I received this as part of Verdant Tea’s 5 for $5 promotion. I did an initial wash, then 8 sec steep, +4 secs for each additional infusions. I initially used 200 degree water, but dropped that down to 175. This loose leaf sheng is very much a green-leaning tea.
This is not at all what I was expecting. VT describes the tea’s dominant note as very fruity-plantain. Perhaps they were thinking of green plantains, because I love fried ripe plantains, and you should definitely not expect to find those notes in this tea, at least with the sample I was provided.
As others have said, I did get the hay aroma coming through initially, but that faded after the first couple of infusions. There was also a dark chocolate note in the aroma, but it was short lived and disappeared by the third infusion. What I get mostly is vegetal—leafy greens like turnip green pot liquor, a bit sweet, but finishes bitter and leaves the tongue dry.
Flavors: Burnt Sugar, Dark Chocolate, Hay, Vegetal
