Mandala Tea

I haven’t felt much like drinking tea lately, and even less like writing about it. My dog of 14 years passed away over the weekend and the days leading up to it were pretty tough. I’m trying to hold it together so my kids don’t see me lose it completely, but whenever I have a moment to myself I’m a mess. But I need to return to my new normal and get back to some of the things that make me happy. Two of which are tea and steepster.

So I made this one today as it will last over and over so I didn’t have to think about what tea to have next. I saw Bonnie say to add cream and sugar in someone else’s comment so I gave it a try. I steeped it for 5 or so and added the cream and sugar and it was like drinking caramel. I had that over and over today. This is a really yummy tea, especially doctored just a bit.

I made an unflavored puerh that I didn’t want to dump down the drain! I know, I’m a very unsophisticated tea drinker, but hey, I’m growing!

I didn’t taste the chocolate that everyone raves about, but I did enjoy the flavor, kind of. It doesn’t have the fish food/barn/ammonia flavor that I seems to alway accompany puerh. It has more of a forest-y/earthy flavor, but not offensive at all. I think have had 3 8oz steeps so far and I’m sure there are many more to go, but I’m taking a break for now.

Overall, I’m definitely glad I got this and maybe this will be my gateway puerh that finally gets me to cross the threshold to puerh lover. I’m not sure. But I have 1oz to play with.

Oh yeah, and my tea came crazy fast. I think within two days of ordering. And Garret gave me 2 large samples of other teas that I can’t wait to try. And the always nice touch of a handwritten note. I am incredibly impressed with this tea company.

I decided to try the ‘Dark Beauty’ combo again this afternoon, MsPriss’ special recipe. It really is yummy! Bold, thick, sweet, a perfect mix!

I got a lot done today! I still have to pack, & I just realized I still haven’t braided the garlic yet…lol. Oh well, I’ll pack first cuz Tony is picking me up in an hour, & I guess if I don’t get the garlic braided it will be ok. I’m only gonna 5 days, after all.

The hardest decision: What teas to take…

I’m trying MzPriss’ combo of this tea, steeped with Black Beauty, following her suggestions of (1T Special Dark + 8oz water X 3min) + a big pinch of Black Beauty X 3 more minutes.

It’s potent!

Another full day working on my front porch rehab project. Tony came over to put rubber treads on my steps (so my harp dolly won’t tear up the paint), & I had to face some disappointment when I discovered that the 4 X 8 foot commercial runner I ordered won’t come for 4 – 6 weeks. Dammit. It’s the width of my front door, & just long overlap the top stair tread. Anyway, the latest pics are up on my FB, for anybody who would like to see my progress. I think it’s coming along nicely!
This was actually my last tea of the day. I was peeling off the blue painting tape, making note of touch ups I’ll have to do, & this was the perfect tea for the job! Comforting, grounding, bringing me back down to earth after spending a large portion of my day on a ladder, paintbrush in hand.

I had to have one more cup of something, & I decided on this! YEah!
Dark chocolate, earth, like the darkest semi-sweet fudge out there.
I went with:
1T + 8oz (actually I need to quit saying that. None of my cups are 8oz, more like 10 or 12) X 3min/5min

Yeah Baby!
We just had an awesome brunch, which I will probably blog about later: gluten free almond flour peach coffeecake (to die for), homemade sausage patties (I have mastered the art), & eggs.
I wanted something bold, & I got it!
I went for the full blown, “surrender to the dark side” 7 minute steep, & OMG, what a great contrast to the lightly sweet coffee cake, the tngy spicy sausage patties, & the buttery eggs! The sense of satisfaction I got from this cup reminds me of my old coffee drinking days: bold, rich, deep, dark (can a tea GET any darker?). It’s gourmet earthy chocolate with a hint of spice.
May the force be with you!

1 Tbl steeped 5 minutes in my mug. Resteeped 7…etc
Delicious! Very rich & lives up to its name!

This is delicious!
The first steep was a little light…hint of dark chocolate powder.
The 2nd steep was deeper, richer, like putting a pinch of gourmet dark chocolate powder on my tongue & swirling it around in my mouth. Almost a powdery sensation.
3rd steep adds a hint of sweet semolina.
4th steep is the one I’m drinking now, still nicely rich, with a mouth that reminds of condensed canned milk with cocoa powder stirred in. I’ve never actually had that, LOL, but that’s what it makes me think of.

I’ll continue sipping this for a few more rounds. It is a nice richly satisfying Shu, without any of the musty or ammonia-like smells, it has a certain earthiness to it, a deeply grounding sensation more than a taste. Next time I’ll probably give it the full on 3 minute treatment, as I’m one who tends to surrender to the dark side!

One of the things I like about Shengs is their ability to clear my head. Even though this one is “Sheng Lite”, it still has that ability. I just drank it the other day, but this is a new month & it is the first one on my Sheng list, going alphabetically (by brand).

I’m really enjoying it!

I was initially hesitant over buying this one. I’m not a huge white tea fan, but then I read Aweward Soul’s review of the ’12 version, & I immediately thought, “That sounds interesting”. Since I was placing a Mandala order anyway, I figured I might as well try a sample.

And I like it! It’s like Sheng Lite, in that it doesn’t have the bite that some Shengs have, if you know what I mean. It’s a milder version, but still very nice. There is a sweet crispness to it like fall fruits, a creaminess that comes after several steepings, & my tongue is thick with the resinous sensation.

So…to further educate myself on puerh, I’ve decided to try selecting a mountain(s) & drinking everything I have from that area. I’m not sure how long I’ll go with this, but I’ve started with Bulang. Last week I gathered all of my Bulang puerh into one box & sat it near my desk. I have 5 Shou & 1 Sheng. First up was 2008 Bulang Shan Imperial Grade from Crimson Lotus, very enjoyable. Then I went with the Spring Lae cha you from Bulang, which I got from White2Tea. Both of those were samples, and now they are gone. For the last couple of days I’ve been drinking this Bulang Gong Ting from Mandala, and I’ve tried it several ways now.
-1 T in my mug, 30/60/90 sec/2min/3min
-1 heaping tsp in my mug 30/45/60/2min (the suggested parameters on the package)
Today I’m going with 8G in my yixing: 10/20/30/40/50/60….
I’m combining two steeps at a time in my mug, & I just keep coming back for more.
It’s rich, clean, so satisfying with breakfast, awesome thick mouth: wood, earth, boston brown bread…

I’ve been having a gongfu session with this tea for the last couple of hours, & have come to the conclusion that I like this tea better just brewed in a cup…maybe…

This really is a nice Shu, pleasantly bold. It seems like a lot of the shus I try taste about the same…semolina, a little caramel, maybe a little earthiness. This one has all those as well, but there is more. It’s nicely bold, with an oak-like flavor, some woody aromatics, & even some chocolate. A nice cup to end the day with.

Somehow, I drank green & white teas almost all day. A couple of Dragonwells, some white, & before I knew it the day was nearly gone. I realized around 6:00 that I really wanted something else. I wanted a nice rich dark cup that was full of grounding qualities. I wanted a cup of Puerh! I didn’t want to sit around with a Gaiwan, doing multiple steeps & comparing sips. Sometimes I like to do that, but sometimes I just want a nice fully brewed cup. So that’s what I had.

I got this Gong Ting a few weeks ago in my Mandala order, but this is my first time drinking it. I steeped a heaping tsp in an 8oz or so cup for 3 minutes. Smooth, rich, mellow, earthy, a little sweet. I sat with that cup, sipping & savoring while listening to my final student of the day, & it was just what I wanted, just what I needed.

Bought this to share with my Dad for Father’s Day and I was not disappointed — Mandala delivers again! This is the same material used in their highly touted Phatty Cake (which I have yet to try).

This tea brews a beautiful deep brassy-red cup. The brew is exceptionally smooth, without any harsh leather, shellfish or inky notes and offers a unique clarity, devoid of murkiness, that I have not encountered in any other Pu-ehrs. This is an easy drinker for sure — my Father, who had literally never had a Pu-Ehr before, really (really!) enjoyed this tea. As I was showing him how to use his new gaiwan I heard him say under his breath “this is awesome”. The apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree!

I still consider myself relatively new to Shou Pu-ehrs, having only tasted roughly half a dozen or so, and really only being familiar with two, so for now I am going to withhold a rating. I will say that this is my favorite Pu-ehr I have had to date.

I enjoyed several steepings of this during the afternoon. It’s a really yummy one, with the buttery sweetness of semolina, & an earthy base note that is soothing, like a walk in a cool autumn forest. The later steepings have a bit of a cooling effect.

This is a really tasty tea!
Once again, I’m not in the mood for fussing over a Gaiwan, nor do I have time. I steeped a 5G chunk of this for 3 minutes, & it is delicious. I resteeped for 4, still delicious. Now I’m going back for 5 min. Admittedly, this is the way I’m enjoying my Shu’s lately. I like them the other way too, but it takes time & if I wait around to have more time, I never end up drinking them.

So this one brewed into a nice deep cup of awesomeness. No fish, not even a compost pile, just a rich dark sweet cup with a nice cinnamon flavor to it. This was a sample from Garret, which I am very grateful for, & will probably need to purchase some of.

Meanwhile, I REALLY WANT the blue lotus teapot on the Mandala site. Garret, feel free to start wrapping it up for me, & if there is only one left, please set it aside, because I want it. When I buy it, can you send me a sample of the ‘not so mini tuochas’? They sound delicious!

Thank you Garret for including a generous sample of this tea in my last order!

I haven’t really been drinking that much Puerh lately, & I’m trying to add it back into my life, as I really enjoy it. This one is a deep dark chocolate brown, with beautiful strands of gold weaving through it. It has the aroma & flavor profile that I tend to love, kind of a buttered semolina taste with a pinch of salt. It has a nice grounding feeling initially, & then the qi starts circulating. Although it’s earthy, there isn’t any ammonia, fishiness, or barnyard kinds of things here, but more of a warm forest floor feeling.

Sipdown! I’m at 199 teas!
I’ve enjoyed this black tea, which is rolled up in the ‘spring snail’ style. The flavor is very savory, it still reminds me of fire roasted chilis & masa harina, lol.

Good morning Steepster! This is a lovely black bilochun style tea, with a thick, rich, & resinous flavor that I’m really enjoying this morning.
I steeped a loose Tbl in my 16 oz pot for 3 minutes. Now I’m resteeping for 5.

I’ve been really busy lately, & I feel that my tea logging has been rather lame, but thus is life, right?
On monday I booked 2 weddings, one in dec & one for next sept
On Tuesday I booked the first of my recurrent xmas gigs. I have several companies that usually hire me to play in the lobby of their building for a few hours once each december. That’s the month that I basically live in my car, lol
Yesterday I booked my Trio (harp, flute, cello/bass) to do a 2 hour gig at the st louis art museum, a private party that wants 2 hours of all Beatles tunes. That should be fun!
I have a few other gigs in the works, it will be interesting to see what the day brings!

I do like this tea. This morning I tried gongfu steepings, & I enjoyed that very much. Nicely malty, bold, & a good wakeup!

First tea of the day!
I steeped at 3 min, & then re-steeped at 5.
This is a rich & resinous cup with a nice bass note.
The flavor is savory & rustic, & still reminds me of masa harina & roasted poblano chili’s, maybe some roasted carrots too.
Nice & thick in the mouth, smooth & bold.