88
drank Colored Species by Mandala Tea
3986 tasting notes

Swap Sample Sipdown! (39)

From Kawaii433!

I admit, I feel a bit silly drinking these oolongs Western style, but gongfu isn’t really my thing… I did order an inexpensive gaiwan off of Amazon today though, so I’ll try to set a goal to do a couple of sessions per week or something. It’s good to get out of my comfort zone! It seems to me that oolong is one of the tea types that lends itself best to gongfu preparation, so I’m happy that I have all of these great samples from Kawaii!

But for now, Western style!

This is certainly an interesting one. It has a strong mineral note that I wasn’t expecting! I do enjoy mineral flavors in tea though, and happily in this case it reminds me of a clear mountain stream rather than the odious “licking a rock” sensation I’ve also gotten previously.

So because of that, this tea feels very refreshing to me. It does have some floral presence as well, and it’s a tad bit more than I would prefer (not being a flower lover). But it certainly doesn’t go anywhere near perfume – it more makes me picture a lovely trickling spring carrying large pink blossoms floating past. I’m not sure I can place the flower specifically, but my best guess would be gardenia. There’s also a light and sweet peach note that goes swimmingly with the floral flavor.

I have a hard time describing the greener flavor in oolongs… It’s not particularly vegetal, perhaps grassy in the sweet and fresh sense? I suppose it’s because I am more used to green teas, which are often grassy, and this is not the same as that.

So much sweetness here! There’s a very light honey note that lingers on the tongue, as well as a clear honeysuckle nectar-like flavor that almost verges on melon-like.

I very much enjoyed this one, even if it was a bit more floral than I’m accustomed to. And even if it’s not my very favorite flavor profile, I can still appreciate that this is delicious tea.

Flavors: Floral, Freshly Cut Grass, Gardenias, Honey, Honeysuckle, Melon, Mineral, Nectar, Peach, Smooth, Sweet

Preparation
190 °F / 87 °C 3 min, 0 sec 2 tsp 12 OZ / 354 ML
Kawaii433

I hear you on the “floral” bit. I sent you the immortal prayer brick and to me, that was a bit too much for me. I wish I could taste all those notes, Cameron. I only think yum or eww. :D

tea-sipper

I can only imagine tasting notes that are only ‘yum’ or ‘eww’….but that might get real old real fast. haha

Kawaii433

tea-sipper: Tell me about it lol. I’m trying to expand my palate and really working to figure out the notes like all of you. That’s why I enjoy all of your reviews. ^^

tea-sipper

No you are doing great starting out! I meant if you only POSTED ‘yum’ or ‘eww’ and that was your entire tasting note every time. One or the other. I wasn’t clear enough. :D

Cameron B.

Don’t sell yourself short, Kawaii! I really enjoy your notes, and especially the ones about unflavored oolong and puerh! For some reason, I have a hard time describing oolong and I feel like a lot of them taste the same to me.

Kawaii433

:D to the both of you.

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Comments

Kawaii433

I hear you on the “floral” bit. I sent you the immortal prayer brick and to me, that was a bit too much for me. I wish I could taste all those notes, Cameron. I only think yum or eww. :D

tea-sipper

I can only imagine tasting notes that are only ‘yum’ or ‘eww’….but that might get real old real fast. haha

Kawaii433

tea-sipper: Tell me about it lol. I’m trying to expand my palate and really working to figure out the notes like all of you. That’s why I enjoy all of your reviews. ^^

tea-sipper

No you are doing great starting out! I meant if you only POSTED ‘yum’ or ‘eww’ and that was your entire tasting note every time. One or the other. I wasn’t clear enough. :D

Cameron B.

Don’t sell yourself short, Kawaii! I really enjoy your notes, and especially the ones about unflavored oolong and puerh! For some reason, I have a hard time describing oolong and I feel like a lot of them taste the same to me.

Kawaii433

:D to the both of you.

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Profile

Bio

Hi, I’m Cameron! I’m a 30-something software engineer currently living in Austin, Texas with my husband and our two pugs, Gobo and Ume. I tend to cycle between my different hobbies, and they include piano, knitting, video games, board games, miniature painting, planners, bento, KBeauty, and – of course – TEA! But really, what I’m best at is “collecting” hobby-related things… ;)

~ 2024 SIPDOWN CHALLENGE! ~
- January Sipdowns: 6
- Total 2024 Sipdowns: 6

I prefer my tea lukewarm or at room temperature and without milk or sugar. I steep Western style, and fluctuate between using big mugs or small teapots depending on the season. Occasionally I’ll brew Gongfu style when I’m in the mood. I’ll also often use a kyusu for Japanese teas.

I am always up for a swap! Just let me know if you’d like to try something in my cupboard.

Tea Preferences:
I enjoy both flavored and unflavored teas in many forms. These days, I drink mostly flavored teas, and I tend to gravitate most toward black, green, oolong, and herbal varieties. I do have a special fondness for straight Japanese green teas, however. I also enjoy maté, rooibos, and honeybush. I love matcha and drink it often! Fruit tisanes are not a favorite, but I’m always willing to try them.

I do not sweeten my teas, and pre-sweetened teas are usually too sweet for me. I also do not enjoy stevia.

Fruit: All of them! My ‘go-to’s tend to be in the red fruits, stonefruit, or citrus spectra. I also really love apple, banana, berry, fig, lychee, melon, pear, and rhubarb flavors. Tropical fruits aren’t among my favorites, but I still enjoy them once in a while – especially passionfruit, mango, and pineapple. I am not generally a fan of coconut in tea, though there are some exceptions.

Dessert: I love creamy vanilla and marshmallow flavors, along with anything in the caramel family such as butterscotch, toffee, or maple. Chocolate is also a favorite, though I’m often disappointed by it in tea. And don’t forget anything buttery, cakey, or cookie-y!

Floral: I’m a little bit more particular in this category. I very much enjoy jasmine, even strong jasmine, along with sakura, chamomile, and elderflower. Osmanthus is also a favorite of mine. But I’m not crazy about rose or lavender flavors, and I prefer hibiscus in moderation only.

Spices: I don’t generally find myself drawn to masala chai, but I do enjoy spices combined with other flavors. My favorite spices are the warm ones, especially cinnamon, nutmeg, anise, and cardamom. A bit of heat from black pepper or chili is okay too, as long as it’s not overwhelming! Ginger can be a lovely accent, but I find it difficult to drink as a starring flavor.

Aromatics: I’m obsessed with Earl Grey! I also love cooling flavors such as mint (especially spearmint), pine, juniper, and eucalyptus. I am not a fan of strong rosemary or sage in tea.

Favorite Companies:
3 Leaf
Bird & Blend
Dammann Frères
Harney & Sons
Kyoto Obubu Tea Farms
Lupicia
Old Barrel Tea Co
Simpson & Vail
Taiwan Tea Crafts
TeaVivre

Tea Rating Scale:
90-100: Outstanding! Permanent cupboard resident
80-89: Great – a possible staple
70-79: Good, but I wouldn’t buy it
60-69: It’s decent
50-59: Meh… I may or may not have finished the cup
40-49: Ick. Couldn’t finish it.
00-39: Repulsive, I spat it out

I will sometimes refrain from rating a tea if I feel I’m too biased due to my personal dislikes, or if I suspect the sample has been compromised by age or scent contamination.

Cupboard Spreadsheet:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ZEuKf1-ppR-VXajO4vV39zU1N3zjFJteEPAynqD2yl0/edit?usp=sharing

Location

Austin, Texas

Website

https://www.instagram.com/tea...

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