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The wet leaves smell of pepper, herbs, and a light waft of apricot. The flavor has a pleasant pepper tone and a curious flavor of powered sugar. Long apricot-like finish. A bit astringent.

The scent of the steeped leaves is a curious combination of leather, cinnamon, and smoke. The actual tea tastes warm and toasty, a good bit mineraly, and slightly bitter. I drink it every now and again, but it’s nothing I’d purchase more of in the future.

The scent and flavor are unmistakably that of passion fruit. Delicious. There’s also a subtle sweetness, though I wouldn’t go so far as to say it’s clearly honey-like.

The loose tea smells quite a bit like grass. Steeped, the scent is decidedly more complex: soy, pepper, and tobacco smoke. Thankfully, the flavor is mostly just floral, although fairly timid. I’m fine with nuance, but it’s kind of weak. Compared to my favorite Darjeeling of 2016, Puttabong Moondrops, this is nothing to experience.

Nice enough tea. Smells a bit like a wet dog, but the flavor for me was honey and wood/cedar. I’d be fine to drink it, from time to time, but I don’t think it would ever become a staple.

Completely unlike Verdant’s / Master Zhang’s young Tieguanyins. The best adjectives I can put to it are warm and coconuty. Not that it tastes just like coconut, but there’s a flavor element that’s very reminiscent of a Mounds bar, so perhaps there is a bit of a chocolate note in there, too. Whatever the flavor is, I love it, despite the fact that I usually prefer much lighter and floral flavors.

For how Verdant described the flavor profile, it really misses the mark. Produced by Master Zhang, it tastes almost exactly like his Tieguanyin offerings. If it were a Tieguanyin, I’d give it high marks, but as something that is supposed to have strong notes of mandarin and pineapple (which it doesn’t), I’m let down. Perhaps my perception is thrown by the amount of 1st flush Darjeeling I’ve been downing recently, but I really feel there is little, if any, citrus to this. It’s much more vegetal.

It’s like drinking honey, minus the sweetness. Very little astringency. Perfect any time of day. It’s the one I always give to people who either aren’t into tea or who say they don’t like it. An easy crowd-pleaser.

Fantastically floral. Of the five 1st flush Darjeelings I’ve purchased so far this year, this is the standout. And aside from a very slight warm/savory/umami quality, the flavors are almost purely floral, with a heavy emphasis on orange blossom. It’s one of my favorite teas ever.