Chocolate, chamomile, mint, and Laoshan black? Sounded to me like it couldn’t get any better. I threw in a sample (because “why not?”) during my latest Verdant order, and it henceforth went in my little container of Verdant samples to try, awaiting an empty jar to hold the remainder.
Being such a unique blend, it was the first sample to go in a jar. I had to force myself to conquer my nerves about it and give myself a reason to try it! And there it sat in that jar, for months along with my Yunnan Jasmine White. Finally, I had another order coming in, and I was going to need the spare jar; the time had come.
I brewed it with care (as I tend to do moreso with the Verdant teas), and anxiously awaited a taste from my yixing. I kept lifting the lid to let the warm scent hit me, and whereas the dry leaves smelled of little more than mint, I could now detect the chamomile coming through nicely.
I poured my first taste into my handmade clay cup, and couldn’t resist taking a sip immediately. And then, disappointment hit me. As I later described to a friend: “It’s like…70% mint, 20% chamomile, 5% unimpressive black tea, 5% hot water.” Take note that there’s no mention of chocolate in that sentence. I’ve given the remaining sample to her, and in hindsight, I probably should have tried a second or third steeping of the same leaves to see if other flavors won back my favor.
