These leaves while long and pressed flat are less uniform than the dragonwell I have experience with. There is variation in size, shape and a lovely contrast of fresh bright and lush dark green leaves, they are beautiful. The smell of the leaves don’t bring anything to mind except tea (lame I know, but there are too many other smells going on in the kitchen).
It is in the rinsing of the leaves that a strong vegetal aroma is released and stays for the first 15 sec steep. Very pale brew, with a tinge of blush against my white bone china cup, later steeps are near clear in my glass infuser mug. It is fresh and sweet with a hint of nut and evergreens. The taste isn’t an overwhelming sort of vegetal, it’s light, bright and smooth and just so very fresh, which is what I have come to expect from Verdant’s teas. The smell reminds me of matcha, the taste more of Gyokuro with such a nice sweet finish. As I reach the bottom of the first cup there is a bolder, thicker body .
I didn’t take notes for the second and third steeps which I also kept short, though I surely enjoyed them. Yes there was a bit of mint and even vanilla. Fourth was warm and pleasant (I had it with breakfast so don’t ask me about flavor) I let it steep a minute.
The fifth which I steeped for two mins had an interesting orchid note that of course brought to mind Tieguanyin and the sixth which I steeped for 3 mins was the least vegetal and the most sweet. I don’t really get the banana but then I didn’t read that last night but there is a desert quality, maybe like a meringue minus the lemon. Oh hey and there’s nice green tea flavor at the bottom of this cup. Let’s have another go shall we? Hmm bit of spice, tastes like a second or third steep of a tea that isn’t meant for multiple infusions. I’m sure I could have gotten more if I had kept to shorter steeps, but my toddler renders me impatient sometimes, but thankfully there is another servings worth left.
