100

Kamyria’s review yesterday about the forest inspired me to go have a long walk today and write this review.

By now, you probably know that the forest is my backyard. I’ve written many times here on Steepster about my little adventures and how lucky and privileged I feel when I look outside my window or go for a walk, it never gets old.

This lifestyle is Nature’s gift to me, and that gift keeps on giving as long as I care for it in return. It’s pretty simple and yet, I wish more people could fully grasp that concept. The tea I’m reviewing today also keeps on giving…

I tell you, my snow shoes really get a run for their money this winter. I made my own trail and I try to go as often as possible. There’s a spot that we always stop at. It’s on top of a small hill and a huge rock stands there, under the trees. it is shaped as a loveseat, I call it my rocky chair.

I take a break as I watch my dog Dexter chase squirrels, his favourite sport. They like to tease him and sometimes, I think they’re playing with him, knowing full well he’ll never catch one of them!

The day is magnificent, sunshine coming at me from all directions, immaculate snow everywhere you look at, pine trees with heavy arms from all the snow weighing on them…

When I got back inside, I was freezing and seeking warmth, I love that feeling. My head still felt clear and peaceful from all the beauty I had just laid eyes on, and of course, the right tea amplified that feeling and made it linger a while longer.

I was waiting for a special moment to choose this sheng pu’erh, sent to me by the generous and wonderful Dexter3657. She read on a post that I wanted to experience more with shengs, and offered to send me this one. She wrote that this tea is the highest rated on Steepster, so I read nothing about it, not wanting to be influenced by other reviews.

I used 7g, 5oz yixing pot. The piece of cake is tight and compressed. Quick rinse. Already the aroma brings me somewhere, but I don’t want to go there yet, I want to take my time with it.

I pour the very light coloured liquor, close my eyes and smell, have my first sip.

Instant Nirvana!

Sweet sugarcane is what I notice first. Then, a feast for the senses. The smell that comes out of the pot can’t be ignored. I can describe it easily, cause it’s leading me there. If you’ve done camping in your life (most of us did), you have to think about the next morning, when you get out of the tent.

The smokey scent from the firecamp is still in the air, but it’s just a shadow of what is was the day before. It mixes with fresh morning dew, humid grass and moss. Earthy and smokey tones, fresh menthol. Take all these “ingredients”, gather them in a cake, and later, when you hit it with hot water, the memory trap is released and you experience that moment again.

I choose not to describe more. As it happens when I drink something really special, I give in to the tea, not wanting to think anymore but just be in the moment and feel the pure energy. Cha qi. The best thing that can happen. I’ve had these moments before, but not often enough. I plan on having a lot more in the future…

Thank you so much Dexter3657 for wanting me to discover how special your beloved Mandala truly is. You were right :-)

(Cough, Implacinganorderscrewthehiatus, cough, cough)

Preparation
7 tsp 5 OZ / 147 ML
__Morgana__

Lovely note.

caile

So lovely!

Dexter

cough waituntilyou’vetriedsomeoftheothersbeforeordering cough

TheTeaFairy

Thanks Morgana and Caile!

Dexter, cough, okbutitwillbereallyhardtowait, cough.

Kamyria

Wow.. that was a beautiful note! I’m honoured to have a mention in it too! :) I have to have this sheng… I hear too many good things about it to ignore it for much longer. I feel it… the order will be happening soon.

keychange

Beautiful note!

Dexter

I’m really happy that you liked it. Mandala teas are special to me, and it makes me happy that you are experiencing some of that.
I’m not saying to wait until you’ve tried ALL the tea I sent you, but IMHO you will like the Milk Oolong. As much as I love this one, I think Noble Mark is better – different but better. :))

TheTeaFairy

Kamyria, thanks, I loved your review of yesterday:-) and yes i hear you about the order happening real soon, lol!

Keychange, thank you:-)

Dexter, yes, I will refrain just a bit longer!! ( gee, I wonder if I can handle better than this one, lol)

Fjellrev

That’s so awesome that you have snow shoes! I always wanted to try them out.

Ysaurella

that sounds really nice I’ve always been curious about Mandala teas. I’m so jealous of your forest backyard…Y-a-t-il un plus joli jardin ? certainement pas.

TheTeaFairy

Fjellrev, snow boots are awesome, and very useful around here!!

Ysaurella, I’m lucky to have other samples to try, I have a feeling an order will be placed very soon once I got to try a few more… Shipping seems to be very reasonable too. And yes, to me it is “le plus beau des jardins”, you got this right missy:-)

TheTeaFairy

(I meant snow shoes)

OMGsrsly

I wish we got more snow here. That sounds so awesome! Man, I need to skip out of work early one day this week and go for a trail run. :)

Garret

So excited that you enjoyed this tea! I had a lengthy gong fu cha session with it on Sunday afternoon and I was more enamored with it than ever before. Always interesting when I find myself wanting to keep the rest of a stash rather than sell it :)

I loved your review of this. Thank you so much for taking the time to write it.

I have a new pressing of this tea happening right now in China. I got the leaf from the same farmer but it’s autumn 2013 versus spring 2012. I’m looking forward to trying the new one, too. The mao cha itself is darned good and already going through changes since it arrived in the pu’er vault. Yahooooo!!!!!

TheTeaFairy

Listen Garrett, please don’t make it even more tempting than it already is, lol!
Thanks for sharing it, but wait for me, please don,t lock it in the vault all to yourself!! I’m browsing your website and will be placing an order soon, how can I resist???

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Comments

__Morgana__

Lovely note.

caile

So lovely!

Dexter

cough waituntilyou’vetriedsomeoftheothersbeforeordering cough

TheTeaFairy

Thanks Morgana and Caile!

Dexter, cough, okbutitwillbereallyhardtowait, cough.

Kamyria

Wow.. that was a beautiful note! I’m honoured to have a mention in it too! :) I have to have this sheng… I hear too many good things about it to ignore it for much longer. I feel it… the order will be happening soon.

keychange

Beautiful note!

Dexter

I’m really happy that you liked it. Mandala teas are special to me, and it makes me happy that you are experiencing some of that.
I’m not saying to wait until you’ve tried ALL the tea I sent you, but IMHO you will like the Milk Oolong. As much as I love this one, I think Noble Mark is better – different but better. :))

TheTeaFairy

Kamyria, thanks, I loved your review of yesterday:-) and yes i hear you about the order happening real soon, lol!

Keychange, thank you:-)

Dexter, yes, I will refrain just a bit longer!! ( gee, I wonder if I can handle better than this one, lol)

Fjellrev

That’s so awesome that you have snow shoes! I always wanted to try them out.

Ysaurella

that sounds really nice I’ve always been curious about Mandala teas. I’m so jealous of your forest backyard…Y-a-t-il un plus joli jardin ? certainement pas.

TheTeaFairy

Fjellrev, snow boots are awesome, and very useful around here!!

Ysaurella, I’m lucky to have other samples to try, I have a feeling an order will be placed very soon once I got to try a few more… Shipping seems to be very reasonable too. And yes, to me it is “le plus beau des jardins”, you got this right missy:-)

TheTeaFairy

(I meant snow shoes)

OMGsrsly

I wish we got more snow here. That sounds so awesome! Man, I need to skip out of work early one day this week and go for a trail run. :)

Garret

So excited that you enjoyed this tea! I had a lengthy gong fu cha session with it on Sunday afternoon and I was more enamored with it than ever before. Always interesting when I find myself wanting to keep the rest of a stash rather than sell it :)

I loved your review of this. Thank you so much for taking the time to write it.

I have a new pressing of this tea happening right now in China. I got the leaf from the same farmer but it’s autumn 2013 versus spring 2012. I’m looking forward to trying the new one, too. The mao cha itself is darned good and already going through changes since it arrived in the pu’er vault. Yahooooo!!!!!

TheTeaFairy

Listen Garrett, please don’t make it even more tempting than it already is, lol!
Thanks for sharing it, but wait for me, please don,t lock it in the vault all to yourself!! I’m browsing your website and will be placing an order soon, how can I resist???

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Profile

Bio

I am French Canadian, so please forgive me if my English is not always perfect :-/

My relationship with tea in a nutshell:

I’m married to straight Black. I have torrid love affairs with Oolong and Puerh. I party with Green and White occasionally. Flavored are not my BFF, I usually stay away from them.

Love Steepster, a place for tea lovers, where you learn and share with others.

About me:

I am a free spirit, I let people be who they are and expect the same in return.

Books! I love classic literature, but also modern and pretty much anything that captures my attention.

Music is also something I can’t live without… From Bach to Nirvana, my ears know no boundaries…

Animal and nature lover, amateur photographer.

I’ve been drinking tea for as long as I can remember.

Drinking tea is a sensorial experience. The name in itself “Camellia Sinensis” lingers the promess of an adventure for the senses…

Not a big «swapper», but will occasionally. Not because I don’t want to share but because I’m trying not to hoard so much.

Also, I have narrowed down the teas I really like over the years, and I don’t feel the need to try and buy everything the way I used to. (Maybe I have become a tea snob? Sigh…)

My ratings: because I pretty much drink only teas that I judge exceptional, my ratings are usually high. Don’t be shocked to see lots of 90’s and a few 100’s. That’s because I’ve had my share of crapy teas and I’m done with that ;-)

You can find me on Instagram here, I post about my tea sessions mostly, but also about the beautiful nature that surrounds me, and my fury companions :-)

http://instagram.com/theteafairy/

Location

The Laurentians, Canada

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