Sipdown (161)!
Ugh; nothing like your laptop dying mid tasting note…
Laptop died around the third steep, so rewrote those based on memory.
I’ve tried mandarin stuffed pu’erh before – but this is by far the smallest one I’ve ever had. I wasn’t sure if I should crack the casing for it, because in the past I’ve had to crack the casings because the size of the orange has just been so large that it was enough, easily, for multiple sessions. Not the case with this one. Further inspection on W2T’s site reveals cracking it is not necessary, but since there was a large crack along one side of my drop in the first place I just cracked it in half anyway.
Started with a 5 sec rinse
5 Secs.
Smells lightly of sweet mandarin oranges
Flavour is smooth; not bitter like anticipated??? Or like the W2T site suggests is should be
Damp/wet wood and earth: very petrichor
Dull mandarin orange segment flavour
5 Secs.
More robust/juicy mandarin smell fills the whole room
Also a bit floral/like fresh flowers???
Aroma translates to flavour; minus the floral component
Stronger wet earth; reminds me of the forest floor
Having an issue with the very fine broken leaves getting through my gaiwan
Perhaps that’s why it shouldn’t be cracked!? Learn from me, tea friends.
7 Secs.
God, that mandarin aroma is so intense and beautiful
About equal in taste to the earthy notes
Wet wood/earth, moss, minerals, wet stones… basically all the wet stuff
Thick soup/liquor
12 Secs.
Picking through the leaf in the gaiwan a little… the mandarin casing is intense!
Liquor is getting a little sweeter
Taste in my mouth after swallowing is like the flavour of honeysuckle
My brother, cousin, and I used to suck the honey/nectar from honeysuckles as kids and it’s just like that!
Doesn’t mean a lack of earthy/brothy body
20 Secs.
More mandarin than pu’erh
Sweet, and feels almost like a perfumed mandarin? Or orange blossoms?
Very smooth; strong flavours but still feels delicate at times
20 Secs.
Mandarin starts the sip and ends it
Mid sip feels equal parts like wet earth/wet stone and fresh flowers
With a brothy, game-y component?
Really well rounded, supple
Getting stronger/more intense now
25 Secs.
Essentially a repeat of last infusion…
30 Secs.
Really strong mandarin – in smell and taste
Otherwise the same/very similar
Perhaps I’ve hit the sweet spot, now
30 Secs.
Sweet/bright overall
Earthyness somewhat overshadowed by the mandarin
Orange blossoms
45 Secs.
Liquor colour has SIGNIFICANTLY lightened from how opaque it started
Just a little weaker overall
Mandarin has a little tartness/sourness in the finish
60 Secs.
Mostly just mandarin
Can tell this is close to being brewed out
60 Secs.
Weak and watery, with whispers of mandarin and wet stone notes
Could continue until it’s completely brewed out, but I’m happy to stop here
Really happy with this purchase! I got many, many really lovely infusions from it and enjoyed every single one of them greatly. The mandarin was super lovely, and surrounded by a family on Christmas munching away at Mandarin oranges it felt perfectly appropriate as a choice for a tea session.
