Mandala Tea

Receive a sample along with my last order from Mandala Tea, and finally had a quiet, rainy afternoon to enjoy multiple steeps of this wonderful oolong. Loaded up my guiwan, gave a quick rinse and then enjoyed watching the unfurling and expanding leaves do their dance. Wonderful aroma, subtle and slightly floral. Nice progression of flavors through several steeps, becoming sweeter and more creamy with time. A really nice Alishan Oolong.

Hm…this one is interesting. Not sure how I feel about it. Not a favorite, but it’s interesting.
Cocoa, chocolate, and earth are the main things I’m tasting.
Really strong.
I just have no idea how to feel about this one. xD Feeling a little stumped from it…but it’s interesting. Glad I got to try it. Maybe I’ll figure out what I think when I re-steep it.
Thanks for the sample, Sarsonator! :D

Another thanks to kimquat for this one!
This one is definitely interesting.
Exactly what description is on Steepster.
Honeysuckle and floral.
It’s light but strong.
Think I might have to add this one to my wishlist. :O

Got a sample of this from kimquat a few months ago. Finally getting around to it.
This one is absolutely delicious!
Sweet potatoes…Baked bread…Ugh, so good!!
Hints of earthiness but hardly noticeable. Definitely another win! Probably something I’d consider ordering in the future even. :O
Thanks, kimquat!

Drinking a couple cups of this tea this morning.
Lovely floral brewed fragrance. Tastes sweet and earthy like a keemun with a spicy, mouthwatering fruitiness. Satisfying and tasty!

Sweet and toasty with a fruity spiciness; a bit like rye bread and jam. Also notes of cocoa with a wee hint of earthiness.
Very delicious, with a lovely resteep.

Note: I did resteep some of this the other day, probably a third time when I knew it would be weak but just wanted something nice and warm anyway, and although it was weaker as expected, there was a bit of a licorice/fennel-type note which I hadn’t tasted before – still pleasant, and made an interesting and comforting cup that I enjoyed.

Hoping to get a chance to try my pu’er sampler soon. :)

After lunch, relaxing on a lovely Saturday.

I’m doing my 2nd taste test with Goldie the golden teacup vs a regular teacup. This morning I found, much to my surprise, that Goldie DOES enhance the flavor of tea. I had a sheng that was lovely, but had a little bitterness from the regular cup. But from Goldie, the tea was smoother and the finish was bitter-free.

I wanted to try again, but with a shou. This one had two 10 second rinses, but in it’s defense, the leaves needed to open more. It’s either less earthy or I am just getting used to the earthiness of shous and don’t notice it as much.

In any event, I did the same test with Goldie vs non-goldie. The effect is less pronounced because shous aren’t generally very bitter anyway, but damn… it definitely is smoother! I may not articulate it well, but I can taste a difference and I know it’s not all just in my head.

This tea is making me feel happy and relaxed and pleasantly woozy!

Smooth, lightly earthy, but not in a bad way. I just did one rinse on this one and when I sipped it, I knew there was no need to dump more.

Check me out, boychik!!!!

This gave me a light tea buzz and was a lovely evening tea (drank last night).

Thumbs up!

This Shou really hit the spot today. So creamy and uncomplicated, it’s one that goes with any mood. I enjoyed a tuxedo cupcake with it too! I think I need more Shou in my cupboard.

I’ve really been in a shu mood, enjoying special dark yesterday and this one today. This is still super creamy. The most prominent note I get is wood, but like most ripe puerhs I’ve had, it gets sweeter in the later infusions. Mmm, sweet creamy wood! :)

Since I’m traveling to Arizona next week for work, I’m trying to enjoy teas that are better enjoyed at home before I go. I just got the sheng sampler in the mail! Woot! To drink today? Or tomorrow? That is the question!

Btw, steepster is particularly sucky today. Hopefully this will post!

This is my last ripe puerh to try from the sampler. I was excited to try it because the description sounded so lovely…who wouldn’t like light cocoa, vanilla, fig, and prune? I drank it gongfu-style with my pseudo gaiwan setup. I enjoyed eight infusions and I have to say this puerh is incredibly inoffensive. There is a strong creaminess that lasted throughout my session….so good! I bet this would be a great starter puerh, but it also makes me wonder if I hadn’t tried more pungent ones first whether I would truly have enjoyed this one as much as I did. The earthiness is there, but there are no sharp notes. I also detected the light cocoa, vanilla, and dried fruit notes. I think prune is a good characterization for the fruit note. Overall, this is my second favorite from the sampler, behind special dark. It’s not quite at “my precious!” level, but definitely a comforting cup!

So I’m a little late to the party on this review.

I had this earlier today with the TEAplets. But I was unable to focus on writing my review. Now is a better time.

I was lucky enough to receive the gift of tea from Sarsonator: this beautiful Mandala cake. She made this very special for myself and MzPriss (who was also given the same cake) as it wasn’t even available yet on Mandala’s website. That’s what I call a REAL surprise!

Now how thoughtful and generous was that? Thank you so much Sarsy, I am so grateful!

Right from the get go, I had a feeling it would be a good one. The cake looks amazing, as if every single leaf was placed strategically to create a little work of art.

It broke very easily, no need to fight it, loosely compressed.

I used 8g for a 5oz yixing clay pot.

First, I love the golden liquor it produces. It’s thick and almost oily as I pour the first steep in the pitcher.

The leaves are barely awake, and already they render a taste that completely seduces me. We all agree: it’s remarkable.

Stone fruits, mostly soft and ripe apricot. Super sweet and silky, heavy mouthfeel of honey.

In later steeps, that sweetness turns into maple water. I also get juicy apple notes. It’s not smokey at all, and that astringency normally present in young sheng is nowhere to be found.

Around steep seven, I get a certain acidity, but i think I just let it steep too long. It’s very potent.

I had dinner, and went back to it. It kept giving and giving.

Thank you so much again Sarsy, and thanks to Garret who helped make this surprise happened, you are such a classy guy!

As usual, for those who love to watch:

http://instagram.com/p/sieu8HQhy4/

http://instagram.com/p/sid0Ccwhxw/

http://instagram.com/p/sjB3-oQh6e/

In a box, inside another box, I finally found this tea. It still smells of earth and dark chocolate. And maybe oak. The flavour is on the sweet side. There are hints of dark cherry and caramel. It’s smooth and rich. Still makes me think of a certain chocolate bar.

Made once again in the Western style.

The folks in the chat room kept saying I should try this on. So today I finally got to. It smells like earthy dark chocolate. There is a flavour like rich, dark, slightly sweet hot chocolate, and the name makes me think of a certain candy bar.

Since I joined the Dark Side long ago, it was certainly time to try this tea.

Sooo, I am finally trying this – the first of my Mandala sampler. This is my first Mandala experience, but not my first puerh. I already know I prefer Shu, so this is a great opportunity. Dry, the leaf smells sweet and reminds me (as usual) of sweet hay, damp earth, wood and sweet clean animals.

I followed the instructions provided with the teas which suggested the whole serving for one session or half that for a lighter brew (or in my case for a small quantity of liquid). I gave a 15 second rinse with boiling water, then 30 second steep with boiling again. The result is not bitter or astringent, though it isn’t as sweet as expected. It has a bit of dryness and some general earthiness but not a lot else. It’s definitely earthy and mushroom-y. The beau gets a fishy smell but I don’t. He says “it’s really strong. It’s not bad though.”

2: 45 seconds, boiling. The leaves are still pretty clumped up, and the liquor is quite dark with an earthy, mushroom aroma. The flavour matches the first, but maybe a bit less dry. Strong, rich, earthy.

3: 1 minutes, boiling. Might as well mention that due to my lack of a sharing pitcher, I am brewing in my small gaiwan, and pouring into the larger one then pouring into our cups with a dribble at the end for my teapet. It’s a messy but equitable system. This steep smells very strong. Like an earthy greenhouse or barn. As always, this isn’t negative. Still no bitterness, but a bit dry. No sweetness, which I had in other shu. I think this is maybe the result of the small leaf?It’s bold, fo shu! (See what I did there?) The beau says the fish is gone (I never got that!) and that it is more earthy. “Best steep so far.”

4: 1 minute 15 seconds, boiling. I can’t imagine how strong this would be with the full sample. I definitely made the right choice for my brewing setup to split this in two. I was looking at other notes and saw some comparisons to coffee which seem accurate but it isn’t unpleasant and bitter like coffee. More an explanation of the depth and richness. This steep gets some sweetness finally. I like it. Much the same, but better. The beau says “now this tastes like a typical pu-erh, the strong taste is gone.” We agree on that for once.

5: 1 minutes 30 seconds, boiling. Whoa sweetness. Something fruity. Appley? This is different. I like it. Best so far. Reading other notes again – man, did my experience contradict EVERYONE else? Oh well!

6: 1 minute 45 seconds, boiling. The problem with this steeping method is that the gaiwan burns my fingers with boiling water, but the water is cool enough to drink by the time it is poured in my cup. I could go through a lot of steeps very quickly if it weren’t for the need to get water boiling again regularly. Taste is similar to 5. Sweet, lighter, a sense of apple or maybe apple peel. I don’t know why I say that, it isn’t strong enough to really explain, but it comes to mind anyway.

From here on, I’m going to just steep and enjoy without reporting. This can get exhausting. I need a bigger sample so I can try it gongfu, and Western-ish as well. For now, this was nice and different from other shu I have tried. I don’t think I need a cake of it, as it doesn’t hit my hot spots (currently). Really nice to experience though. Great education!

Wow.

I took a gamble on this one and Garret did not lead me astray. Thanks so much, G-Mac. You picked a real beauty!

Method: 6g, 6oz, 200 degrees, rinse-10-15-20, sheng yixing and Goldie

Aroma: Smells very strongly of grape and smoked apricots, but it has a freshness that was very pleasant.

Flavor: First, this feels like butter. It’s creamy and so very smooth. It’s fruity and sweet, with almost no bitterness and only the lightest astringency on the finish. It made me feel all warm and it did not take long for my tea drunk wooziness to start. I have a sheng glow. A nuttiness starts to emerge, too.

I adore this tea. It’s amazeballs!

http://instagram.com/p/sicksFPkTp/
http://instagram.com/p/sidY09vkVP/

I was very surprised to get a Mandala box that I didn’t remember ordering. When I opened it, I found a note from Garret saying it was a surprise from my Teaplet Sarsonator and that my other Teaplet, the Lovely Tea Fairy was getting one too. At that point, this had not been released on the Mandala site and it made me cry. Sarsy went to a LOT of trouble working with Garret to make this amazing surprise happen and I heart them both a LOT.

Today we finally all three have our supply of this and we are having a Teaplet sheng party. And Holy Crap. This is so incredibly delicious.

I put 5 grams in the wee shengxing and away I went. The rinse was divine. The liquor is pale and golden and a premiere of coming attractions.

This is so fruity and smooth. It tastes like apricot jam with exactly zero astringency or bitterness. No smoke to be found either. There is that catch at the back of my throat that tells me I’m shengin’

I got a lovely and immediate full body creeping warmth and relaxation. I can’t EVEN believe this is a baby sheng. I love baby shengs, but this one tastes like it has a little age on it. It keeps getting better as I go through the steeps.

LTF remarked that it reminds her of my favorite (until now??) Mandala sheng, Wild Mountain Green and I agree in that there is a load of fruit, in this case apricot and a load of smooth and it makes for a gorgeously happy relaxed tea drunk.

THANK YOU MY DARLING SARSY!!!! And also Garret for making it happen!

It makes me feel all reverb-y y’all: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4_5593-skQ

Yes, I had not one, but two puerh sessions today! I think I am quickly becoming a puerh addict. I can’t wait for my Mandala order! Hope it comes tomorrow, but probably won’t be here until Monday or Tuesday. Until then I still have some great puerh to drink. I decided to enjoy this one while handing out candy for Halloween and watching Death comes to Pemberley. Appropriate, huh? ;) We didn’t get as many kids this year…not sure why, but it could be because it rained most of the day. Oh well, candy for me! Death comes to Pemberley was awesome, although, as a serious 1995 BBC P&P fan, it was hard to get used to different actors playing my beloved characters. I think they did a good job though. Lydia and Mrs. Bennett are annoying as ever, and the actor who plays Darcy reminds me of Hugh Jackman, which isn’t a bad thing!

I tried this tea out on my mom yesterday and she liked it! Yay! She’s a black tea drinker, so I think this one turned out to be a easy puerh for her to drink. She didn’t sound too enthused about the wood flavor I get in other puerhs, so this was a good choice. We enjoyed it with chocolate-dipped biscotti! Yum!

I also brought a raw puerh for comparison, but I just showed her and my dad the dry leaf, to which my dad said it smelled like chocolate….what?!!! I’ll have to brew up one of those in the future so they can smell what it’s really like….not chocolate! Ha!

Had a nice session with this tea again. My Prrrrrecious!!! My gong fu sessions seem to last 2-3 hours. Lots of tea!! Anyone have other ways to enjoy this one? I saw some people steep it long and add milk and sugar?

I also discovered I can watch episodes of the new show Selfie on the abc app. Yay! Cute show too!

You know you’re in love with a tea when you have a hard time tossing out the leaves after drinking infusions of the tea all day. The tea leaves are just so precious! I remembered too late that some people put the leaves into a cold brew after enjoying their session…next time!!

I think I’ve just fallen in love with a ripe puerh! How can that be? Wow, what a reversal! This tea definitely lives up to its name. It’s clearly “special!” I feel like Gollum right now….“my precious!”

This tea completely distracted me from the Filipino pastry (hopya, for those who know) I set out to eat. Ya, it’s that good!

15sec rinse, smells like chocolate!

30sec: earthy, sweet, unsweetened cocoa, dark chocolate bite rather than a sharp cedar or leather note, hint of dried fruit?

45 sec: so dark! unsweetened bakers chocolate, wood, plum, smells like vanilla.

1min: OMG, it smells even sweeter! I could just inhale this all day!

1min30sec: lighter in aroma, and then OMG, amazing taste…this just keeps getting better! Smoother, still bakers chocolate, bread-y.

2min: smells so sweet! Keeps getting smoother and sweeter. Honey, like honey wheat bread.

2min30sec: keeps lightening up, still honey sweetness, more smooth, vanilla.

3min: honey, vanilla.

5min: pure honey water! Yum!

I could drink this all day! It would be delicious with a scone…that’s key!! ;) This is a “must buy” for me. I’m so happy I enjoy a ripe puerh! Yay! :D

Thank you, Garret, for offering the sampler!

Okay, time to eat my hopya!

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! ;)