Loose and Luscious Lincang -2007

This is a sample sent with my Christmas order to Mandala Tea. It is soooooo good I think another order is warranted. I shared this with my best friend this evening and we were resteeping a single teaspoon of leaf in a tiny 8 ounce pot. We had gingerbread almond biscotti with it. Delicious!

I’ve been drinking this all afternoon since we got back from the mall and it’s been a great way to sit, relax and calm down. Just needed some down time to not do much of anything.

Sipdown, 142. Yes, my number went up substantially after that Teavivre package. Well, nothing to do but keep sipping down. Thanks to Sil for a sample of this one.

So keep trying with puers but I haven’t been able to get into them. This makes up Mandala’s phatty cake that everyone raves about, so once again this is a tea that am trying as a semi-last ditch effort to try a type of tea I tend not to care for.

I will say, this is the sweetest shu I’ve ever tried, at least on the first couple of steeps. But otherwise all I get is wood. Sweet wood, haha. I’m afraid I still don’t get shu. Oh well.

Whoamygosh this is amazing. It smells so good dry—the mint sets it apart, it isn’t strong or overpowering but just there enough to keep the earthiness in check. There’s the usual earthy, almost mushroomy aroma, but also a bit of chocolate (starts out like bittersweet chocolate, then at the end of the sip there’s a lingering sweetness), some leather, and even a bit of tobacco—if you know me you know these are all smells I adore. There is still what I’d call a faint fishiness initially but it’s much softer here and recedes almost immediately upon smelling the other things. Either that or I’m just getting used to it, ha. Anyway, I rinsed this time and made sure everything stayed hothot. Brews up deep dark. Steeped the aroma is very leathery while the flavor has that wonderful, odd mintiness that clears the air a bit of the more expected pu erh flavors. Makes me feel like I’m in an old private library full of leatherbound books and furniture, one with a window open next to a forest that just got rained on. Cleaned up but still full of all those mysterious things like soil and leather. I love how complex the interaction between that subtle but ever-present mint and everything else is—the mint both contrasts with everything but also somehow sharpens it all, makes the earthy elements more distinct. Wow. This is precisely the group of aromas I seek out when I buy little vials of rare, unusual perfume. The kind I buy so that sometimes, after dinner and before bedtime in the dark cold months, I can pop one open alone in my warmly lit bedroom and just take in the fragrance and be transported, writing in my perfume diary. A full-on experience. It’s dare I say it masculine, and clean, and well, sexy. Wow!

I decided to break this out and have an afternoon shu here at home. There is construction going on across the street which means if I’m at home I get to hear hammering all day. Oof. Not my idea of fun. For this and other reasons I’ve been thinking about buying noise reducing headphones — generally my neighborhood is kind of noisy.

This is a yummy shu however. I went out with a friend last night and we had too many birthday margaritas. I don’t feel that bad today but I know puerh is supposed to be good after a night of drinking anyway. So… why not?

I like this when it’s steeped for shorter periods of time, 10 – 15 seconds seem to do the trick. Then the cocoa notes really come out, and this is incredibly dark and rich with spearmint dancing around the cup. I definitely think I will be ordering more of this once the current supply runs out. It’s so smooth…

Puerh is kind of a masculine tea isn’t it? Not in a bad way at all, and especially not with THIS puerh. Leather and tobacco notes and an earthy smoothness. This is like the George Clooney of puerhs. Even if you don’t particularly find him attractive you still GET why he’s considered so sexy. I can totally appreciate this puerh, and while I may never actually buy some, its definitely an excellent puerh! ;)

I’m still planning on buying some Special Dark. That one blew me away! So unique :)

OH and thanks again Kimquat!

Yay, Im back everyone! Its been an interesting winter so far, and i have just been enjoying my teas, havent really felt a need to write anything on Steepster lately. Well, i just received my first order from Mandala Tea and am definitely enjoying myself! And fear not Verdant, i am now enrolled in the TOTM Reserve, I just had to try some other vendors to expand my horizons :)
And expanded they have become: This Lincang shu puer is a very interesting tea! As many know, i am very weary of puer and the “fishy/moldy” smell that can sometimes be found. I am learning that this may be the post fermentation smell, and i have since found that it is really just a smell, and doesnt translate into taste by any means. And i can say that This Loose and Luscious Lincang does not have those “off notes.”
This is an earthy puer. Very mellow, yet thick and full bodied. I definitely get some mushroom notes, yet i also detect some woodiness…I cant perceive what kind of wood(im not that knowledgeable unfortunately) but the smell is pleasant! The taste is THICK! Coating the tongue, and not drying or astringent at all. Again i taste mushrooms, wood, and a very slight sweetness that keeps the tongue and mouth from drying.

I am pleased with this tea! On about my 5th gong fu infusion right now, im sure i could go at least 10-15…Ill see if i can get to 10 tonight!

I will have some other Mandala Teas to describe/rate in the upcoming days…The 09 Bulang ripe, 05 Gong Ting ripe, Simao Black tea, and the Aged TGY :) Also two very generous samples of the 4 Leaf Blend ripe, and “Noble Mark” Mandala Blend ’12 ripe!
Thank you Garret for the wonderful selection, and Happy New Years to you as well!

Oh ya, almost forgot. Prepared in my normal method for puer, 5g/5oz water, 2 rinses, and short 3-5 second steeps for the first 3 cups, a couple seconds added to each steeping thereafter.

Notes written while sipping: Wood smoke. Tobacco. Dark, VERY earthy/woodsy. Slightly minty. Very assertive. Resonates. Coats the mouth. Lingers sweetly. Smoooooth.

I’m definitely digging this pu-erh. It was perfect for this wet, rainy day! Must keep in my cupboard at all times! :)

Enjoying this one today. Good, solid loose puerh to have on hand.

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.