Jon Gauthier Send Message

This TGY came as part of a Verdant tea sampler in early 2018. I brewed it gongfu style. Everything about this tea was mild. The liquor, aroma, and taste were all pretty subtle.

Liquor is a very pale green. Wet leaf aroma is polished wood and walnut. Later brews brought out a strong floral aroma and a hint of (blue?)berry.

The taste: Green! Wet grass with mild spice (pepper?). Sort of like arugula. There’s a mild vanilla at the front, too.

Overall, a nice relaxing TGY, but nothing so special. I might make this my everyday tea if it were cheaper ..

Very happy with this as a daily tea! Strong smoky smell and flavor (duh). A strong secondary flavor of blueberry. Smooth, but with a slightly chalky texture (I’ll put up with it). Moderately dry finish.

Stands up to multiple steeps, too.

Wow. This was my first experience brewing gongfu style, so I’m not sure how much of this experience to attribute to the brewing method vs. the tea itself. I liked it a lot, but I can’t say I would want to drink it regularly .. does that make any sense?

Anyway, here are my summary notes:

Liquor: Deep amber-gold.
Aroma: Leaves have a very strong smell of (polished?) wood.

Tasting summary: Flavor begins light and very weakly floral, followed by (especially on the later steeps) spicy peppercorns and a bit of a numbing feeling — as if I were drinking Sichuan peppercorn oil! The wood which I smelled the aroma then enters the flavor, but is quickly succeeded by a strong, very dry cinnamon, with a somewhat chalky texture. The dryness abates, and we finish with a warm burn in the throat, like a good scotch.

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Complete notes:

Warm+dry smell: Extremely strong smell of polished wood. Very earthy. Dry dirt. Weak summer flowers.

1st steep: Liquor is a dark amber-gold. Very dark wood notes. Coffee. Finish is a bit plastic-y in the mouth, and a very dry cinnamon.

2nd steep: Wood aroma gets stronger. Much stronger finish: cinnamon taste and dryness is now accompanied by a strange chalky texture. Very little brightness in this cup, except perhaps on very first taste.

3rd steep: I smell butter in the aroma now. Not much change otherwise.

4th steep (~45 sec by now): So dry! Makes my tongue stick to the top of my mouth. And a spicy, numb feeling, like a Sichuan peppercorn. Warm, burny, dry finish — like a scotch.

5th steep (~1 min): Not much change — looks like we’re done.

Not usually a matcha fan, but this is pretty nice. Dry grass, walnut, slight bitter+sour lime aftertaste. Extremely dry and thick mouthfeel.

Pricey: ~$10/40g = $0.75/g at H-Mart. Not so fancy. Won’t buy again.

First taste bears an uncanny resemblance to those little chocolate-mint candies you steal on your way out of restaurants. On second taste: a nice mix of chocolate and vanilla, with a mildly spicy rooibos base. Mint is a bit too strong for me.

A fruity and sweet herbal blend with a deep amber liquor. Berries, too much vanilla, rooibos, a little spicy, slightly dry finish.

The smell and the taste are both far too sweet for me! I’ll keep this one for dessert ..

The tea leaves smell amazing both dry and wet: like a frosted cake in a cup. I was disappointed by the taste, though: I find the vanilla overpowers the bergamot/citrus to the point that this cup tastes more like dessert than like an afternoon tea. The black tea base comes through nice and strong, however, just as in Adagio’s Earl Grey Bravo.

Would recommend for a dessert treat with milk and sugar, perhaps. But it disappoints as a standalone drink.

A nice everyday tea. The Ceylon base is tangy and not too bitter. A pleasant dry and sweet finish, though I would prefer a little more bergamot. The orange taste stays in the mouth for a long time afterward. Will be a regular buy..!