This is one of the more difficult oolongs I’ve tried to decipher.
Some are your basic sudokus while others are kenkens. This one is a different puzzle. A kendoku!
It has mineral quality the twists along with a unique vegetal feel. They say cucumber as a descriptor and I can definitely taste a bit of that fresh vine picked taste but there is also a hint of green bean, freshly chopped. Feel like I am making a salad.
The flavor becomes a bit charcoal heavy as the steepings progress.
One of my nostrils is being difficult so I am having a bit of trouble evaluating what it is that is in my nose.
Citrus maybe? This is very different for one of Master Zhang’s oolongs but it just goes to show his breath of knowledge and tea making prowess.
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Verdant Tea
Description
This tea originally premiered in the Sept. 2020 Tea of the Month Club box! Master Zhang cultivates this rare Cai Cong (菜聪) varietal to encourage biodiversity on his high elevation plot in Daping, Anxi. His careful processing has brought out a surprisingly floral-fruit flavor in this tea along with deep osmanthus florals and a sweet, long aftertaste. The light oxidation of this tea’s traditional finish complements the dessert-like flavors of Cai Cong with a buttery, creamy finish.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
2019 Original Tieguanyin Revival/Verdant Tea -Skysamurai-
Have you ever tried to use a dehydrator to dry herbs?
It gives you a good sense of all the work it takes to make a good tea. Too hot, too cold. Too long, too short. And so on.
A unique tea like this one, which one can tell just by looking at the leaves, requires concentration and years of hard work.
Let’s not forget either that Master Zhang uses the highest and above standards for sustainability when it comes to his tea and other plants. One sip of this tea transports you to the mineral rich mountains of Anxi, China. Straightforward mineral flavors. It’s like licking a wet rock.
Tasting the purest granite surrounded by spicy dark woody notes. They mention florals along with the woody notes but honestly all I can taste are the mineral and woody notes.
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Verdant Tea
Description
This unusual tea is based on Master Zhang’s ongoing research into early Anxi oolong teas with a half-rolled / half strip-style shape, and a very meticulous turning and fluffing process that goes further than most modern tea would. In this experimental offering, he applies this research to the Tieguanyin varietal and provides enough roast for a deep, rich aroma. The result is a very well-balanced tea full of toasted sweetness, rich plum, and an lilac floral complemented by lingering minerality.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Autumn Reserve Tieguanyin/Verdant Tea . . . . . .
Not gonna lie to you, Sisters: these past few weeks have been QUITE STRESSFUL for me. So I’ve been in Treat Yo’self mode: cookies. cheese. trashy pop music. trips to the zoo. leisurely walks on the treadmill instead of strenuous weight lifting.
And tea. ALWAYS TEA.
Today I decided to try one of the samples I’ve been looking forward to: Autumn Tieguanyin from Verdant Tea. Oolongs are my current favorite, and frankly, I deserve fineries.
This tea is a creamy walk through a spring meadow filled with fluttering buttercups. It’s so light and dainty. If it were an garment, it would be a pastel mint-colored tutu. If it were a voice, it’d be Ingrid Michaelson’s.
The tasting notes I’m picking up are mostly flowery, sweet vegetal, and slightly creamy. The description on Verdant Tea’s site says “pound cake,” which I’m not sure I’m getting. This may be, in part, due to my profound unclassiness. I may not have enough fae in my blood to be able to pick up on everything. But I’m getting the idea, and I’m adoring it.
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Verdant Tea
Description
Master Zhang has worked for over four decades continuing his family’s craft growing true Tieguanyin varietal tea high above Daping village in Anxi. He is working to bring back the original habitat of the region by clearing mountainsides and planting trees, bringing back wildlife and biodiversity, for better tea and a better future. He has won awards across China and has been recognized as one of the leading teachers and craftsman in Anxi for his unique approach to grading teas and processing for flavor. Instead of grading solely by elevation or tree age, Master Zhang holds the “Reserve” designation for the few teas that meet his strict criteria of lingering intensive aftertaste, pervasive sweetness, and thick creamy body. This means that only the leaves whose weather, position in the field and processing come together perfectly can be offered as Master Zhang’s reserve. This reserve grade Tieguanyin was hand-picked and hand finished with an exhaustive fluffing and turning process to bring out deep intense florals and creamy texture.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
