Terri HarpLady select Send Message

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drank Black Pearl by Mandala Tea
3294 tasting notes

My pumpkin experiment left me wanting just a basic black tea, & luckily I brought a pretty good stash with me this weekend.

Recently there was a discussion on steepster regarding black tea pearls, with one person claiming they all came from the same factory. I will have to politely disagree, because I’m certain that this is not true. I’d say that all of the ones labeled ‘fengqing’ black pearls might, but due to my ‘pearl’ fetish, I have a pretty good selection of them, & I’ve observed the following:
– they come in different sizes
– there are also color differences sometimes
– most importantly, they don’t all taste the same

I would still like to do an official comparison of the ones I have, & maybe this week I’ll finally get around to that. Meanwhile, I can say for a fact that this batch, from Mandala, is distinctly different from the ones I have from TeaVivre, which is different from the ones I have from thepuritea. I like them all.

I think these black pearls have the boldest flavor of the three: malty, rustic, with a little pepper & today I’m feeling a little citrus & allspice.
3 comments
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Bonnie
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I agree that they are not the same. For example, Mandala’s are smilies than Teavivre’s. I’ve seen smaller and harder pearls as well as some freaking big suckers. The ones at my local shop are so close to Teavivre’s in a side by side that I by them here. The savings for me is worth it on shipping. You really can shop around to find what you like best.

Terri HarpLady
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I always buy pearls when I see them :)

Dinosara
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Yes, I also agree, I find them all very different! Need to get me some new pearls. :)

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Comments

Bonnie
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I agree that they are not the same. For example, Mandala’s are smilies than Teavivre’s. I’ve seen smaller and harder pearls as well as some freaking big suckers. The ones at my local shop are so close to Teavivre’s in a side by side that I by them here. The savings for me is worth it on shipping. You really can shop around to find what you like best.

Terri HarpLady
Delete

I always buy pearls when I see them :)

Dinosara
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Yes, I also agree, I find them all very different! Need to get me some new pearls. :)

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Bio

I’m so excited to have found this community! I’m a self-employed Harpist (acoustic & electric – Originals, Classical, Rock, Jazz, etc) & Singer/Songwriter. My days & nights revolve around teaching at home, playing gigs, gardening,& fixing awesome food to eat. My schedule is different everyday, but I just go with the flow, & I sip a lot of tea!

My love of Tea began with Herbals back in the 70’s. One of my favorites was a licorice blend from House of Hezekiah, an old tea shop in Kansas City. There was also a tea with mint, rose petals, chamomile, etc called Nuclear Casual Tea.
In the 80’s I gave up caffeine, chocolate, alcohol, (& a few illicit substances…), and brewed medicinal blends & tinctures to support 4 pregnancies (all children born at home). In the 90’s my love affair with green teas began when I discovered ‘The Republic of Tea’. Their beautiful teas & packaging inspired my original song, “TeaMind”, from my CD “Zen Breakfast”. If you’d like to hear the song for free, drop by my website.

In general, I drink my teas straight, but occasionally I add a pinch of Stevia & maybe some coconut or almond milk (I’m allergic to dairy, gluten, & various other things & avoid most sweets.)

I’ve explored a variety of teas:
Whites tend to be a little bland…sorry
Oolongs – wonderfully sensual
Roobios – I’m not a fan in general
Puehr – a fairly new direction for me
I’m not a huge fan of flavored teas, but I do make exceptions, & I’ll try just about anything once.

And Black Tea, Oh how I love thee!!
I am on a quest for the most wonderful breakfast cup! I will find you, my Love!

Location

St. Louis, MO

Website

http://www.harpsinger.net

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