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graceatblb drank Black Beauty by Mandala Tea

97 tasting notes

I saved this one for last because I was really looking forward to it. It just sounded so good and it smelled so yummy in the bag. And it was really really good but it was kind of weird too.

I don’t know what I was expecting when it came to this tea but I definitely didn’t expect what I got. Dry the tea smells like any other black tea. Maybe a bit roastier. But brewed this tea smells…it’s kind of difficult to describe…but kind of herbaceous. Like basil. Basil in a garden because there is also kind of an earthy smell as well. It smells like my Grandma’s garden….it’s a happy place for me. The taste keeps that basil flavor but adds a chocolaty kick at the end of the sip. It reminds me of my favorite cake ever which happens to be a chocolate basil cake. It sounds weird but it’s pretty much the best thing ever.

I’m still brewing this one so updates will be updating. That makes very little sense but it will happen.

Preparation

Boiling 1 min, 0 sec

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2 comments

Sil
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Hmmmmm you’re making it hard for me to decide what to get!

graceatblb
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Ha. I think Long Life was my favorite…if that’s any help at all. I have yet to find a tea from Mandala that wasn’t excellent though.

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Comments

Sil
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Hmmmmm you’re making it hard for me to decide what to get!

graceatblb
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Ha. I think Long Life was my favorite…if that’s any help at all. I have yet to find a tea from Mandala that wasn’t excellent though.

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Bio

Book blogger. Hockey fan. Reformed coffee drinker. Newly minted tea addict. I grammar police myself and no one else. Pu’er lover.

My favorite type of tea is pu’er. I can see myself living in a house alone with just pu’er cakes, a electric tea kettle, my trusty pu’er pick from Mandala and a thermos. I prefer ripe pu’er but love raw pu’er as well. My current favorite is the Special Dark from Mandala Tea.

Black Tea-I also love all forms of black tea. Black tea is where I started and I still love the malty loveliness of a good black tea. My current favorite is Grandpa’s Anytime Tea from Butiki.

Green Tea-Green tea is pretty hit and miss with me. I have never really developed a liking towards it. I have been dying to explore green tea more. Especially matcha and genmaicha. My current favorite is Autumn Harvest Laoshan Green from Verdant Tea.

Herbals/Mate-It depends on what’s in them. I gravitate more to herbs and spices rather than fruit flavors. My current favorite is Fired Up Fennel from Davids Tea.

I love mate (and guayusa). It helped me kick my coffee habit to one cup a day. I will try any blend with mate in it. My current favorite is Chocolate Rocket from Davids Tea.

White Tea-Sadly, I haven’t tried many white teas but I am planning on it very soon.

Oolong Tea-I have tried one or two oolong teas but in blends only. I am dying to try a straight oolong. My current favorite is Milk Oolong by Mandala Tea.

Rooibos-I love rooibos blends but they are very hit and miss with me. I love the woodiness of rooibos. My favorite is currently Oh Canada from Davids Tea.

Flavored Tea-I love flavored teas. I am willing to try just about any flavor combination and the weirder the better. My current favorite flavored tea is Laoshan Black Chocolate Genmaicha by Verdant Tea.

I am always searching for a tea with fig or chili in it.

My favorite tea companies-Mandala Tea (their Phatty Cake was my first ever “Oh My God” tea moment), Butiki Teas, Verdant Tea, and Davids Tea