I received my latest Mandala order today!!!!! I’m so excited – yeah, yeah, yeah – the teas look great – I’m sure they are going to be amazing – but the tea table – OMG I had no doubts that it was going to be beautiful, but it is SPECTACULAR!!! LOVE IT!!!!
http://instagram.com/p/zOTsxCuE8L/?modal=true
http://instagram.com/p/zOUQj3uE9M/?modal=true

Soooooooooo – I decided to break it in with one of the samples that Garret so generously included with my order. (Ok I might have requested this as a sample, and am very grateful that it ended up in my package – you guys are the best!!)
I’ve been wanting to try rice scented mini tuo’s for awhile now but couldn’t really decide if it would be something I would like or not. So tonight is the night….
WOW in your face rice – the first two steeps were just over powering rice flavor. OK – I don’t like this – lets modify steep parameters – MUCH shorter steep time – less rice, but still too much for me – fourth steep – flash steep – better, I’m still not crazy about this. fifth steep – added a bit of time on – I think I would like this if I could get past the smell – I think I wrecked it for myself by over steeping the first few and now I can’t get past it.
This is really strange to me – it’s like drinking plain white sticky rice. I think I was expecting earthy shou pu’erh with a hint of rice. This is liquid rice with a hint of mushroom – I’m not really getting much pu’erh at all.
I have a second tuo and will try it again in a couple of months and will rinse it several times and keep the steeps incredibly short and see if that helps.
I’m sure some people really like this, I think I should like this, I would like to like this…. Maybe it’s just so far from what I was expecting that I can’t accept it for what it is.
I will try it again – but this is one I’m REALLY happy to have gotten to try before I bought a ton of it. Thank you so much Mandala for that opportunity. :))
http://instagram.com/p/zOYlsDOEz0/?modal=true

DeliriumsFrogs

The tea table is SO gorgeous!!! WOW!!!

beelicious

Soo pretty!!

ashmanra

Wooooow! Lucky duck!

LiberTEAS

Awesome!

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Comments

DeliriumsFrogs

The tea table is SO gorgeous!!! WOW!!!

beelicious

Soo pretty!!

ashmanra

Wooooow! Lucky duck!

LiberTEAS

Awesome!

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

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C.S. Lewis – “You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.”

I needed to update my profile. I joined Steepster 03Mar13. I am just amazed at how much my tastes have changed since then.
When I discovered loose leaf tea about a year and half ago, I didn’t know anything other than my local Davids and Teavana/Teaopia. Stumbling onto Steepster CHANGED EVERYTHING.
Hello, my name is Dex I’m a tea addict.
I’ve been through the “I need to try every single tea out there” phase. I really hope the worst of that has passed. I’ve learned enough to know that I only need to try HALF of all the teas out there. LOL
When I started this journey, I was all about the flavored rooibos and fruity tisanes. Don’t get me wrong there is still room for dessert (chocolate/caramel/nutty) Rooibos teas in my cupboard and I still do enjoy them, BUT I am quickly learning to appreciate the some of the straight teas of the world.
Big bold (but not icky)pu’erh is suddenly my favorite, followed by woody/roasted oolongs. I’m just starting to explore straight black teas, and have found some that I really like.
Generally speaking I’m not into greens at all, only like the occasional green oolong, and white teas are just too mild for my tastes (unless they are fruit flavored). I still enjoy really good fruit tisanes, but am now cold steeping them.
I don’t like floral/herbal blends, and mint anything is not on my preferred list.
I am still exploring new teas, adapting to my changing tastes, understanding more every day how little I really know about tea. Ultimately I would love to find approximately 50 teas that I just “can’t live without” and always have them in my cupboard. That might not be practical, but that what I’m searching for. It’s going to be a fun journey.

All in all, I love this site. I’ve met some wonderful people, and have gotten to try some amazing teas because of them. It really restores your faith in humanity when you get a note saying “oh by the way I sent you some tea”. Wonderful, generous, people here.

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Manitoba Canada

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