Mandala Tea

This is a swap sample, I believe from Kawaii433. I wonder how she’s doing… Thanks for the sample, lady!

I steeped it Western-style, about 2 or 3 teaspoons for my mug. The leaves are huge and twisty, so it’s hard to measure by anything but eye.

This is mighty tasty! Very sweet and roasty, reminiscent of a mellow houjicha. There are light honey and sticky dried fruit notes that make me think of figs or dates. And a comforting gentle autumn leaf pile flavor that makes this a perfect tea for fall…

Ahhh…

I have plenty of houjicha at the moment so I don’t feel the need to rush out and order this one, but I will definitely put it on the list for the future.

Whether these mini tuocha came from White Antlers or from Mandala Tea, I don’t know. Either way, they were a gift of kindness :)

This morning, I stewed a 4.5g tuo in my work thermos to pour into a special mug. The mug is dedicated to shou and has an image of Prague on it, all in earthen tones. It makes me think of Martin Bednar and his benevolence.

Zendo is fresh and has very little leftover fermentation funk. I mostly notice it as that kind of nutritional yeast flavor I sometimes pick up on in shou. Barely cheesy, barely bready, entirely welcome. Zendo is like drinking smooth, wet rocks with a hint of sweet dark earth. Not getting chocolate or fruit like Mandala.

I really like Zendo as a daily drinker (I finished both mini tuo within 24 hours). It’s so easy and smooth, clean and mineral. Ah, comfort.

I found out I put into my virtual cupboard wrong Phatty Cake, athough it was clearly labeled with II.
I am as well not fan of ripe pu-erhs; but I like drinking them during cold days as those hit my country and yes, we had the snow already. 90 km (56 mi) from my home: https://twitter.com/CT24zive/status/1315566575152500737

A tea, received in box from derk and again my assumption it’s from her. So thank you If it is from you, White Antlers, sorry and thank you for it :) — but it is hard to recognize, though there is WA mark on some.

Anyway I was drinking this tea during the lecture of “Statistics and Probability” and there is one task:
There are 5 white balls, 6 black ones, 2 blue ones.
If I take three of them, what is probability I took
A) all blacks
B) every one is different
C) two are blue and one is white?

Ah, tea, right?
As I said before, I never been fan of shu. They were quite all same for me, somehow dark, peat, fishy, smoky… But this one seems different. Although it was certainly peaty when dry, even in first steeps, it was as well quite pleasant. Leather notes, woody, forest floors, mushroomy (but in a good way), I enjoyed the thickness of this tea. There are some notes reminding me chocolate and petrichor (that could be outside though).

I am glad it wasn’t one of those teas which are full of that less favorite smells and flavors and rather those nice ones.

Delicate fluffy white tea on a smokey August morning.

Liquid honeysuckle in a cup. A little tangy with a dry finish. Mellow honeyed aftertaste.

It was a nice moment, courtesy of White Antlers.

2.5g, 200mL, 2 steeps

nice mellow, subtle blank slate

Smooth and coats the tongue

I’ve been called to the kitchen window today. It’s a large window with a view northwest toward the Pacific, into the mouth of winter storm creation. The first call was upon waking, then many more while cooking breakfast. Again while cooking lunch. More times throughout the day than I care to admit. I am restless. I know the clouds are moving quickly because the wind is tossing around the climbing rose arbor, shaking it to its roots, threatening to topple the entire structure and what I imagine following as the setting free of hundreds of ruffled-edge flowers in a cloud of silken yellow confetti — poof.
Such a show would be stunning against the backdrop of this ominous sky. So many shades of grey, each one a pocket of guesses. It is undeniably spring.

Ah, here comes a surprise afternoon shower.

Listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7ZxRs45tTg

Much love to all.

Sipdown – for a tea that didn’t make it into my Steepster cupboard

Westren, 190F? Autumn 2018 Tea
I got a lot of melon flavors off this tea. It was also floral and sweet. Great tea for work, strong flavors, and well balanced.

Spring 2018 harvest – sipdown
Boiling, 2 min, western
I liked this tea a lot. It worked much better for me at a hotter temperature than what is stated on the package.
Vanilla, oak, soft, nutty, and orange. I need to re-order some of this.

Sipdown for a tea that didn’t make it into my cupboard.

Spring 2018
Boiling, 2-3 minutes

Super light even at high temperatures. Soft and creamy. A little bit of vanilla and honey. Of the two whites I ordered from Mandala, I like the other one ‘White Night’ better. I like my white teas to be a little more robust and not so delicate.

Even though I haven’t posted a review in quite a while, we’re still enjoy gung-fu Pu-erh (mostly Shou, some Sheng) every morning.

Today is something different, something special, something so special, I had to post a review. We’re enjoying our very last mugs of 2006 Special Dark using TheTeaFairy’s Western brewing method. 1 Tbsp. (5g) / 10oz / 212 / rinse / 5 min.

Rich, smooth, dark, warm, velvety, full-bodied, chocolatey, & relaxing – just perfect!

Zero bitterness, acidity, astringency, or any hint of fermentation flavor (as you’d expect in a 14 yr-old Shou) – just absolutely perfect!

Unfortunately, it’s N.L.A.( no longer available) & our bag is now empty :-(( – the end of an Era! God bless Garret & the wonderful Chinese people who grew it & made it!

Garret, any chance of S.D. 2.0?

Not a lot to say about this one until I can get a go fund session in but right now, steeping it western on repeat for her steeps I am a huge fan. Do not want others to buy this so I have time to get more haha.