Ahhh I lost my tasting note :( at the end too!
Anyways, this is part 1 of the birthday tea adventure. I got my package from Mandala yesterday but apparently the mailman managed to fit the box in the mailbox so I never saw it outside my front door. You go mailman.
First mandala order and I’m already impressed! He left a cute little note—apparently he’s been to my hometown before!—and some black tea samples because he noticed I ordered a bunch of black. So nice :0!!
Anyways, opening the bag it smells earthy, but more of a hay-earthy than a mineral/soil-earthy. I’m really excited because I love earthy blacks.
First steep surprised me! I would deem this tea more of a fruity black. It has that rich fullness of flavor that isn’t chocolatey or earthy, plus it’s quite a smooth texture, so fruity it is. Oh, and the cup is empty :(
Second and third steeps bring out that hay note a lot more! The tea becomes far less fruity but that sweetness remains in the hay. As it cools, the hay becomes more grain-y and sweet and coats my mouth deliciously. Oh I just want to drink this tea forever!
While waiting for my kettle to boil more water, the aftertaste I’m left with reminds me of the flavor of a really peppery grilled steak—without the spicy heat of course (which is good considering how wimpy I am about spicy foods :x). It’s actually a really pleasant aftertaste which I enjoy more than some of my other black teas.
My dad distracted me so on the fourth steep I was worried I had overdone it—coming out of the spout though it looked fine, so that reassured me. That peppery note became far more prominent, superceding the hay flavor; however that grain note came back out near the end of the cup again!
The fifth steep began to lose flavor, so I think four steeps is the max for my method. Four delicious, full bodied steeps is wonderful though! This will likely become a staple everyday tea for me :)
