Mandala Tea Not-So-Mini-Tuochas

I have a sample of this from Garret, and I’d like to say, “Thank You Garret!”, because he is the epitome of customer service & hospitality.

I drank this during the afternoon & early evening, & that was hours ago, so I don’t really have much to say except that this is probably my favorite shu tuocha ever. A very rich flavor, a lot of depth, & sweet as well. No objectionable tastes, just a smooth chocolaty-ness & almost a coffee-like personality. I will probably need to get some more of these, at some point.

Backlog… I bought Mandala’s mini-tuocha sampler and this, along with the 2005 Pu Wen Ripe Coin Pu’er is the absolute best of the bunch in my opinion. They’re all tasty, but these ones just seem to be way ahead of the rest in terms of quality and taste.

So how can I describe it? Smooth is the first thing that comes to mind, very smooth. Also very sweet with a pretty intense chocolatey flavor. And, well, these things are huge. Double to TRIPLE the size of most of the other minis. These are very very good, and this sampler has done its job because I’ve found my new favorite mini-tuochas (though nothing will top Verdant’s Cornfields minis in my eyes).

Anyone who has been following me knows that I adore pu’erh, and that I’m a huge Mandala fan. I’ve been drinking mild black tea all day today, really needed a change. I’ve had these for awhile now, got them as a sample with one of my Mandala orders. Thanks Garret.
Cold, windy fall day = warm comforting tea in my world. Nothing is more comforting to me than a really nice pu’erh. This is one of those. I’m not good at the whole “what it really tastes like”. I’m more about how it makes me feel. This makes me happy. It’s a nice gentle pu’erh – would be good for a beginner. It’s not as deep and complex as some of the other Manadala pu’erhs but there is nothing nasty about it. It’s just nice crisp, clean earthy, maybe a touch of sweetness.
Thumbs up.

I have tried many pu’ers but not many tuochas. This one was my first and they were great. I’m very glad I bought 4oz of these lovely little tuos.

1st Steep-30 seconds
Very hayish with a molasses finish. Starts out very bold and strong. Could replace coffee for me…I’ve been actively searching for a replacement for a while.

2nd Steep-45 seconds
Might lighter. Still earthy but more roasty. Like coffee but without the bitter finish. The tea still finishes on a sweet note.

3rd Steep-1 minute
This steep was very smooth and had the flavor of a nice chocolate bar…a good one. There is also a salty bite to it at the end.

4th Steep-1.30 minutes
This was my favorite steep out of all of them. Strange because usually it’s the 3rd. This one reminded me of butterscotch which I love.

5th Steep-2 minutes
This steep confused me a bit—-in a good way. It was a weird combination of all of the previous steeps. It was a bit roasty with a buttery note. There was also a slight chocolate finish.

6th Steep-7 minutes
I forgot I was steeping while I ran an errand. It didn’t seem to impact the flavor at all. Honey and vanilla. Getting much lighter even with the long steep.

7th Steep-20 minutes
I was watching a hockey game (not my team) and got distracted because that team was playing well while mine just doesn’t so I let this steep for the first period…bad me. But the tea was so light I really didn’t notice. It had a nice chamomile-like flavor with nice floral notes.

I really did like these tuochas a lot. I don’t think any pu’er will come close to my Mandala Phatty Cake but this comes close. These Not-So-Mini Tuochas would make a great morning cuppa. If I was courageous, which I’m not, I would replace my morning cup of coffee with this tea.

Steeping it grampa style in a 40 oz hydroflask. 8g is a good size for it. This is going to become a library tea for those long study sessions.

Edited to add: after several hours of grampa-style steeping, I found that the tuo cha hadn’t even fully opened up. there’s still a clump of leaf in the bottom of the flask! Moar steeping tomorrrow!

These have been airing out for a while now. At one point I opened most of my plastic baggies of shou so they could breathe a little, and I think it’s really paid off.

I know I had this before, because I had a broken crumbly mess in the baggie. This time I took a whole tuo and I’m steeping it in the usual kyusu. ~145ml water fit for the first couple steepings, though I’m sure that will drop as the leaves absorb water and take more space.

This is super tasty! There’s a tiny, almost non-mentionable bit of musty/fermentation flavour. It’s a bit woody, but not like I’m gnawing on a piece of hardwood. A little spice and some dried fruits. Maybe some vanillin, like how old books smell.

Yum.

Snuck one of these from omgsrsly’s piece of her order that came to my place. I’m glad i did because i am a fan. I’m sick today and this is exactly what i needed in terms of a no fuss, don’t have to think too hard tea. I’ve been drinking it most of the afternoon. For sure going on my re-order list!

This is one of those deep, dark puerhs. It definitely has a little chocolatey-ness going on. Reminds me of some deep, dark pine wood forest. It went for a long time in my little gaiwan. It is smooth, delicious, and a little mysterious. The first steeps were pretty strong, which was exactly what I was looking for, but I think you could make them a little less intense by using a larger brewing vessel. These tuochas are, as the description implies, on the larger size so keep that in mind when you are brewing them. The first five or so steeps resulted in an almost espresso like drink, which lifted my fog this morning admirably.

These were in the mini tuocha variety pack, I think. They are definitely larger than the other minis. I enjoyed a nice session with one and I think I can say it is the oldest puerh I’ve had now, as Mandala’s page says they are from 2004!

These are yummy!! So smooth, and absolutely no fermentation funk. There’s a little cocoa and a little wood. Nothing really stands out, but I think that makes it a nice starter puerh or an everyday drinking puerh. Really nice! I might have to pick some more of these up as the variety pack only had two!

I didn’t particularly care for this one, though it is not bad. I found it acidic and not very smooth. But it is deep.