Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Steepster Select
Tea Description:
A black teas from Laos with this quality of manufacture is almost unheard of. Our dedicated producer has thrown convention out the window and began making teas that rival India and China. This rolled, jet black tea with golden buds is a sure sign Laos is on its way.
Taster’s Review:
When I first opened the packet of this Laos Black Tea #05 from Steepster and smelled the contents, I found myself bewildered by the fragrance. It was a scent that was totally unfamiliar to me, especially in the world of tea. Usually a black tea smells “earthy” or “leathery” or even “fruity” or “floral.” But this tea smelled like none of those things!
On Steepster, one of the tasting notes suggested a “tomato” fragrance, and while I don’t know that what I smelled was that of tomato … I do certainly agree that it smells different.
The flavor is also quite different from any black tea that I’ve had, although there are some familiar notes to this as well. This has a richness to it, although I find the body to be somewhat lighter than the typical black tea. It is sweet (like honey!) and there are some delicious malty tones to this. I also taste earthy notes with whispers of smoke.
And, yes, these are all notes that in other black teas … but it’s just the way these particular flavors come together in this particular tea that makes it different. It’s malty and rich, but it is lighter than other black teas that are known for malty, rich flavors like an Assam or a Fujian black.
It’s an easy to sip tea … something I’d be happy to drink again.
Laoshan Northern Black from Verdant Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Verdant Tea (From Verdant Tea: The first batch of this tea sold out, but a new autumn harvest of it is now available.)
Product Description:
This is one of the pioneer black teas from Laoshan. The village only started experimenting with making black tea out of their uniquely bean-like green tea a year or two ago. This batch is the first made by the phenomenal farmers we work with. It is malty, chocolatey, perfectly smooth and honey-like.
Learn more about this tea here.
Learn more about the Autumn Laoshan Black here.
Taster’s Review:
This tea is incredible!
As I sip this black tea from Laoshan, my first thought was that I am noticing many similarities between this and a Fujian black tea: both are very rich, full-bodied, with a sweet, chocolate-y undertone.
But as I continue to sip, I begin to take note of a malty tone as well as a honey-esque flavor, and these are flavors that I probably wouldn’t experience from a typical Fujian black – which is more likely to have a caramel sweetness and a powder-y cocoa-like profile. That is to say, a well-stocked tea cupboard should have both of these teas in it, as I don’t think that one would replace the other.
The flavor is incredibly smooth, with very little astringency and no bitter taste to it … with the exception of a slight bitterness from the chocolate-y undertone. It is just barely there, but, when I focus upon the chocolate notes, I can taste that hint of bittersweet. There is a pleasing flavor of spice to this cup as well, I am picking up mere hints of cinnamon and perhaps even a slight peppery note as if a few Yunnan leaves had managed to sneak in to the package of this tea. There is also a deep roasted flavor to this … reminiscent of charcoal. Not smoky, exactly, but, more of a deep, roasty-toasty kind of taste.
The second infusion brought some interesting changes to the cup. The body is lighter than the first cup, which is not surprising, but, what is surprising is how this slightly lighter texture has allowed the spice notes to express themselves fully. This tastes quite cinnamon-y now, in fact, you might think that you accidentally sprinkled some cinnamon in the cup! The cinnamon is sweet and melds with the honey notes quite nicely.
A remarkable black tea, I highly recommend it.