Wuyi Gongfu Black

I think I’ve tried this one before, but apparently didn’t log it. Anyway, 4g of tea in the 100ml gaiwan, 90 deg water. I did a quick… well, it was supposed to be a rinse, but I drank it. :) Very light, slightly sweet and mineral flavour, and then a surprising amount of chocolate in the aftertaste. First proper steep was about 10 seconds. Sweet, very smooth, no bitterness or astringency whatsoever. Kind of an airy, expansive mouthfeel. Cocoa and caramel in the aftertaste. The wet leaves smell earthy and sweet. Subsequent steepings continue to be sweet and smooth, with a slight minerality that evokes fresh mountain spring water. I tried a longer infusion just to see what happens if you push the leaves a little, and ended up with a darker amber-coloured liquor, and some more intensity of flavour (especially the mineral), but it remains a light and smooth tea with most of the action in the aftertaste. If you’re looking for a rich and malty black, this is not the tea for you, but for what it is, it’s lovely.

I had a recollection that this wasn’t a favourite, but I must have been thinking of a different tea, because this is yummy – almost like a Laoshan Black lite – where the flavours are there but just not as pronounced. That’s not a great way of describing it, but it tastes like a Chinese black ought to (hahahaha), and I enjoy it. Down to the last of it now; I either liked a sample of it, gambled on a huge bag, or Verdant ran out of their normal 50g pouches, because this is a biiiig bag (definitely 4oz/100g size).

I’m taking a break from my sip down extravaganza to sample this new black tea from Verdant. I am a big fan of their teas, especially their black teas, & I’m also a fan of Fujian teas & that Wuyi Rock taste, & so naturally I had to sample this one! The sample I received is about 7 grams, so I divided it into a 5 gram serving for my tiny 4oz porcelain tea pot (side story: I hate cats! Squishy, my daughter’s cat that lives at my house, is known for doing insane things, & does everything she can to piss me off. A few days ago she did a crazy series of leaps, rebounding off of a variety of things, & culminating with a leap to the highest shelf of my teaware, knocking my beautiful little blue lotus teapot out of the cupboard. It crashed to the floor, but amazingly, it did not shatter. However a small chip popped out of the inside of the rim, along with a corresponding but smaller chip on the inside rim of the lid, presumably where they hit each other. I won’t describe my response to the situation, but lets just say I fell into a moment of insanity. Today we’ll see if that pot is still usable, but I’m pretty sure it is).

The other 2 gram sample is being used for their Western Steep parameters, using a 4oz cup & steeps of 30 sec/45/60/2min…etc. That the one I’m drinking right now. I’ve been drinking it for awhile. I guess I should start off by saying that it is not like most of Verdants black teas. There is no dark chocolate, no deep roastiness. But that’s ok!

This is a lovely tea, a more feminine tea, at least to my mind. The immediate tastes are a sweet creamy delicate essence of ‘cake’ & vanilla pudding. Behind that, a bright essence of orange flower, & the very clean flavor of bamboo shoots. Interestingly, I’m not a big fan of bamboo shoots, but somehow in this tea, it works! This tea is also sweet, with a lingering sweetness, the classic rocky mineral base that grows with each cup, & I pleasant teabuzz that I’m enjoying this afternoon. :)

EDIT I’ve started on the gongfu session, & I’m sad to report that there is a small crack running down the side of my tiny teapot :( It only leaks a very slow small drop, & hopefully over time tea oils will fill it in, as it is a very fine crack.

What can I add by way of review? First off, warming the dry leaf up in the hot teapot is always a treat. I love the aroma of warmed leaves, & this tea is no exception. A rich sweetness rises to greet me, & I compared it to the aroma of elderberries (which I always have on hand & drink often for their antiviral properties), & it’s a fairly close match, underscored by sweet cake, & a sweet but not necessarily floral incense. The flavor is basically the same as the other steeping, but richer, & a reminder to me that I need to find time for gongfu sessions again, because so many of the teas in my collection require it. I’ve been so busy over the last several months, & this week on spring break is reminding me of the lifestyle I prefer. Only 10 more weeks of school, & I doubt that I will return to teach in the fall.

A few more comments regarding this tea: The sweetness lingers on & on, & although the flavor profile doesn’t really change much, it is pleasant & soothing & as it becomes rockier it feels more like drinking a sheng. The energy is very bright, with a wonderful tongue tingle, a lovely clarifying sensation, & an ensemble of higher pitched instruments, all playing with a sweet mellow vibe: soft flutes, a little oboe, plucked strings, maybe a little lightly bowed cello for bass, & lots of tinkly & rustle-ey random percussion (bells, glock, wind chimes, sound of water & bamboo).