Thread: Tea anyone ??!!

Ok, so I'm finally back.....for the day anyway. And wow what a way to come back than with a blockbuster tea from Verdant. This is a black tea that doesn't look very black. Its called Golden Fleece. Its a very complex brew with a ton of sweet potato flavors. But there is a hint of dried mushroom and a tiny hint of smoke. As you drink it, there are flavors that pop in and out of range - fruit, spice, and something else that passes by so fast I can't nail what I identify it with.







From the Verdant website,

This wild-picked Golden Fleece is an exquisite lesson in texture, and one of the truest flavor embodiments of Yunnan itself. . . .

Golden Fleece is the richest, deepest and most subtle Dian Hong black tea we have had the privilege of trying. Wild-picked buds normally reserved for fine pu’er pressings are set aside for a very small crafting of black tea to show off the pure, silky, spice-laden profile of deep forest Yunnan.

This black tea is as pure as they come, without a hint of the astringency that defines so many black teas. It is soft, yielding and complex in the aftertaste, appealing to admirers of fine oolong or pu’ers for the thick mouthfeel and sweet even floral taste that lingers on the tongue.

The taste unfolds slowly, confident in itself. Bright candied citrus sweetness reels us in, and then expands to a thrilling cinnamon spice flavor and lingers like marshmallow-baked sweet potato casserole. Citrus flavors and woody Yunnan texture meld together to evoke violet liqueur.

In later steepings a satisfying thickness like incense and sweet morel mushrooms begins to express itself, showing off the way that wild-picked tea truly evokes the unique landscape.

Oh my, that looked so tasty I went straight and ordered some Dian Hong online. Can't wait to try it out. I think I maybe need another teapot

Originally Posted by str8fencer

Oh my, that looked so tasty I went straight and ordered some Dian Hong online. Can't wait to try it out. I think I maybe need another teapot

Wonderful. I hope you enjoy it!

I'm enjoying Lapsang Suchong with two teaspoons of raspberry jam and one teaspoon of honey while waiting for the snow.


And yes, that is an official Hogwarts teaspoon!

Went to the store today and picked up a few grams of this Quangzhou milk oolong to try:

I stirred in a smidgen of honey, and I was pleasantly surprised. It was quite tasty, and had a lightly creamy feel to it. Just as advertised. It had a somewhat light feel to it, which is not quite what I've been in the mood for lately. I find that in winter, I like heavier teas, which means mostly blacks, but I can definitely see myself buying more of this in the spring and summer.

Originally Posted by Leatherstockiings

I'm enjoying Lapsang Suchong with two teaspoons of raspberry jam and one teaspoon of honey while waiting for the snow.

I have to admit, before coming to this thread, I'd never heard of adding jam to tea. Now I find myself eager to try it. Thanks for an interesting idea!

Absolutely love the Milk Oolongs. I almost never sweeten Oolongs though. I find their flavors to be so distinct and satisfying enough on their own merit. . Boy howdy they can be pricey though or I'de be on them constantly .

Very interesting teas...

Mine was odd...

Genmai-cha with:

a pinch of Ginseng
a pinch of Withania
a pinch of Gotu Kola
1 Calendula flower.

Originally Posted by Senomaros

Went to the store today and picked up a few grams of this Quangzhou milk oolong to try:

I stirred in a smidgen of honey, and I was pleasantly surprised. It was quite tasty, and had a lightly creamy feel to it. Just as advertised. It had a somewhat light feel to it, which is not quite what I've been in the mood for lately. I find that in winter, I like heavier teas, which means mostly blacks, but I can definitely see myself buying more of this in the spring and summer.



I have to admit, before coming to this thread, I'd never heard of adding jam to tea. Now I find myself eager to try it. Thanks for an interesting idea!

I have learned that there are good milk Oolongs, and OK milk Oolongs. I bought a couple samples from some online retailers and was not as enthused about the flavors as I was with the 50g I bought from Souvia. Now granted I am sure that there are other reputable retailers out there, but I am leery of fake milk Oolong now.

So I will now only be buying my MO from the more reputable vendors. Souvia, David's and a couple others. Since MO is one of my favorites I will continue buying samples from other sources and maybe I will find more that I like equally or better than the ones I currently have. And I agree, the best MO's are a bit pricey, but if done properly I can get 6+ servings out of 4g of tea (more if I use the Gaiwan).

I stopped in this local tea shop on the way home from classes today. I pass by it every day going to and from the university, but I've only ever been in it once before. I stepped in for a second time, tried this one Assam variety from India, (Didn't care for it; too plain.) and bought 10 grams of this other tea from Sikkim (which, upon googling, I found out is an Indian state sandwiched between Nepal and Bhutan) to take home and try.



This tea was much nicer than the Assam I had earlier, more interesting and flavourful. It had a somewhat earthy taste with just a hint of sweetness to it. It was quite similar to that Nepalese tea I buy from the David's Tea chain, but weaker. Also, more expensive. I'm not sure I'll get it again considering there's a stronger, cheaper version available elsewhere, but it was a pleasant enough tea that certainly won't be a chore to finish off.

Originally Posted by Nightblade

Boy howdy they can be pricey though or I'de be on them constantly .

Originally Posted by PHANTZM

And I agree, the best MO's are a bit pricey, but if done properly I can get 6+ servings out of 4g of tea (more if I use the Gaiwan).

Okay now I'm curious, roughly how much do you guys pay, on average, for milk Oolong? The one I tried the other day, the Quangzhou, was $11.75/50g (which is a bit over 1.76oz) which is a bit towards the pricier side of tea, but not extravagantly expensive I don't think. Curiously though, in that local tea shop I went to today, I saw something labeled as Quangzhou Milk Oolong here too, but this one was nearly three times the price, at ~$30/50g. Now that is expensive! Is the David's Tea milk Oolong just cheaper than average, or what?

Trying out the new Mukuhara Kashun yunomi with freshly opened gyokuro samidori: