly deers, mooses, occasionaly wolves and coyotes, hares, porcupines, groundhogs and racoons of course, and such a large variety of birds. Needless to say, it’s never boring for the animal lover that I am!

Indigobloom

welcome back!! best of health to your dear Dad xx

Autistic Goblin

I’ve seen a few hares, there’s 3 jack rabbits at work but I don’t see them very often (probably hiding from the fox) tons of geese, a few ducks, blue jays, woodpeckers including the Northern Flicker (I stood so close I could’ve touched him) Wild Canary (very shy) so yep lots of wildlife where I live too :D

TheTeaFairy

Thanks Indigobloom, great to be back, missed you all :-)

Sil

Tea fairy – always nice to add to the Canadian crew I’m following :) on peut toujours communiques en Francais aussi!

Really love the review!

Bonnie

We have animals too and the big Elk (which I have heard the British call Moose and the Moose Elk for whatever reason). Have not seen a Moose yet but did see the Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep, Eagles, Fox, GEESE!!!, Heron, Ducks, Egret, Blue Jay, Woodpeckers, PELICANs (shocked me), rabbits, prairie dogs, PRAIRIE DOGS lots, Antelope, (We must be on the Canada to South America bird path). 1 Bear. Wolves. (Just what I’ve seen so far)

TheTeaFairy

@Sil: oui, toujours un plaisir de découvrir des concitoyens ici! Franco-ontarien??
@Bonnie: I guess that your scenery is just as rich and eventful as mine is :-)

Autumn Hearth

“owl’s chant” what a lovely term! Sounds like a magical night, I know its a very special tea!

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94
863 tasting notes

Boiling water, discarded first rinse. 4.8 g. leaf into 4 oz. gaiwan. This will be my first time having this gong fu style – and I went to the Verdant site to check instructions and found that it’s been archived.

1st steep – 10 seconds-ish because I was slow getting myself situated to pour out from gaiwan to cup. This steep has the buttery texture and nutty flavor of an avocado with the lingering sweetness of apricots that is a signature dan cong flavor for me. It is reallllly smooth.

2nd steep – about the same steep time (I’m slow this morning). At first I almost got a sour note, but then I realized it was the floral undertone. I’m not a huge drinker of the flower teas for this reason, but if you look hard enough the apricot is hiding beneath the flowers. I hope this resolves itself in further steeps.

3rd steep – yes, better. Now more of a cocoa powder flavor is prominent, the fruitiness has disappeared but the buttery avocado texture remains.

Well – I planned poorly. I’m out of water after all the rinses and small steeps. I’ll keep the leaves and have some more tea later since I know this has quite a bit of life left in it. It was great for a leisurely weekend breakfast!

Preparation
Boiling 0 min, 15 sec

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95
6105 tasting notes

I should not have brewed this up tonight, I’m way too tired for a proper review. Basically, it’s absolutely delicious, and has the same honey notes as Butiki’s Mi Xian Black (does Mi mean honey or something?) There’s an amazing oolongy aftertaste, and I pretty much love this tea. At first I expected something more like the Laoshan Black (only because the aroma seemed to be kind of cocoa-y), but it’s much different. I’ll try more infusions tomorrow, and still have half my sample packet left to try later. Sleeeeeeeeeep.

ETA: Second infusion was pretty good; third was quite weak. This tea certainly doesn’t have the longevity of Laoshan Black. I will hopefully remember to compare the last of this to the last of my Mi Xian Black to figure out how similar they are/what my preference is!

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 0 min, 30 sec

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95
806 tasting notes

I got this as a sample and it’s great. Reminds me a bit of grapefruit or at least that’s what my mouth keeps telling me :D

Preparation
Boiling
Bonnie

What your mouth tasted as grapefruit was a good call..I can see how you would go that way. A bittersweet chocolate would go floral like hibiscus or raisin or even grapefruit.

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91
300 tasting notes

Third day of the Verdant black tea comparisons and I’ve decided I’ll make a week of it as I have them all. There’s a hint of cocoa as the dry leaves hit the warm mug but its mingled with other fragrances, floral and earthy true to its teroir this smells more like a dancong than a black tea when brewed up.

There’s a hint of smoke coming off the leaves and a scent of roasted veggies. Yet the first infusion is very malty, powdery cocoa dusted over fragrant oolong. There’s a mix of veg and herbaceous, I keep come back to avocado, asparagus, banana and some mustiness.

Disclaimer: I’m not the biggest appreciator of dancongs, there are a couple I’ve liked and a few more than have lacerated my tongue, but I know I like this one, I’ve had it before and even on this second infusion I know I need to lower the temp next time because those roasted veggie notes now smell charred.

Then there it is that greyish purple clay taste I get from dancongs, not as offensive here with the cocoa, avocado and now honey and yup peach. Getting stronger and stronger juicy peach oh swoon now I know what those dancong lovers search for and this peach is with chocolate, seriously just wow. Perhaps I won’t lower the temp ;)

Less peach in the third infusion there’s a woodsy quality with the clay and yes incense and just like my first tasting note I’m getting a dry sheng like quality. Interesting. Can I have that peach back please? Will come back to this note later in the day with observations.

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