This was one of the five free samples I just received from Verdant and I feel like I owe them a great thank you for allowing me to try such an impressive tea. I went against their suggestion and made a pot of this Western style, simply because I have been drinking tea long enough to know that what I enjoy most is a strong, full-bodied, tea right of the bat. I have tried so many other brewing methods with nice teas only to wish that I had went ahead and steeped it longer at the beginning, bringing out all of the complexity at once. It paid off with this one.
Despite the long steep time the tea remained a clear golden-orange. I have read since trying this that cocoa is supposed to be a predominant flavor in this tea, but mostly what I got was a strong floral/sweet flavor that reminded me of a combination of pineapple and rose; or perhaps toasted apricots, if there were such a thing. This earthy sweetness was so pronounced for me that I almost find myself having a hard time seeing myself drink this on a regular basis. It had almost no astringency to it, and to be honest I like a little kick in my cup.
All this, however, doesn’t take away from this great selection. Just looking at the tightly would leaves themselves show this. It has been awhile since I have had anything this complex and the very fact that I went and read all the information on it I could find after trying it is a testament to the effect it had on me.
