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SimplyJenW drank Wild-Picked Yunnan Jin Jun Mei by Verdant Tea

985 tasting notes

Tea of the morning…..

This was the free sample sent with my first Verdant Tea order. Very pleased! I am drinking this one unsweetened in new teaware. I added a 14 oz Forlife Q Teapot in teal blue to my arsenal. It just made sense for how I drink tea to have a smaller teapot. I am not sure I will ever have a Yixing, or a Gong Fu set as they seem kind of overwhelming to me (I also don’t have the space to store dedicated yixing to a certain tea, or room to store all the pieces of a set.) For now, I just like things that are easy to manage (and clean!) Love the teapot. No drips.

The tea is remarkable, too. It is chocolately, bready, malty. Very smooth. No astringency, which is how I like it. I am getting so set in my ways as far as tea is concerned. I guess I have tried enough tea at this point to know what I really like, and this fits my profile. (I am becoming a little less enamored with greens and oolongs, but I am hoping it is just a phase.) For all those reasons, this was a good sample for me. If I were in the market for stash expansion, it would be on the list for sure. Until things change, I think I will have to enjoy what I have. This is definitely a place I would only purchase in small amounts as the prices are quite a bit higher than my normal range. Service is wonderful, teas I have tried are fabulous, though.

14 oz teapot. 2 tsp tea, freshly boiled water, 4 minutes. Resteep ahead.

Preparation

Boiling 4 min, 0 sec

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My motto: Drink the good tea!

Tea enthusiast, trying to keep up my cardio for the zombie apocalypse. I have come to accept that I am a western brewing black tea drinker as that is where my ‘tea heart’ lies. I started on loose leaf as a way to have my dessert and not suffer the caloric issues. Once I tried it, I was hooked.

I drink what I like, which is mostly China blacks, a few traditionally scented blacks and Earl Greys, plus a flavored tea here and there. I don’t mind spending a bit on premium varieties on occasion, but an expensive tea has to deliver. My favorite places to order are Harney & Sons and Upton Tea Imports. TeaVivre is great for Chinese tea.

My ratings are pretty subjective. If it falls under 70, I may not take the time to post about it unless I had something specific to say. If it is 70-80 I like it, but I will probably not rebuy. Favorites are over 80 and up, but sometimes the less expensive or more easily obtainable version of a similar taste will win out for my cupboard space.

Usual teapot steeping method: 24 oz teapot, 3 perfect scoops of tea (4 1/2 actual tsp), freshly boiled water, 4 minutes. Lightly sweetened.

Usual mug steeping method: 15 oz mug, 1.5 perfect scoops of tea (just over 2 actual tsp), freshly boiled water, 4 minutes. Lightly sweetened.

Usual pan method: 1 1/2 cups water, 2 perfect tsp chai (3 actual tsp). Simmer for 3 minutes. Add 2/3 cup skim milk. Simmer for 2 more minutes. Strain and sweeten.

Usual pitcher method:
5 or 6 Perfect Spoons of tea (this means about 7-9 actual tsp), freshly boiled water, brewed essentially double-strong in my 24 oz teapot for 4 minutes. Fill my Fiestaware Disc pitcher (about 60 oz.) halfway with ice. Add brewed double-strong tea to the pitcher. Stir it a little and enjoy. No additions.

(*SRP is my Sample/Stash Reduction Plan starting on April 12, 2012. I got so far, but just decided it was too fussy to keep track.)