Earl of Anxi

I’ve been waiting for this tea to arrive, so curious about the use of Frankincense in tea. It is curious also that my new blog (soon) is called tea and incense and that the incense I use at home is the same type of resin incense used in the tea. FRANKINCENSE

When the tea arrived I wasted no time making a cup. The wet leaves were beyond amazing…with an aroma that transported me by scent association to ‘Places of Prayer’, ‘Honey Cake with Orange and Nutmeg’, ‘Ancient Holy Spaces’, ‘European Museums’, ‘Grandmothers Antiques’ and ‘Lightly Bergamot Scented Linen’.

I was stunned!

I took a sip of tea and the scent and flavor were one and the same.

What to do? The Oolong tea, orange, jasmine and goji berry were woven together so beautifully that the hint of saffron warmth and incense unfurled like an exquisite silk carpet full of intricate patterns.

Impusively, I called Verdant to leave a message of congratulations and David Duckler answered.

(I’m not going to pretend we’ve never talked before, we have. And I’ve chatted by e-mail with other Tea Company owners who make an effort to be friendly like Stacy, Garrett, Bo, Elise and many others.)

We talked about this tea, how he lets the tea (this Oolong) guide him as he pulls down one ingredient, then another in some mystical way until he has the final blend.
I kept telling him how beautiful the wet leaves were, the cream colored puffy jasmine with the dark green Oolong leaves set off by long rusty red goji berries.
Then the scent, perfectly peppery when cold…then almost nutmeg. I kept picking out pieces of jasmine to eat, then nodding my head down again to smell the aroma.

We spoke about my use of Frankincense and how older cultures used resin instead of chemical incense, how my brother uses a long censor with 12 bells on it to bless the people during Vespers on Saturday nights. With a flick of his wrist, out goes the censor using a technique that looks like he’d be super great with a YOYO.
(My brother is a Deacon)

In the cultures where this type of resin incense is used the smell goes into carpets, furniture, wood and fabrics usually creating an association with a ceremony, season of the year or holiday.

We went on to talk of other things, other tea’s and the trip to China in the near future. I kept coming back to this tea, however. I couldn’t help it.

I said, “David, I’ll probably review the Earl of Anxi tomorrow since I want to think about it to do it justice. It’s remarkable! Earl Grey lovers who love the strong taste are going to complain probably, but I think you were right to keep the bergamot very light! It’s in harmony with the other flavors!” He agreed that it was better this way, saying that the softer and lighter nuance doesn’t overpower the blend.

This was absolutely a mind-blowing and unique Verdant tea!

I LOVE THIS TEA
http://youtu.be/V3rRaL-Czxw

UPDATE
I had some more tea later in the day at my tea pub and by the 3rd steeping the Frankincense became more pronounced in a very fragrant, flavorful way which blended with the Oolong tea and Jasmine beautifully.

Sipdown! I’ve done quite a few of those this week :D anyways, I thought I could sip this one away because today it has been reblended, so if I get a strong desire for it, I can order more before it sells out! This is usually my tea for bad days, and today wasn’t actually that bad, I’m just burnt out from school and I need a pick me up. I could have made matcha, but eh maybe later, this feels like the tea for today because it’s bright and sunny out and warm, just like this tea!

Ohhh this is soo creamy, bright, delicious. I might just have to reorder more of this in my next Verdant order…and some of that Laoshan Black Genmaicha too of course! I will try to wait until April at least…lol

Having the cold steep from last night. It is a good mix of citrus and floral, yet smooth. The Frankincense I think is what is making it smooth. It sometimes can toast a little soapy but I did brew it for 24 hours instead of a smaller bit, but it’s still good.

Also I need to learn this song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWja8o5cb3o

Specifics

Water: 20oz
Time: 24 hours about
Pot: Glass
Leaf: 4 times infused 1 tsp amount

Thought I’d try a couple new teas tonight. I may regret this, as it’s “lights out” in like 11 minutes…

Anyways! This was one of the lucky winners. I’ve been super curious, so into the infuser it went! The floral-y/citrusy aroma is oddly familiar (can’t say I know what either saffron or frankincense smells like, so I’m not sure if it’s that), but underneath the familiar aroma is definitely Verdant’s distinctive tieguanyin. The flavour is much the same – a solid base of the vegetal, delicious oolong overlaid with citrusy and floral notes. I was going to mention that I wasn’t really getting bergamot in here, so it wasn’t really working as an “earl something” for me, but I see that there is no bergamot – the citrus is orange peel! I think I personally prefer this choice of citrus, and am finding that it compliments the oolong very well. The jasmine is likely providing the floral note that I’m picking up, but I love that it has been so delicately used such as to not overpower everything else. (Now that I read there’s jasmine in here, I imagine that the familiarity in aroma may have been in part attributed to it.)

I am really enjoying this blend – all of the different elements are making it quite a treat to drink, and I have to say that I could see myself preferring this to a straight tieguanyin just because it’s so interesting, yet retains the strong oolong character.

Great tea for tonight!

ETA: Second infusion (didn’t pay attention to parameters) is super strong today! It probably got around 3 mins, and the aroma is definitely of jasmine, and the orange peel is still a prominent flavour, along with what’s likely the frankincense? Either way, it could stand to be a bit more dilute, but it’s quite delicious. Can still taste the oolong as well. Mmmmm.

ETA again: This tea does not quit! There is still a ton of flavour on infusion 3 (lovely orange, light oolong, probably frankincense, less jasmine). Delicious. Also, I noted waxy stuff on the bottom of my last cup – must be that the frankincense melted and sank to the bottom during the infusion. I opted to use a metal infuser in case wax got on it that I needed to clean… I guess I’ll see how it fared after another few infusions!

Tea of my heart, you are so tasty.

I love this. The jasmine and frankincense are amazing together. The super floral oolong is just amazing with it. I definitely get how people can say oolongs can taste like lilacs – no doubt that is enhanced by the jasmine. I keep thinking I should drink what I have, but then I never do because the idea that I need to wait and save it for something special overpowers. Hah. That’s ridiculous.

So I’m enjoying it now. I hope the incense is easier to get out of the glass steeper than it is the metal ones…

Oh why did I only get a sample of this?!

I like Earl Grey but I prefer a lighter bergamot flavor, so this is already off to a great start before I even drink it. It brews up a very pale yellow and smells full of flowers.

It’s citrusy, like you know there is bergamot, but at the same time it doesn’t really feel like it, if that makes sense. The floral notes are even better. Jasmine goes so well with orange, I want to seek out more teas with that combination…it especially goes well with the tie guan yin (I’ve pulled up a green tea base one, meh).

I was really curious about the frankincense. I had to try a piece from the dry tea. It’s a bit waxy and now stuck to my back teeth but it was worth it. I thought maybe it was going to taste too much like a church, but it’s a very intriguing taste. I don’t even know how to describe it…definitely is like eating incense but in the cleanest possible taste. It definitely has all the elements of this tea in there, though.

I had two steeps of it and it was amazing, and I hope to make at least 2 more cups from the sample packet. And then get more. Because yum.

SIPDOWN!

(and man do i need some of those…) My verdant orders arrived tonight and as a result, all the hard work i was doing to get my cupboard under control before the girls descend upon my house next weekend is all out the window. BUT in the spirit of those orders I figured that I might as well finish off this sample that’s been hanging out in my house for a little bit.

I still don’t love this blend. There’s something in it that makes me unhappy. Later steeps are a bit tastier but still nothing i need to order again. Still always love trying verdant’s new blends :)

Thank you to Azzrian for sending me a bit of this tea … it’s awesome!

This is a totally interesting and unique take on Earl Grey – so much so that you’ll question whether or not you’re actually drinking a bergamot flavored tea! It is so amazingly balanced to create an amazingly smooth beverage unlike anything I’ve ever tasted.

The goji berry accents the tangy notes of the citrus, while the sweetness of the Oolong offers a balance to the acidic nature of these ingredients. The frankincense offers balance to the fragrant notes, while the jasmine accentuates the floral tones but not in a way that comes off too flowery. The saffron offers an undertone of savory bitterness to the overall cup and together the ingredients create a delicious new way to taste bergamot.

If you’re a fan of bergamot, you really should try this. It really changes the profile of bergamot, while keeping some of the basic qualities of it … and the end result is a really wonderful and new way to experience the exotic fruit.

I really, really like this. David outdid himself with this blend! It’s amazing!

This morning I was feeling a little off, primarily because of some events that just have me really down. It’s one of those things where you start to feel physically bad because you feel emotionally bad. There’s nothing I can really do about it so hopefully I will start feeling better as time passes.

Anyway, I didn’t even really feel like having tea, but this one was next on my chronology and I thought the herby blend might settle my stomach a bit. It actually made me feel a lot better all around. I know a lot of people aren’t fans of the frankinsence in this blend but I enjoy it. This may make for another nice oolong to have when I’m not feeling so hot. Will have to keep that in mind.

I really want to like this tea. The title is cool, the ingredients sound good. I know all of the ingredients are top quality. I followed all the instructions. It smells wonderful, & is visually appealing.

The first steep, which I shared with my son Drew, was nice, with flavors & aromas of Tieguanyin, jasmine, & orange peel, but after I drank it my tummy felt funky. Drew enjoyed it.

The 2nd steeping (a few hours later), which was mostly served to my daughter Arianna & her friend, also gave me a quasi-nausea, even though I only took a few sips. They both loved it, saying things like, “This tea is so mysterious! I taste the jasmine, but I don’t know what these other flavors are.”

The 3rd steeping is when the Frankincense really comes out. I have ‘real’ frankincense resin here, which I burn on occasion (I also burn sweet grass & sage on other occasions), & I love the smell, but the taste isn’t really doing it for me. Also, I think my body is saying “no”, because after a sip, I could feel that Quasi sensation again. Ari & her friend really loved it! They totally grooved on the incense smell & taste.

I will put this away for a few weeks, & then try again… If it doesn’t work for me, I can use it as ‘tea currency’ on a trade.