Thank you to Sil for sending me this sample.
I drank this while preparing the menu for Easter this year. It’s my turn to bake and I am planning on baking my sanity away this week with the Easter pies, the Creme Brulee and the cupcakes. It calmed me and kept me from having a good bit of panic. Laoshan Black may just be a miracle drug for me.
1st Steep-1 minute
Holy Laoshan Black. Normally I’m one of those people who think I’ll hate what everyone else loves. Usually it’s true but with Laoshan Black, I couldn’t be wronger. Is wronger even a word? It’s beautiful. That’s all. It tastes like chocolate and cinnamon. There’s also a nice creamy note. I let my mother who hates tea sip this and she loved it. That is a special tea.
2nd Steep-2 minutes
The chocolate is even more intense with a nutty note. This tastes like Nutella. I hate Nutella for the simple reason that they try to pretend there is no chocolate in there—clearly a lie— but this tastes like it. And it is so so good.
3rd Steep-3 minutes
Still very chocolaty but it has transformed into a milk chocolate whereas the other steeps were a heavier dark chocolate. There is also a bread note which is bringing back the whole Nutella feel. Nutella on toast is my childhood in a box.
4th Steep-4 minutes
The cinnamon came out of nowhere and took over. It tasted like I had steeped a cinnamon stick. Not spicy but sweet and flavorful. The chocolate was still there but it was firmly in the background.
5th Steep-5 minutes
Caramel and cream. A bit of cinnamon. It’s not losing much of its flavor at all.
6th Steep-15 minutes
This is my extremely long, ill-advised final steep. It tasted kind of like graham crackers and marshmallow. Does that sound insane? And after steeping for 15 minutes, there was no astringency at all.
Laoshan Black is an experience. I was all prepared to be the odd duck in the room who didn’t like it but I loved it. I am tempted to hoard 4oz or so but I already hoard way too many teas and it’s starting to become a concern. Either way, this tea is a staple.
Preparation
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Comments
YAY!!! I’m so glad that you enjoyed it :) Not that I’d be offended if you hadn’t, but now at least i know one of the teas you received was a keeper heh.
Loved it. It’s so much of a keeper that I had to block the Verdant site to keep me from ordering more. It was necessary. Had 8oz in my cart before I put my foot down.
hahaha i think this is the first tea that i ordered 4oz of. That was in october..and i’ve only got maybe a half an ounce left.
I have the thoughts going through my head…“It could replace coffee…you’ll go through it quickly…c’mon Grace it’s so good. Don’t you want more?” Yeah. After Easter. As a reward for baking all week. I don’t even like sweets.
Heh, I might have to remember that website blocking trick myself… Or right now since this review have made me really want to place my next Verdant order despite having spent my allotted amount on tea this week…
Iteg. With verdant…for yourself to wait until you’ve gone enough days to get at least 5$ off with the rewards program. Heh
Welcome to the Lovers of Laoshan Black!
Thanks :) It’s tea perfection.
I ordered 4oz too (which I rarely do). Its so delicious :-)
YAY!!! I’m so glad that you enjoyed it :) Not that I’d be offended if you hadn’t, but now at least i know one of the teas you received was a keeper heh.
Loved it. It’s so much of a keeper that I had to block the Verdant site to keep me from ordering more. It was necessary. Had 8oz in my cart before I put my foot down.
hahaha i think this is the first tea that i ordered 4oz of. That was in october..and i’ve only got maybe a half an ounce left.
I have the thoughts going through my head…“It could replace coffee…you’ll go through it quickly…c’mon Grace it’s so good. Don’t you want more?” Yeah. After Easter. As a reward for baking all week. I don’t even like sweets.
Heh, I might have to remember that website blocking trick myself… Or right now since this review have made me really want to place my next Verdant order despite having spent my allotted amount on tea this week…
Iteg. With verdant…for yourself to wait until you’ve gone enough days to get at least 5$ off with the rewards program. Heh
Welcome to the Lovers of Laoshan Black!
Thanks :) It’s tea perfection.
I ordered 4oz too (which I rarely do). Its so delicious :-)