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Not that I need another reason to make Mandala my next place to put in a tea order, but this tea has done it. Dexter3657 had generously included this in a swap some time ago – so thank you Dexter3657 for introducing me to Mandala! And thank you Mandala for providing quality tea’s…can’t wait to place my order!

This is a lighter pu’er but not light on flavour. The flavour profile is deliciously smooth, earthy and nutty. I have a silver tip pu’er from another company…not nearly as tasty as this sample.

I haven’t seen AureliaFish on site for some time, but this is who I got this amazing sample from – so if you do ever see this AureliaFish – thank you!

Leather and smoke. That’s what this tea tastes like to me. I like it a lot. I will definitely be ordering this in the near future.

I got this from JustJames quite some time ago. I tried it before, but held off writing any notes, because I had the same trouble as JustJames in pulling out the flavour. I tried different water temperatures and steeping times, and although I got the spice, the plum was not evident to me :(

My first infusion was nicely spiced, but I didn’t get any of the plum notes. My second infusion was less spicy but I got a hint of the pudding flavour.

I have enough leaves to try this one again. Maybe third time will be the charm.

This Big Red Robe is on the lighter side of roasted flavour, and while it is delicious, I think I prefer a heavier roast. This is a very good tea if you don’t like a heavy dark roast.

Even though I prefer a heavier roast, I am appreciating this tea for it’s lighter notes. It brews to a dark golden colour. The taste is light and a bit mineral, with a floral and fruity hint in the aftertaste.

I’m on the third steep and I’m sure I can get a few more steeps out of the leaves.

Thank you Dexter3657 for providing me with a sample of this tea.

I got this from JustJames a looong time ago – thank you for the sample!

It wasn’t bad. The taste kind of reminded me of this European rosehip tea that my dad used to drink. It was pleasantly tangy. The coconut wasn’t evident to me, but maybe it was playing the role of toning down the hibiscus.

This was ok.

This is my second floral oolong, purely through chance…I did not not realize that either of the oolongs that I have sampled would be floral.

Autumn will be upon us soon, and this tea is reminiscent of cooling autumn days, leaves changing colours, and the aromas and tastes that are reminiscent of cooler temperatures. That is to say the tea is light, crisp, mildly floral flavour that reminds one that autumn is near.

I have to thank the ever generous and delightful JustJames for sending me the sample pack from Verdant. JustJames….my apologies for the delayed review. Thank you JustJames, I do appreciate your generosity.

This was a sample sent to me from Dexter3657 – thank you!

Holy leaf expansion!

This is the first time that I have tried an oolong with a hint of floral in it. Took me by surprise, I was expecting the usual mineral taste from this one. The floral note is not so overpowering that it detracts from the enjoyment of this tea.

I’m only on the first steep and am looking forward to the different flavour profiles. So far I’m enjoying what I’m sipping.

I do enjoy spicy tea’s and this one does not disappoint. The first time I tried it a couple of days ago, I thought that it tasted like some of David’s other blends. So I tried steeping it for the full 7 minutes, and found that it made a difference.

At first I did get the full spice cake flavour. As the cup cooled, the cake taste disappeared and I was left with clove. I don’t mind the cloves…sometimes I add extra cloves to tea.

This is pretty good. I’ll have no trouble finishing what I have.

I thought this was a black tea, so I treated it like I would any other black tea. I added a touch of creamer. It tasted a little sour to me, so I wasn’t too impressed.

Then I logged on and discovered that it was an oolong. What?! Well, that just might change things. I put no additives in oolongs, so I left the creamer out for my second steep. Big difference. The sourness went away, and what I was left with was a deep, smooth flavour with a hint of mineral in the aftertaste. Much tastier than the first cup.

Thank you to Dexter3657 for sending me a sample of these delicious (if confusing) pearls!