This is the last tea from my ripe puerh sampler from Mandala. Visually, looks similar to the other cake samples. It’s one big chunk and the leaves are dark brown. Dry scent is somewhat sweet and woody with a bit of pond or fishy smell. I did a 15s rinse and then 30/45s steeps. I then went back to 30s, hoping it would change the flavor a bit. I think this one is just not for me. :P
Brewed aroma was quite earthy and leathery with the slightest bit of vanilla sweetness and that characteristic woodiness that I’ve found in the other puerhs as well. Taste-wise, I found this tea to be somewhat less complex (and less enjoyable) than the others in the sampler. It mostly tasted earthy and woody with mineral and smoke notes to me. There was also a heavy leather flavor to it. The vanilla and sweetness poked their heads out a time or two, but not enough to make me want to drink any more. I guess this one is just too robust for me! I’m a sweet gal! ;)
Flavors: Earth, Leather, Mineral, Smoke, Sweet, Vanilla, Wood
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try shorter steeps;)
Plenty of leather in this one, for sure. When I made the first pressing of this, David Duckler (Verdant Tea) and I were sitting at one of our “tea summits” and he wanted to name it Ancient Wisdom because it reminded him so much of the place in his college library where the oldest (and leatherbound) books are stacked.
I had another old German guy tear up in the store as he sipped this. He told me that the tea reminded him of his late mother’s very old leather bound bible. He bought a bunch that day.
boychik has a good point with the steeping times. There are definitely many who do shorter steeps on this. This one will definitely kick one in the teeth in stronger steeps. Of course, some people like that kick :)
You ARE a sweet gal!
try shorter steeps;)
Plenty of leather in this one, for sure. When I made the first pressing of this, David Duckler (Verdant Tea) and I were sitting at one of our “tea summits” and he wanted to name it Ancient Wisdom because it reminded him so much of the place in his college library where the oldest (and leatherbound) books are stacked.
I had another old German guy tear up in the store as he sipped this. He told me that the tea reminded him of his late mother’s very old leather bound bible. He bought a bunch that day.
boychik has a good point with the steeping times. There are definitely many who do shorter steeps on this. This one will definitely kick one in the teeth in stronger steeps. Of course, some people like that kick :)
You ARE a sweet gal!