Silver Needle White Tea from Mandala Tea

by liberteas

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  White

Where to Buy:  Mandala Tea

Tea Description:

A very precious and delicate tea characterized by the fine white hairs on the leaf. This beautiful white tea is only harvested for a couple of days each spring. It produces a rich body and savory aroma. Rich in antioxidants, as well as other extremely healthful minerals, white teas are less astringent than green teas with all of the same benefits. Its light and smooth flavor make it ideal for accompanying food, or soothing in the evening due to its lower level of caffeine.

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

Ah!  What a sweet and refreshing tea!

I’ve tasted quite a few Silver Needle teas, and even though I’ve had quite a bit of experience with this type of tea, it never ceases to surprise me just how much flavor can be found in this delicate tea.  Light?  Yes.  Delicate?  Yes.  Void of flavor?  Absolutely NOT!

These Silver Needles are very soft and covered in tiny hairs.  I love touching them before brewing them, they’re velvety and soft … like a cloud made of plush fur.  The texture of the brewed tea exhibits this same luxurious softness with its silky smooth mouthfeel.

The flavor is incredible.  It has a sweetness that permeates every moment of the sip, while a complex set of flavors play upon the palate, from grassy and hay-like tones, to hints of spice and wood, to an airy kind of flavor that evokes thoughts of the air I would breathe if I were taking a hike through the woods in the spring.

Another exceptional tea offering from Mandala Tea.  I’ve been very impressed with their dedication to quality!

liberteas

Anne (aka the Mad Tea Artist) has celebrated her 29th birthday for many years now. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her hubby and her youngest daughter. Her oldest daughter is married and has bestowed Anne with the proud title of "Gramma" and her grandson is about the cutest boy you ever did see. Anne started her journey with tea as a casual drinker and became more serious about her tea drinking when she realized that she couldn't drink coffee. Shortly thereafter, she started becoming obsessed with the beverage and she started creating small-batch, artisan blends of tea that she sold online as LiberTEAS. After a few years, she realized she wasn't cut out to be the sole proprietor of a business so she closed LiberTEAS and started reviewing teas online. She met Jennifer through another blog that they both reviewed for and they decided to start their own review blog. This review blog! Throughout her journey as a tea reviewer, she discovered 52Teas and became enamored with the idea of creating a new tea every week. When the founder of 52Teas decided he wanted to move on, he offered the business to Anne but knowing that she wasn't cut out to be a sole proprietor, she instead offered the company to her oldest daughter who employs her as the Mad Tea Artist for 52Teas!

This post was posted in White Tea

Valley Peak (Ding Gu Da Fang) from Mandala Tea

by liberteas

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Green

Where to Buy:  Mandala Tea

Tea Description:

Like many of China’s famous greens, this tea also has a rich history.  Known in China as Ding Gu Da Fang (Valley Peak Da Fang), it was named after the Buddhist monk who originally grew the plants on Huangshan (Yellow Mountain) centuries ago.

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

This is my first tea that I’ve tried from this new tea company (or perhaps I should say, a company that is new to me!) and based upon this very positive experience, I am glad it won’t be the last tea I taste from them.  I am absolutely LOVING this tea.

In the website description of this tea, Mandala Tea compares it to a LongJing (aka Dragon Well).  And while I do enjoy a good Dragon Well Tea and can see where Mandala Tea is coming from with such a comparison, I have to say that I prefer this Ding Gu Da Fang to most Dragon Well teas that I’ve tried. It is lighter, sweeter and smoother than a typical LongJing.

There is such a charming nutty tone to this tea.  It is light and crisp and reminds me of the snap (or crunch) you’d experience when biting into a cashew.  It has a creamy smooth flavor that reminds me of the mild, creamy taste of a delicious roasted nut.  The texture is light and clean, with a very mild astringency at the tail of the sip.

The sweetness and smoothness of this tea reminds me a bit of a yellow tea, so I have categorized this as both a green tea and a yellow tea, because even though it is a green tea, it has so many characteristics that remind me of a yellow tea.  This is an extraordinary tea; I highly recommend it.

liberteas

Anne (aka the Mad Tea Artist) has celebrated her 29th birthday for many years now. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her hubby and her youngest daughter. Her oldest daughter is married and has bestowed Anne with the proud title of "Gramma" and her grandson is about the cutest boy you ever did see. Anne started her journey with tea as a casual drinker and became more serious about her tea drinking when she realized that she couldn't drink coffee. Shortly thereafter, she started becoming obsessed with the beverage and she started creating small-batch, artisan blends of tea that she sold online as LiberTEAS. After a few years, she realized she wasn't cut out to be the sole proprietor of a business so she closed LiberTEAS and started reviewing teas online. She met Jennifer through another blog that they both reviewed for and they decided to start their own review blog. This review blog! Throughout her journey as a tea reviewer, she discovered 52Teas and became enamored with the idea of creating a new tea every week. When the founder of 52Teas decided he wanted to move on, he offered the business to Anne but knowing that she wasn't cut out to be a sole proprietor, she instead offered the company to her oldest daughter who employs her as the Mad Tea Artist for 52Teas!

This post was posted in Green Tea, Yellow Tea