70
drank Laoshan Black by Verdant Tea
110 tasting notes

1 heaping tsp in 8 oz

OK, I think I’ve figured out how I feel about this tea. I can enjoy its qualities as long as it’s not brewed too strong. This 1 heaping tsp per cup for 3 minutes seems to be the best way for me.

What this tea has is a really roasted flavor — a quality I found in a couple of aged oolongs I tried a while ago and didn’t love. It’s not a smoked quality, but a dark roast quality. I think that when that characteristic is enhanced by strong brewing, it is just too much for me.

This brewing I found quite enjoyable, though it’s something I’d have to be in a specific mood for. Not an everyday thing for me. But I know some people just love these roasty teas, and if you do, then I imagine you would really go for this. I seem to prefer teas with a cleaner flavor profile, smooth and flavorful, but not this intense and “dark” if that makes sense.

Interestingly, the last time I brewed it, I cold-steeped the used leaves, and I liked that steeping over ice quite a lot.

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 3 min, 0 sec
El Monstro

“I seem to prefer teas with a cleaner flavor profile, smooth and flavorful, but not this intense and “dark” if that makes sense.”

You’d probably like Master Han’s Wild Picked Yunnan from Verdant, it totally fits that description (in my opinion).

Rachel J

Thanks for the tip!

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El Monstro

“I seem to prefer teas with a cleaner flavor profile, smooth and flavorful, but not this intense and “dark” if that makes sense.”

You’d probably like Master Han’s Wild Picked Yunnan from Verdant, it totally fits that description (in my opinion).

Rachel J

Thanks for the tip!

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I happily reside in Park Slope, Brooklyn with my husband, our baby son, and our dog. I teach over 40 piano students per week at my home studio and created “Fundamental Keys”, a classical piano method book and video series.

My husband and I are vegan and have been for about 8 years. We are enjoying bringing up our little one in the vegan tradition!

I went through a major tea phase some years ago (2006-2009) and had quite a collection and tasted hundreds of varieties. Then I went off caffeine when I decided to have a baby, and after he was born I got into a nasty coffee habit. Now I’ve come back to tea, thank goodness. I’m finding my tastes have changed quite a bit since my first go at tea fanaticism. Really enjoying some of the amazing and deliciously complex teas I’ve learned about through Steepster!

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http://about.me/rachelj

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