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Mangalam Broken Leaf (Mangalam Or 480 FBOP SPL 2010) from Harney & Sons
32

I received this in my package from Harney & Sons in the Big-Harney-Mixup-of-2011. It was one of the few without duplication.

The tea doesn’t stand out as the usual, high-quality tea that Harney’s usually has. It’s pretty to look at, dark with lighter color tea leaves interspersed in the tea. It smells rich and kind of nutty. The scent doesn’t translate to the flavor, though. The tea is extremely drying. I felt like I had been sucking on the vacuum the dentist uses to keep my mouth dry at appointments. It’s really uncomfortable. The flavor isn’t outstanding. I don’t see much complexity to it and it reminds me of a regular black. Granted, it’s a step above bagged teas, but not by much. As it cools, it becomes very, very bitter.

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Comments

Uniquity
Uniquity 2011-07-11 11:55:14 -0400

Big-Harney-Mixup-of-2011?

QuiltGuppy
QuiltGuppy 2011-07-11 12:03:53 -0400

They accidentally sent half of my order as a duplication. When I called and told them what I received, the lady said to keep it and share. :) I’ve been doing just that! (Would you like some? I still have lots of Royal Wedding and a few others.)

ashmanra
ashmanra 2011-07-11 12:32:05 -0400

I must say I bought a Mangalam Superb at Southern Season from the fine tea wall no less, and it was AWFUL. I guess I just don’t like that kind of tea…

Uniquity
Uniquity 2011-07-11 12:50:05 -0400

Oh wow, THAT is the sort of Harney fiasco I would love to get into! Sadly, I am not a coconut fan, so Royal Wedding is out of my ‘tea comfort zone.’ Thank you so much for the offer though!

Indigobloom
Indigobloom 2011-07-11 13:09:49 -0400

eek. it sounds like one of those things I’m almost curious to try just because it’s so terrible. Like one of those movies nominated for a Razzie! Snakes on a Plane anyone?

Kashyap
Kashyap 2011-07-11 13:39:24 -0400

how did you brew it? Assam Mangalam is a wonderful estate and usually produces a depth of nuance not usually seen in Assam’s, including flavors of peach, malt, spice, and carob…granted each flush (and Assam has flushes just like Darjeeling, but they are not often advertised as such and are often blended with other flushes) and each season is different…but try using 3g per 8oz in 195-200 degree water and steep 2-3 minutes and I bet you will get a cup that lacks the astrigent tannnic bitterness and is wonderfully complex

ashmanra
ashmanra 2011-07-11 14:58:22 -0400

I have never cared much for coconut, but I love Royal Wedding tea! Since drinking it, I found some frozen fruit pops with coconut and pineapple that are very good, so I guess my tastes are changing! I have always liked homemade ice box coconut cake, though!

Kitty
Kitty 2011-07-12 22:56:46 -0400

I noticed that I brewed it for 5 minutes and your note says 1 min 30 seconds. I could understand it not having much flavor at 1 min 30 seconds, but really really surprised it was bitter as there is no bitterness for me at 5 minutes!! Harney recommends 5 minutes for all their assams, although that is pretty strong. But as Kashyap said, you might want to try brewing it longer! I use 2 tsp/ cup instead of the usual 1 because I like my tea strong!

Ryan Burress
Ryan Burress 2011-10-12 11:50:58 -0400

I agree with Kitty. Try steeping again for five minutes. I was blown away by how delicious this tea is, and I also do not like overly dry, astringent teas. This tea does have a brisk quality but it’s a refreshing, not puckery briskness. Black teas should almost never be steeped for less than at least four minutes to get the full flavor so do try again and let us know what you think.

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Bio

I’m a middle school teacher of French, Spanish, ESL and reading intervention. I’m also a mom to two young children.

I’ve always been a tea lover. When I lived in France during college, I really loved the tisanes. Over the past couple of years, I’ve branched off into loose teas. I’m not very knowledgeable about teas, but I’m really loving the learning process!

Location

Michigan

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