Thank you to Mackie for this sample! I already put in a Verdant order a few days back, but I might need to make another one soon after I try all these samples.
Spring 2016 harvest of Laoshan black (He family collection) from Jimo City, Qingdao Shandong, China.
The looseleaf smells of burnt food, cherry wood, and tobacco.
~6g looseleaf, 150 mL of 92*C water, 10 second steep
Steep 1: Flavour is roasty, minerals, savoury, toasty, charcoal, nice tea flavour, no bitterness at all
Steep 2: 150 mL of 90*C water, 7 second steep
Very roasty/charcoal, tobacco smoke, burnt food, leather.
Steep 3: 150 mL of 90*C water, 7 second steep
Lots of tea/tannins, burnt sugar, tanned leather, oxidized tea, lots of tea flavour, honey
Steep 4: 150 mL of 90*C water, 10 second steep
Malty, burnt sugar, cocoa, dark wood, toasted grain, miso, honey
I’m sure this is a fine tea from great origins, but to me, it just tasted like burnt food and chewing on a tanned leather belt. The whole charcoal roasted/smoked thing doesn’t appeal to me. Because I dislike this type of tea, I’m not going to rate it because I feel it would be unfairly low.
Flavors: Burnt, Burnt Food, Burnt Sugar, Char, Honey, Leather, Mineral, Soy Sauce, Tea, Toasted Rice, Tobacco
Yikes, that’s quite the saga of a flavour journey. Boo-urns getting burnt and leather belt notes from this.