Laoshan Apothecary Green

This is another sample I picked up just for the sake of trying all the teas. Did I expect to like it? Nope. Did I even read the ingredient list? Nope!

So anyways, laoshan green mixed with… things. I know there’s mint in here, but I’m pretty clueless as to everything else, to be honest. Dry, that’s pretty much how the tea smelled. Minty. Bleh, like I said, try all the teas! There have been surprises before.

When I took the infuser basket out, I have to admit that I caught aromas I was not expecting! Laoshan green, definitely, but… along with the mint there is something savoury. Almost smells like… gingerbread??? A spice of some sort, I’d have to guess.

And then the flavour…. See, this is why I pick up teas I don’t expect to like, because sometimes I get something amazing! First, there’s typical beany laoshan green, which is a treat on its own. Then there’s mint… but it tastes like mint mint to me, not peppermint. I like mint mint! (Does anyone else understand what I mean here?? My mom would!) Anyways, after the mint there’s this intense gingerbready flavour. I have no idea what it is! And then it fades into what’s coming off to me as almost a… coffee flavour? But a delicious coffee flavour, no burniness. I have no idea what it is I’m tasting in here, but I’m kicking myself for not trying this earlier, because it’s ridiculously delicious! I think the caramel notes of the laoshan green are playing in here somehow… ok, off to Verdant’s website I go!

Coriander! Cardamom! Well, I guess the cardamom is what’s coming off as ginger to me, and the coriander is probably involved in the general “savouriness” of this tea.

Darn… I am really disappointed that I only have a sample size of this one. Anyone have some they want to get rid of/trade? I would love to send my mom some of this one…! It is really a fantastic blend.

ETA: Nuts. Just checked to see if anyone else who reviewed this didn’t like it… but pretty much all the reviews are 89+, except for the one person who seems to have given theirs away to other people who posted! :(

ETA again: Second infusion also delicious, third infusion somewhat less so (but it did sit out overnight). I think I have enough for a couple more cups though… I will have to savour them!

Something about this 4th member of the Alchemy Blend Tasting Sample Kit makes me want to start cooking Thai food and watch a subtitled Asian movie or get up and belly dance with a scarf around my hips.

While this is definately NOT a Chai…this Apothocary Green IS a cleaver marriage of vegital buttery bean, sweet mint and feisty cardamom and coriander.
It is important to follow the steeping instuctions. When the brewing says 45 seconds…that’s exactly what should be done. This is potent and if left untended the spices and mint could overpower the green tea which would be shameful. As a 45 second steep there is so much flavor that my mouth was fully alive with pops of cool mint, buttery vegetal green bean and a slight spicy finish on the first steep.
As the tea cooled, the spiciness from the cardamom increased and there was a bite of heat with the cool mint.
The second steep was simular to the first but smoother and spicier with less green vegital taste.
My creative side took over….dancing around in the kitchen!

I steeped the 3rd time in MILK! Wow this was so good! Like mint tea and spicy risotto! Buttery, fragrant…so delicious…so I added ice and that was fabulous too!

I’m going to play with this tea some more. There is something about the flavors that makes me want to be creative.
I would love to see what other people come up with. Infusions with rice maybe? Sauces?

Love these blends!

Thank you to Anny Oxidant and the Tea Bullie for sending me a sample of this tea!

I steeped this for 3 minutes in my infuser mug and I think the flavor is yummy! The green tea has a lovely vegetal/green bean flavor which is complimented well by coriander and a touch of peppermint. Some minty blends I find too strong, but this one is not bad at all.

Overall, this is a really lovely and uplifting blend which is great for after lunch time today. I would consider buying more of this. Sorry for the short note, but I am running low on time :)

When I first opened the pouch, I inhaled deeply to take a big sniff of it, and I could really smell the cardamom and the coriander – especially the coriander. Another quick sniff offered hints of mint … but a peppery mint. Tulsi? And yes, the crispness of peppermint. This is one that I didn’t even need to read the description of to know what was in it – the nose knows!

It smells amazing – slightly peppery and citrus-y and warm, together with hints of green vegetables. The brewed tea has a very savory element to the aroma. Yes, I must agree with Bonnie, this is very Thai-food-like … it makes me want to have a big plate of pad thai in front of me (of course, it’s not unusual that I want pad thai!)

The flavor is really amazing. Sweet and creamy, the spices are not as strong as the aroma had led me to believe they would be. Yes, I taste them, but they are in balance with the tea – not overpowering it … and it smelled like that might be the case. It smelled very lovely and strong, however, it tastes very lovely and well-balanced.

The spices are warm but not spicy … they have hints of sweetness as well as a peppery tone that is more of a savory pepper than a spicy pepper. Hints of citrus. Green beans. Tasting a bit like a stir fry with green beans that have been cooked to a crisp-tender stage and then carefully cooked with a delicious, savory sauce.

As I continue to sip, I taste the hints of tulsi, as well as the peppermint. I am glad that the peppermint is not a strong flavor, instead, it seems to enhance the flavor of the tulsi that is slightly minty and peppery. These two components lend to the fresh taste of this tea, to the crispness, and the lightness, keeping it from tasting too heavy or too laden with spice.

Very yummy! I will definitely be re-steeping this to see what happens.

Sipdown! This tea pairs wonderfully with the pad thai my boyfriend made for dinner! Crisp, cardamomy and fresh, my chai blending has helped me pick out the spices in this. I love the description of this tea as well, how it is to show the elements of laoshan green, I particularly get the ocean aspect, a fresh saltiness, pure. I love the ocean and miss it so much, one day id love to live on the coast. But for now I’ll make do with visits and tea that reminds me of it. A nice sample to try from verdant, although not one I crave enough to reorder in winter. Maybe in the spring though :D see previous notes!

Oh, and I didn’t cold brew any of my sample, bet it would be awesome though! Maybe the left over leaves I will :)

Sip down! Cold brewed the last of this one to see if I like this any better…should have thought to add a bit of my stash of laoshan green to see if it helped cut through the coriander…but I didn’t. And so? It’s is not a tea for me. Blech. Ick. I’ll stick with laoshan green on its own please and thank you :)

“Oo!”

I said that aloud after taking my first sip. I read the description of the tea and read multiple reviews, sniffed the bag like a mad woman, but I still didn’t know what to expect!

Judging by the smell of the dry leaf, I expected a tea heavy on the spice and very savoury. As usual, this blend is so much more than that. The spice is actually not overpowering at all – the tea is the star! Amazingly crisp and creamy Laoshan green. And the mint! I forgot about the mint – it’s the perfect amount. Oh so refreshing and, may I say, perfectly blended? (Always leaving room for human imperfection of course, but as far as my tastebuds are concerned, every ingredient has its role in this blend, knows its place and plays its part like it was born to play it!)

I want to make a bottle of this, ice it and take it on a hike.

So much more to say about this tea! I’m going to sit and enjoy it right, hope it doesn’t keep me up all night ( ;) ) and come back when the bag is empty to amuse you with tales of our adventures. Until then!

I wasn’t planning on trying this one today but had need for it. As I was taking my used tea leaves and watermelon rinds out to the compost I heard rumbling in our garbage can. Now I had spotted a groundhog in this morning in our backyard and poking around the garage. It seemed unlikely that such a large bodied small legged creature could find its way into a garbage can still upright, but I knew it was also unlikely it could find its way out.

But what I found when I peered into the bin was a small raccoon. I backed up and told him it was okay to come out, he didn’t. I walked around to the driveway and tilted the can over away from me, still he didn’t come out, I walked round the fence and saw he was stuck in the top corner of the bin so I again walked around carefully and reoriented the can. He was slow getting out and once he emerged I thought he was injured he dragged his body with his front legs and layed down under the front of my car and there he stayed while I called animal control and got voicemail.

We watched each other and I talked to him. He refused a dish of water and watermelon rind (I was careful not to get close). Luckily my sister and brother-in-law were five minutes away when I called them. Brian accessed the situation cautiously, moved around things in the garage, giving the raccoon a chance to bolt, he nudged him with a mop, he was breathing but didn’t move. He had me moved my car, told me to take everyone inside, my sister started crying. The raccoon took its last breaths and Brian scooped him up in a snow shovel and took him behind the garage. He suspects a local raccoon disease as there were no obvious wounds, but who knows.

My sister was still shaken up and I offered everyone tea. I was out of Chocolate Chamomile Curiosity Brew and knew lavender wouldn’t go over well, this seemed to fit the bill. We all found it very soothing and tasty. I think I prefer the Temple Green a bit, but the coriander and cardamon are very well behaved and the creamy green base comes through wonderfully well. Will have to try this iced. Sorry if that was depressing, but I needed to vent.

Thanks Liberteas!

Cardamom, Coriander, Peppermint, Holy Basil – oh my! As usual Verdant shows their EXTRA-Ordinary gift and talent of portraying JUST THE RIGHT AMOUNT of all of these ingredients to come up with a combo of their very own…both is aroma and taste! MARVY!

After infusion is complete this sort of smells like a sauce of sorts. It’s really quite amazing!

As I sip this I can think of so many foods it reminds me of and then it makes me think of what I might be able to pair it with or even try cooking with it! I completely agree with bonnie there!

The green tea with the spices and mint are really great together. I don’t think I would change a thing with this one or the ratios of the ingredients.

Excellent – as always!

Not a bad tea. The coriander is a little strong to me, which I don’t particularly care for in the first place. If you like peppermint, coriander, and cardamom this is the tea for you! Thank you David at Verdant for the sample! I will do my best to send this tea to someone who can apppreciate it.