Mandala Tea

Don’t be fooled! I hate Jasmine Tea. I really don’t like it at all. That was until I tried this tea. I don’t know where in the world Garrett found these pearls (well presumably China) but this is by far the best Jasmine tea I have ever had. There is no astringency at all. The pearls are completely whole buds with no broken tea leaf to be found. Not only are these the most incredible Jasmine Pearls I’ve tried, they also go on and on for steeping after steeping, never losing flavor.

I really did despise Jasmine Tea. This one is so good I would not only drink it but would buy a few ounces for myself as well.

Imagine the best Golden Needle black tea you’ve had, but fermented. Since this is a budset tea it is much sweeter than your normal Pu’er. The hue is a deep yellow-gold color that is rich in pu’er goodness. Very different from what most usually associate in their mind as a classic Pu…but don’t let that dismay you, this is very good!

Most people haven’t familiarized themselves with the processes that occur at the bottom of a pile of fermenting tea leaves. I had recently been introduced to the idea and this is my first experience with trying such a tea.

The brew is golden and sweet even from the beginning. Garrett suggests rinsing three times. That’s fine and well…since I like lighter steepings I often choose to rinse only once or twice if I’m making this for myself. There is kind of a sugary crispness that is present with this tea. For those of you only familiar with much stronger and muddy Pu’ers I would suggest this as a much nicer, sweeter alternative to that.

This is a nice little brick of Shou Pu’er. Keep in mind this is very young! That being said, it doesn’t kill you with tang. It is going to be a bit stronger than some older shou’s but that’s to be expected. All around this is a really nice and predictable brick. Would make a good everyday pu’er for now and would be worth aging in larger quantities as well. Haiwan factory tends to make really consistent and quality pu’ers so I would trust this one to do well with time.

This is a really nice little Shou cake. Only 100 grams and well worth the price. This pu’er is loaded with notes of ripe fig and black currant. I was truly surprised when I first tried this cake and was pleased to share it with such a wide variety of people. I have seen several people learn to love pu’er because of this cake. Great tea!

This cake comes from the Mengku Tea Factory, so yes, it does taste fantastic! It actually brews up tasting much older than you would think. So that is a huge plus! That desired almost musty flavor is present and delightfully surprising. It has a classic flavor of sweet plums or figs and possesses none of the awful “fishyness” that can creep in to lower quality pu’ers. Well done Garrett and Mandala on finding this gem of a cake.

The 2008 Silver Needle Sheng is a treat. I’m so glad Garrett over at Mandala chose to commission this brick and share it with the rest of us! It has been three years since the picking and the buds are already turning in color. The brew is much thicker than your typical Silver Needle White, and the liquor is much deeper in hue as well. Spiced notes of nutmeg are present while still possessing many of its white tea qualities. Much different from a White Peony Sheng Pu’er, but that’s a good thing. With aging this should become a rare and expensive beeng.