74
drank Rock Oolong by Mandala Tea
371 tasting notes

Received a sample in my last order. I think this is the appropriate one to file on Steepster? The label says Da Hong Pao in parentheses.

Brewed gongfu-style with a ceramic gaiwan. 10 second rinse. Steeping times: 5, 10, 20, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120.

Wet leaf has a roasty, fruity (blueberries, starfruit), and somewhat smoky aroma. The liquor has a beautifully rich golden color, and is clear, smooth, and thick in texture. The high point was infusions one and two – roast and quite juicy. Thereafter, the flavors weakened slightly. They were simply present, nothing more. They did leave a nicely sweet and fruit aftertaste once I finished each cup though.

Overall, this dark oolong lacked pizzaz and complexity, but it was alright.

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 7 g 3 OZ / 88 ML

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Bio

I began drinking tea because its complexity fascinated me. I love learning about its history, its manufacturing processes, and its place in various cultures.

Japanese greens were my first love and gateway into the world.

My favorite teas are leafhopper oolongs, pu’erh (shou and sheng), and masala chai. My favorite herbal tisanes are spear/peppermint, lavender and chrysanthemum.

I’m currently exploring pu’erh, and any Chinese and Taiwanese teas in general. I’m not much into flavored teas, unlike when I first started. The only teas I truly dislike are fruity tisanes and the ones that have too much fruit. I do like hisbiscus, especially iced.

I like to write nature essays. I’m a birdwatcher as well as a tea enthusiast. The kiwi is one of my favorite birds. I also like Tolkien, Ancient Egypt, and exercising.

IMPORTANT NOTE, PLEASE READ: After two and a half years of having an account here, I will no longer will provide numerical ratings as an addition to the review because the American school system has skewed my thoughts on numbers out of a hundred and the colors throw me off. Curses! My words are more than sufficient. If I really like what I have, I will “recommend”, and if I don’t, “not recommended”.

Key for past ratings:

96-100 I adore absolutely everything about it. A permanent addition to my stash.

90-95 Superb quality and extremely enjoyable, but not something I’d necessarily like to have in my stash (might have to do with personal tastes, depending on what I say in the tasting note).

80-89 Delicious! Pleased with the overall quality.

70-79 Simply, I like it. There are qualities that I find good, but there also are things that aren’t, hence a lower rating that I would have otherwise like to put.

60-69 Overall “meh”. Not necessarily bad, but not necessarily good.

0-59 No.

If there is no rating: I don’t feel experienced enough to rate the tea, or said tea just goes beyond rating (in a positive way).

Location

Westchester, NY

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