Temple Stairs 2014 Ripe Pu'er 100G

Tea type
Pu'erh Tea
Ingredients
Pu Erh Tea
Flavors
Apricot, Earth, Floral, Mineral, Musty, Smoke, Wet Wood, Nuts, Wood, Caramel, Cocoa, Hay
Sold in
Not available
Caffeine
Not available
Certification
Not available
Edit tea info Last updated by eastkyteaguy
Average preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 0 min, 15 sec 5 g 6 oz / 180 ml

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5 Tasting Notes View all

  • “This is strange but my review of the original sample I tried (further below) is glowing, but the subsequent 100-gram cake I got doesn’t leave me with the same observations. I thus think my original...” Read full tasting note
    87
  • “This was given to me by Whiteantlers through a tea swap. Thank you again. This tea was a pretty good. It took me a couple of months to finally sit down and have a cup, but it seemed like a good...” Read full tasting note
  • “Really enjoyed this tea! Gongfu, 5/5, 10/10, etc. First 2 steeps were very smooth and had some mineral and wet wood were apparent along with something else that I couldn’t quite put my finger on...” Read full tasting note
    92
  • “There are a couple tea pages for Temple Stairs, but not specifically for this version, so I added it. Thank you Garret, for adding this sample to my order!!! I’ve found that I need to drink puerh...” Read full tasting note

From Mandala Tea

“Temple Stairs” – 100 gram cakes pressed in March 2014.

Morning arrives soon and with it,
the monkey mind.
In this moment, I’ve this tea -
a training ground upon which I find my center.

We are pleased to present yet another Mandala Tea exclusive ripe pu’er. This creamy and smooth two leaf blend was created using material that was spring-picked and ripened in 2012 and 2013.

Not only were both pickings from plantations that are pesticide free, but the two growing areas (Bada and Mengsong) are far from any cities or air pollution. This is 100% pure tea and some of the finest ripe tea available. Teas from these areas are famous for their uplifting nature as well as their qi raising goodness.

As this tea warms your lower dan tien (in laymen terms – the “energy bank account”), you will note hints of cocoa in aroma and taste. Flavors of sweet root vegetables with hints of dark brown sugar dance on your tongue alongside the clean and well-rounded essence of minerals.

A rich and creamy treat in a cup, this tea will lift you up gently and then place you lovingly back on the ground, better for the experience.

We also note that the leaf was expertly cared for in the process of fermentation, yielding a perfectly ripened leaf with full integrity.

Climb the Temple Stairs and find your center.

About Mandala Tea View company

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5 Tasting Notes

87
21 tasting notes

This is strange but my review of the original sample I tried (further below) is glowing, but the subsequent 100-gram cake I got doesn’t leave me with the same observations. I thus think my original review may have been colored by a good mood or something. This is a fine daily drinker, but repeated sessions with the cake just don’t reveal the complexity that I may have imagined in the sample.

Original review of sample:
This is a shu puer I want to have on hand. Smoky, earthy, mineral, and then a fruity apricot character reveals itself in the middle of all that and lingers as an enjoyable aftertaste. This tea demands going beyond simple descriptors such as “creamy.” This shu has complexity, depth, and character. It does thin out fairly quickly, but rather than collapse, it moves away from the initial smoky earthiness into a lighter realm of wet wood, some mustiness, still some hints of apricot and even floral notes, all that keeps you steeping. This is a shu that I would want to share with someone new to puer and just watch the revelation in their eyes. I got this as a sample and hope to get a cake.

Flavors: Apricot, Earth, Floral, Mineral, Musty, Smoke, Wet Wood

Garret

We love the Temple Stairs here, too. Thank you for writing up your experience with it. The mini-tuocha version of this same leaf turned out well too. It is something to notice that even though they are pressed from the identical blend, they are slightly different right now because of the pressing size and what that does to the aging at this early stage. Thank you!

Grateful,
Garret

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400 tasting notes

This was given to me by Whiteantlers through a tea swap. Thank you again.

This tea was a pretty good. It took me a couple of months to finally sit down and have a cup, but it seemed like a good time to have it. Despite the high temperatures in Ohio now (high 80’s), I’ve been staying inside in between shifts from work.

I must say that this is a pretty good tea. I like the depth of flavors within the tea (wood, earth, and a slight nutty finish). However, this depth/flavor doesn’t seem to last that long. I had approximately seven cups before stopping. I found that it lost its flavor after the seventh cup; which resulted in the “thick” water mouth-feel. There was a slight amount of flavor left, but it was subtle and the mouth-feel was strange.

Anyway, I’ll definitely keep this on a wishlist to purchase later. It could become a daily drinker, but I know that I’d only get about seven cup per tuocha.

Flavors: Earth, Nuts, Wood

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92
7 tasting notes

Really enjoyed this tea! Gongfu, 5/5, 10/10, etc. First 2 steeps were very smooth and had some mineral and wet wood were apparent along with something else that I couldn’t quite put my finger on (possibly hay or something that slightly reminded me of a barn, was tasty). Around steep 3 caramel and cocoa came to mind which was a very delicious combination. Will certainly be ordering more of this!

Flavors: Caramel, Cocoa, Hay, Mineral, Wet Wood

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 0 min, 15 sec 5 g 6 OZ / 180 ML

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818 tasting notes

There are a couple tea pages for Temple Stairs, but not specifically for this version, so I added it.

Thank you Garret, for adding this sample to my order!!! I’ve found that I need to drink puerh early in the day or I’m up all night! That last sheng I had really kept me up! Today I have a scratchy sore throat, but I don’t feel sick. I need a good tea to help soothe it! I wasn’t sure I should try a new tea with a sore throat, but I did it anyway!

I like the samples from Garret, as they’re already portioned out, and I don’t have to think about how much leaf I should put in the pot…I just dump the whole sample. I might need to invest in a small scale…any other tricks? I’m trying to remember how the perfectly portioned out samples look in my little pot and then I’ll just copy that amount.

Two 15sec rinses.
30sec: nice earthy, cocoa, a bit leather/cedar notes.
45sec: similar, more leather/cedar…maybe a hint of mint or cinnamon? Something that has that effect.
1min: smooth, very dark, it’s smoothing over my sore throat. It also feels like it is clearing my nose out. Interesting. I just love the color of ripe puerh…that red hue is awesome.
1min15sec: ooh, smells sweeter…I just stuck my nose it it like a dork! Haha! Oops! This tea is having a major calming effect on me…I feel so blissful right now!
1min30sec: that sweet smell is like caramel-sweet, not fruity-sweet. Mmmm!
1min45sec: definitely a light caramel sweetness coming through and the earthy flavors are fading now.
2min30sec: light caramel, hint of cinnamon.
3min, 5min, and 7min steeps: caramel sweetness.

Overall, very enjoyable, and I wouldn’t mind some more of it!

I love how I can just drink any puerh now and enjoy the experience. There was a time, not that long ago, when I dumped cups of puerh! I know, the horror!!! I think Garret, and Angel at Teavivre, can take the credit for that renaissance in my tea journey. :)

boychik

scale will change your life. you will be surprised 3g for one type of tea or the other completely different. Also some puerh has lots of caffeine and another will make you sleepy. you never know. i had one shou last night, after 2 gongfu cups knocked me out. Slept like a baby ;-)

Tealizzy

Nice! I think you’re right about how some puerhs affect you differently. This one made me so happy and relaxed! Any recommendations for where to get a scale?

SarsyPie

I don’t get much energy from the shous I’ve tried so far. Sometimes shengs really get me buzzing though! I got a small digital postal scale on amazon for like $10. Works awesome!

Tealizzy

Thanks, Sarsonator…I just wish-listed one on amazon. :)

Tealizzy

Thanks, looseTman! That looks like a great option!

looseTman

You’re welcome. We’ve had our scale for over a year and couldn’t be happier. It’s much easier to make a consistent cup of tea no matter the size of the tea leaves. It’s not easy to measure large leaves with a teaspoon.

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