Morning Sun

Tea type
Black Tea
Ingredients
Not available
Flavors
Fruity, Bitter, Cherry, Malt, Tobacco, Chocolate, Honey, Walnut, Bread, Earth, Smoke, Smooth, Sweet, Smoked, Spices, Thick
Sold in
Not available
Caffeine
Not available
Certification
Not available
Edit tea info Last updated by Jason
Average preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 2 min, 15 sec 3 g 10 oz / 310 ml

From Our Community

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22 Want it Want it

  • +7

13 Own it Own it

43 Tasting Notes View all

  • “It’s cloudy this morning and I did not sleep a wink last night, but must somehow get it together to go to work and toil away on a big, complicated project. Thanks to Mandala tea, I have my own...” Read full tasting note
    90
  • “This tea is beautiful to look upon, & brews into a rich & resinous cup of tea whose rustic flavor reminds me somewhat of masa harina & fire roasted green chili’s. Very savory, but also...” Read full tasting note
  • “The leaves of this tea are beautiful. Rolled and all golden and black, amazing to look at. I’m not educated enough to understand what is going on in this one. It has the right mouth feel of a...” Read full tasting note
  • “So i’m pretty sure my taste buds need a health check this morning. This came across as a smokey tea…more like a cross between a keemun and a lapsang. I don’t think it’s been contaminated but i’m...” Read full tasting note
    83

From Mandala Tea

Picked in the early spring, this black tea has been expertly crafted and processed by rolling the young leaf and bud sets into little pellets. Cast your eyes upon this tea and witness true tea art.
Rich and thick in aroma, this tea develops a sweet and smooth taste – strong and yet floral at once! What a way to start any day of your week. A real treasure!

About Mandala Tea View company

Company description not available.

43 Tasting Notes

87
55 tasting notes

This is a tale of two teas, or at least two different approaches to the same tea. As an experiment, I tried Morning Sun twice on the same day, both times following Mandala’s recommendations, but once in a gaiwan and once Western style. The dry leaves, BTW are just lovely – an attractive mix of gold and dark curls and with a smokier tang than I expected. The gaiwan version (1 tsp, 208°, rinse/1’/2’/4’) was smoky but not too much with a slight sweetness at the back. Predictably, it faded by the third steep. The Western version (~2 tsp, 208°, 3½’) was the same but more so. I found this brew richer, softer, and with the smoke perfectly balanced with the sweet undertone. When I have the leisure to do so, I usually prefer gaiwan drinking. This one is a solid mugful.

Flavors: Honey, Smoke, Smooth, Sweet

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85
3986 tasting notes

Good morning Steepster! This sample came to me from Dexter. I’m excited to try this one, it’s been a while since I had a golden snail tea. These curls are about half to two-thirds golden, and they have a gentle bread and honey scent.

Wow, I was surprised by the aroma. I was expecting sweetness and bread, what I smell is decidedly savory with smoked food. And the taste is savory as well! Definitely different from other golden snails I’ve tried, or at least how I remember them tasting. It’s definitely a savory flavor, though there is some breadiness there. The main flavor for me is smoked meats along with a hint of pepper. I do pick up on some sweet honey notes also, especially in the aftertaste. Overall, it’s lovely, though not what I expected.

Flavors: Bread, Honey, Malt, Smoked

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 3 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

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2291 tasting notes

My BFF came by to pick me up for a day of shopping, and so I made us this tea.

It’s really mild. I mean, I know I only did a 2 minute steep, but wow that was not the kind of morning tea I was expecting! Still, I did enjoy it. Sweet, thick, a hint of spice as it cooled.

And then I was out, needing more tea, so I followed it with Awake at Sbux. That… was not good.

Flavors: Spices, Sweet, Thick

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 2 min, 0 sec 2 tsp 16 OZ / 473 ML
Cameron B.

Yum, sounds delicious. :D

OMGsrsly

It was good, but I wanted more. If that makes sense. It was so mild I didn’t get any flavour until it cooled a lot.

OMGsrsly

A, umm, close to 30 minute second steep has brought me closer, although now it’s getting a little astringent.

SarsyPie

I love this one! Cam, I can send you some on our next trade, if you like.

Cameron B.

Totes mcgotes! :D

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97
278 tasting notes

Ehrmagerd! OM NOM NOM.

This tea is amazeballs. I made it like this: 1 tsp, 8 oz, 208 degrees, 3.5 minutes. I used my brew in mug strainer. I sampled at 1 and 2 minutes, but it wasn’t strong enough. 3.5 minutes is perfect.

I am going to try a second steep, but I’m already sold. This is gorgeous. It smells and tastes like malted yum. It’s mild and smooth, like velvet.

Now I am going to settle in, drink this little beauty, and read some mysteries on Oyster, which is the greatest online service since Netflix. If you love books and you haven’t heard of it, please check it out immediately. I may never leave home again because I just don’t see the need!

Update: I steeped the leaves a second time for 5 minutes and the tea had a little hint of spiciness. Where the hell did that come from? It’s sublime! I drank a little and then added a teensy bit of maple syrup, since that seems to be all the rage around Steepster. So. Good.

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 3 min, 30 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML
TheTeaFairy

I so love this one too! And isn’t it pretty to look at also?
(Now I’m gonna have to check that Oyster of yours…)

SarsyPie

It’s so pretty!!!!

Yes, please do. You can get the first 30 days free. I only started about 2 weeks ago and I already have so many books on my reading list. :)

MzPriss

I adore this one as well. I’m also gonna go look at the Oyster thingie

Nxtdoor

But overdrive media console is free! (Online Library apps). Might not have all the recent books but it certainly has more than enough to keep me occupied. Those looking into oyster, look into overdrive media console too. But yes, you need a library card.

SarsyPie

Hmmm.. never heard of that. I’ll check it out. Thanks!

TheTeaFairy

Yes, Nxtdoor introduced me to Overdrive a few months and I just can’t live without!!!

mj

I use overdrive through my library too! So many books :-D

mj

Also, you can sign up for a mailing list called book bub. Everyday they email you a list of ebooks ranging from free to $2.99. Are they always the best books? No lol but they are often times completely free or $0.99 and the service is completely free

SarsyPie

I got a library card so I can use overdrive, wooo!

TheTeaFairy

Yay!! Let me know how you like it, there isn’t one day I don’t bless Nxtdoor for introducing me to it :-)

Nxtdoor

Yes! Overdrive rocks, yo! Especially nice is that you can go on a waiting list for a book and you get an email when it’s your turn to borrow.

Nxtdoor

Also, you all know of hoopla? Same idea, library system, but for movies and stuff. The downside is that you only get to borrow three movies per month. But hey, I dig it.

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87
155 tasting notes

The dried leaves are soooo pretty! But this tastes nothing like I expected from looking at the leaves. It brews up a deep reddish color. It hits my very happy place of smooth dark maltiness – but there is a roastiness there that I like very much. There is also a slight floral note that is a little elusive. I overleafed it a bit, but even with that there is no astringency (surprised me) but there is a different (and pleasant) little bite at the back of my throat. It is surprisingly complex and absolutely delicious. I realize this is a very obvious song for this tea but it is VERY appropriate and I’m singing it (badly) to myself as I brew my second cup:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRdtKUWn_wI&feature=kp

Garret

Had that song on in the sauna this morning while drinking some Noble Mark! Too funny!!

MzPriss

LOL! And even funnier Noble Mark is what I brought to work for my afternoon tea

Garret

Well then, I’ll brew up some Morning Sun!

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85
790 tasting notes

This is simply one of the most gorgeous dry leaf teas I have seen. Tight little curls of gold and brown and black. This tea steps right up and says “Hey, baby, how about a smooth breakfast?” I seriously heard Barry White in my head when I smelled this, even though the fog of allergies. This is sweet, deep, bright and fruity. The leaves unwind amazingly. This is malty but not overwhelmingly so and not as much as some others I’ve had recently. It doesn’t specify on the website, but I’m guessing this is a yunnan or relation thereof. The second steep was more minerally and had a taste of brown sugar and dusty hay.

I did use filtered water at work for this. Next up, I try it at home. :) And it will probably say 1 teaspoon of tea used but I use 1 1/2 when I’m using my work mug and this system doesn’t accept .5 as a valid entry. :)

Allergies = no rating for now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zfxZRBm3EY

Update: Still indubitably delish with tap water. Maybe a bit more on the dusty hay side of things in the first steep this time, though.

Preparation
190 °F / 87 °C 4 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 12 OZ / 354 ML
gmathis

Can’t decide what I like better in this review: the cute little coils or Barry White!

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87
359 tasting notes

I’m sipping Morning Sun and life is good…

This feels thick and dusty in the mouth. Malty with no trace of astringency, very smooth. I love how different this tea is, it’s sweet, roasty and earthy, but there’s also a sharpness to it, like fresh juicy green bell peppers.

It’s gonna rain soon…but who cares, I have sunshine in my cup…and I love the rain!

(If only I didn’t have to deal with mosquitos, they are the size of a quarter this year…what’s up with that, a super species?)

Stephanie

I hate mosquitos so much. I am one of those people who is both extra delicious AND extra allergic! :(

TheTeaFairy

Haha! Stephanie, me too! apparently my blood is the best mosquito food ever, everyone else is safe when I’m around :-(

TeaBrat

me too!

yyz

You must be like my friend Mike, when I worked up North we used to like to work with him because he’d take the worst of it. Other rules to avoid being mosquito/ black fly food. Avoid dark colours, don’t shower wear heavy perfumes before heading out into the woods etc.

TeaTiff

I follow all these rules and I am always pure bug food. My friends all make fun of me and say it is not a real vacation until Tiff’s face is swollen. I am sadly your friend mike in our group of friends.

yyz

Sorry about that, one of my coworkers always ended up with a swollen face as well, even when we used hardcore feet. One season I worked with a girl, who had worked on the blackfly monitoring project at Algonquin Park, she used to go around and monitor the level of larvae in the streams in order to give us an idea of how long of a blackfly season we had left!

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