Country of Origin: China
Leaf Appearance: dark, fairly small
Steep time: 30 seconds
Water Temperature: 212 degrees
Preparation Method: porcelain gaiwan
Liquor: very dark, almost black
I placed an order with my friends at Mandala Tea in August of last year and they kindly included a sample of this tea. The notes for this write up have been waiting in my never-ending queue until now (seriously, there are nearly 50 teas there as I am writing this).
Rama Lama Bulang is a shou puerh that was harvested and fermented in 2014. First, I need to acknowledge that this might be the catchiest name ever. It was made with a mix of
Leaf
The dry leaf was dark and fairly small in size with quite a few visible buds. Their golden tips provided a bit of visual bling and promised to some added sweetness. Shou puerh leaves sometimes have a bit of stank leftover from the wet piling process. Instead, Rama Lama Bulang smelled earthy but clean with a hint of woodiness. It brewed up an inky black color, almost from the very first infusion.
Liquor
The taste was just as sweet and clean as the aroma of the dry leaves. Notes of molasses and
Rama Lama Bulang gave a very smooth but full-bodied drinking experience with plenty of complexity. This is one that I wouldn’t hesitate to pick up the next time that I am placing an order. Mandala Tea offers Rama Lama Bulang pressed into 200g cakes for $32. My sample was the loose version but bings are definitely a better deal.
Have you ever tried this tea? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
This tea was received with a paid order from Mandala Tea.