Just tried this much-anticipated tea for the first time with Verdant Tea founder and importer David Duckler. I am a HUGE fan of the Spring picking, so I could not have been more excited.
When I smelled it dry, there was something I couldn’t identify…something sweet but not floral. The wet leaves smell like, no kidding, spinach and asparugus sauteed in an INCH of butter. It is SO rich and sweet and dark green. The Spring is light-footed and fancy; the Autumn is a down-to-earth older brother.
It’s far more vegetal than floral, a change that floored me (considering the extreme orchid and lilac of the Spring). The butter is rich and sweet but never overpowering. There is a slight metallic taste; David and I debated about the best way to characterize it, because it’s absolutely not a negative quality. It’s more like the metallic taste in the mouth when one drools, or the mouth is watering. That really threw its weight behind the asparugus and spinach experience.