From Cameron B a while ago! THANK YOU wherever you went! I had this once before and it really screams “winter tea” but I was craving it today. The temp cooled a LITTLE bit after four inches of rain anyway. Really, this seems like the most luxurious tea in the dry leaf itself: the blackest, shiniest, silkiest wiry leaf. I love the flavor. It seems more like the depth I always want Verdant’s Laoshan Black to have. It’s so odd because Laoshan green is by far my favorite, but never really cared for Laoshan black. hmm. The aroma of the wet leaf from the basket is marshmallowed yams. The flavor is rich and dark, like starchy chocolate bread with some sort of dark fruit jam… all the darkest fruits mixed together — raspberries, blackberries, but also plums. (I wish I had some of this for dessert right now.) The description says the leaves are fried in unprocessed red sugar which is interesting. I wouldn’t ever guess that, but maybe that is what makes this tea so unique. The subsequent steeps were also like this, but with a slight astringency and hint of that oversteeped oaky leaf flavor. But that first steep is perfection. I see eastkyteaguy has this in the cupboard… I’d love to see the tasting note for it!
Steep #1 // 1 1/2 teaspoons for full mug // 20 minutes after boiling // 2 minute steep
Steep #2 // 15 minutes after boiling // 3 1/2 minute steep
Steep #3 // 2 minutes after boiling for a half mug // 3 min
Flavors: Blackberry, Bread, Dark Chocolate, Plum, Raspberry
