Country of Origin: China
Leaf Appearance: varied greens, compressed
Ingredients: puerh tea
Steep time: 30 seconds
Water Temperature: 212 degrees
Preparation Method: porcelain gaiwan
Liquor: light gold
+Mandala Tea is one of my go to’s for puerh because they consistently source high quality private label teas. Their smaller cakes provide a chance to explore without breaking the piggy bank, especially for someone who is just getting started. Heart of the Old Tree is one that I had heard a lot about so I was excited to give it a try. The leaves were large and mostly whole with a nice shine to them. It had been far too long since I’ve been able to have any puerh and this one really hit the spot. Right off the bat my senses were flooded with notes of clove and honey with an apricot-like juiciness. Later infusions brought a very interesting floral aroma. Needless to say, I was smitten. This is a tea that keeps on giving. I did at least fifteen consecutive infusions before tapping out. I covered the gaiwan afterwards and squeezed out a few more in the morning.
This tea represents many of things that I love about Mandala Tea and why I’m a total fangirl. Their website provides a ton of in depth information about every tea that they carry. A good portion of their puerh is custom pressed by them rather than being made by large factories. It’s not that there is anything wrong with factory tea but I rest a bit easier knowing that they have that level of control over the final end product. The village where the tea is grown is clearly listed and there’s even pictures of Garret hiking with the grower. I also love that they used a local artist to design the gorgeous wrapper. Hear of the Old Tree will definitely be on my wishlist for my next order.
Heart of the Old Tree 2012 samples provided by Mandala Tea.
