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drank Mandala Noble Mark Ripe Cake - 2012 by Mandala Tea
1500 tasting notes

My gongfu is… well less than optimal, so I decided to try and brew this Western style today, because it was calling to me. I looked at other, similar teas for ideas, and then just decided to go for it. Will update as I steep progressively.

Steep 1: 1 minute, 1 TB, 200F, 12 oz.
Thick yet light brew, rich, malty, mineral, earthy. Mineral more apparent at the end of the cup than anything.

Steep 2: 3 minutes, 200F, 12 oz.
Thick, dark like inky purple chocolate, smells earthy and chocolately, tastes more earthy and like minerals. Something sweet in the distance too, something that I fail to place, but it is quite lovely whatever it is.

Steep 3: 3 minutes, 1TB, 212F, 12 oz.
Increased the steeping temperature from Garret’s recommendation. This is a much smoother cup, almost silky in texture, and barely any mineral taste. Almost like a dark chocolate coffee.

Thank you Mandala and Garret for this great sample!

Flavors: Cocoa, Earth, Malt, Mineral

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 1 min, 0 sec 3 tsp 12 OZ / 354 ML
2 comments
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Garret
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Hi! I love this tea. It’s been my first tea of the day for almost a year and a half. I’d recommend upping your water temperature on the ripe pu’ers and going for a full-boil to really draw the good stuff out. ENJOY, my friend!!

Dexter
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MMMMMMMmmmmm Noble Mark, enjoy your evening with this wonderful tea.

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Comments

Garret
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Hi! I love this tea. It’s been my first tea of the day for almost a year and a half. I’d recommend upping your water temperature on the ripe pu’ers and going for a full-boil to really draw the good stuff out. ENJOY, my friend!!

Dexter
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MMMMMMMmmmmm Noble Mark, enjoy your evening with this wonderful tea.

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Bio

A few years ago, the obsession with tea started. The cupboard got bigger and bigger, more swaps occurred, group buys, secret rendezvous with local teapassionistas… and that’s how you end up with 500+ different kinds of tea in your home. At one time.

Almost all of the tea was given away, sold, or otherwise shared. A few relics still remain. I now travel full time with only two carryon bags to my name. One quarter of those bags are tea.

It’s still a challenge to avoid the chipmunk-like hoarding of The Teas, yet, the lightness of being from having so little compels me more.

If I have enough, I’m happy to share. If I’m in your area, I’d love to swap, meet for tea, and explore together.

As for the day-to-day stuff, I’m focused almost entirely on Love, (yes, with a capital L), Spirit/Self, transformation, travel and my writing and speaking work.

What kinds of teas do I normally like?

YES: flavored teas, fruity, dessert, chai, and spicy (REALLY spicy).

A FONDNESS FOR: all white teas, malty black teas, any herbal or medicinal teas, strange/weird teas you can only get in one place.

ALLERGIC TO: strawberries, lavender

DISLIKES: any added sugars, grains, lapsang souchong, and overly floral teas – I might enjoy a Jasmine Green every once in a while, but unless it’s a creamy floral tea (think roses in a chai, or the smoothness of a floral note in a French tea), I’ll likely pass. Earl Greys are a hit or miss with me; heavy on the cream or fruit notes and I might like it, heavy on the blergamot and I definitely won’t.

http://instagram.com/teatravelninja

http://teatravelninja.com/

Location

Canada

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