hopeofdawn wrote:So I just pre-ordered some green tea from Verdant Teas, and since they seem to be a relatively new company, was wondering if anyone had any experiences/opinons on their offerings? I found the amount of information on their website to be very impressive, along with their devotion to getting fresh teas direct from the source, but of course marketing may not always match reality ... *crosses fingers* What do Teachatters think? Do they generally have good tea? Bad? Middle-of-the-road?
I really love everything I get from Verdant Tea. The quality of his tea is apparent from the get go. Plus, Verdant offers Laoshan green, which is one of my favorite greens ever. I lived in Qingdao for about a year, and this is the green from the village of Laoshan about an hour away. I fell in love with the tea- it's what turned tea into a real daily devotion for me. When I moved away, I took about two pounds with me and hoarded it in my freezer to make it last forever, fearing I would never be able to get my hands on it again. Then lo! Here it is again! Now I get to drink as much as I want. And honestly, each season's harvest is better than the one that came before (and even more note-worthy, better than what I could get when I lived there). It's like I can keep learning about Laoshan tea, even though I'm so far removed from the tea and my friends at the tea markets.
I'm lucky enough to live in the Twin Cities, so I get to go to Verdant's tastings every once and awhile. They're always great fun, and I leave walking out with tea euphoria. If you're ever in town, it's worth checking out.
David also just got written up in The Heavy Table (
the Twin Cities online foodie journal). Not sure if I have link posting privileges yet, but if you search for "Heavy Table" "Verdant Tea," it comes up right away.
sherubtse wrote:Verdant is very popular with folks on Steepster. However, not everyone is a fan.
Two quick notes here.
-I have the Star of Bulang in my collection. I would stake my life that it is not the same brick found on taobao. They are neither the same size, nor do they look at all similar in their wrappers. After reading though, the only similarity seems to be that they share the same name. I did not buy the taobao brick, so I cannot tell you I did a side-byside taste test, but I can say I have gotten burned on taobao before. But I have tried Verdant's sheng on multiple occassions, alone and with my tea friends, and we have all enjoyed. I am happy to have it, and that's that. I don't actively post on TeaChat, and I do not have a professional review blog, but I trust my own experience. You are free to take it or leave it.
-Neither reviewer linked has tried any of Verdant's offerings. I hope they give themselves the chance in the future.
You are about to try some, so I hope you'll share you're impressions.
Which greens did you get? If it's the Laoshan, I hope you enjoy! I know I've already mentioned it, but it is my favorite greens. I think the autumn harvest will be coming in the next month or so, and I've really come to love that one in particular, especially as it gets colder. The spring, summer and autumn harvest all have their own character, and if you ever get the chance to do comparative tastings, I recommend it.
hopeofdawn wrote:So I just pre-ordered some green tea from Verdant Teas...
But since you mention pre-order.. you must have gotten the Dragonwell? Me too! I got the shipping notice yesterday, so since I live in the area, I might be getting it today or tomorrow!
Facebook preview pictures look promising. Plus, it's from Mrs. Li! A friend of mine actually visited Longjing this spring, and David gave her Mrs. Li's address and contact info before she went. Michelle got to spend a few days with the family right during the Spring harvest, and the little bit of tea she brought back was just.. well, I can't wait to have some in my own cupboard. From both David and Michelle's stories, she's a genuinely sweet and lovely person.
I go by the same handle on Steepster, so you can see my reviews there for details. Again, not sure if I have linking privileges, so I'll leave it at that.
(quick aside: my most recent reviews are quick with very little depth- it was a personal challenge to log the teas I was actually drinking. Because my reviews are long and they take me quite some time to write, I usually only write about teas I think need to be shared. My last real one was back in May.)