Mandala Phatty Cake II: The Sequel

Tea type
Pu'erh Tea
Ingredients
Pu Erh Tea
Flavors
Chocolate, Forest Floor, Leather, Peat, Petrichor, Thick, Wood, Mushrooms, Camphor, Cocoa, Earth, Mineral, Smoke, Spices, Sweet, Vanilla, Wet Earth, Wet Rocks, Campfire, Maple Syrup, Tobacco, Caramel, Ash, Clay, Ocean Breeze, Fruity, Dark Chocolate, Molasses, Oak, Fig, Hay, Honey, Plum
Sold in
Not available
Caffeine
Not available
Certification
Not available
Edit tea info Last updated by eastkyteaguy
Average preparation
Boiling 1 min, 30 sec 5 g 6 oz / 178 ml

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40 Tasting Notes View all

  • “I’ve been a bit absent from Steepster lately. I have a good excuse. I sprained my wrist and typing is a big ol’ pain. To make it even worse, I steam burned the same hand so now I have second degree...” Read full tasting note
    98
  • “sipdown8 I had this in the afternoon since i REALLY need to drink up some of my smaller puerh samples instead of accumulating them all. I still think that while i could live with having most of...” Read full tasting note
    78
  • “I drank this all evening, on & off. I was busy, so I don’t really have any notes to share, but I wanted to drink it, since I drank the original Phatty Cake yesterday. I can’t really give a...” Read full tasting note
  • “I found out I put into my virtual cupboard wrong Phatty Cake, athough it was clearly labeled with II. I am as well not fan of ripe pu-erhs; but I like drinking them during cold days as those hit...” Read full tasting note
    88

From Mandala Tea

The follow up to our very popular Phatty Cake. We used the same material, but added grade 3 leave to the mix which gives a more interesting gongfu experience.

Save money by ordering a tong. Traditional “case” size for pu’er tea is seven cakes (beeng). The hand-tied bamboo sheath wrapper is a beautiful addition to your tea collection. A full tong purchase saves you $35. You’ll be drinking cup after cup of delicious, classy ripe pu’er for under $3 per ounce and gifting cakes to your friends who still think pu’er is that weird, fishy stuff from the Asian market. Score!

About Mandala Tea View company

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40 Tasting Notes

17 tasting notes

Phatty cake, phatty cake how I love saying phatty cake.

I had a sample of this from the time when Mandala was having its shou sampler set (In 2014 IIRC). Unfortunately for me this one was forgotten and neglected in its plastic baggie at the back of my tea box. After surviving through two moves and an equal number of years in a ziplock bag the flavors were slightly muted. I still get whisps of the wonderful flavours other reviewers have described but I definitely should have tried reviving it first by reintroducing some humidity. Still a good tea, but I wish I had enjoyed it sooner.

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86
2145 tasting notes

After dusting off my gaiwan I spent a good part of the morning enjoying this tea and ignoring the mile long to-do list I have sitting on my counter. I gave the leaves a quick 15 second rinse, discarded the water, and began with a 30 second steeping. The flavor was light, with hints of leather and molasses. Each time I steeped this tea the flavor deepened and the notes changed. What started out as leather and molasses moved into dark chocolate and slowly became sweeter. The later steepings reminded me of the Mexican vanilla beans I bought last year, they tasted of wood and vanilla.

You can read the rest of the review on my blog:
http://www.notstarvingyet.com/index/2015/8/25/tuesday-tea-phatty-cake-ii

Preparation
Boiling 0 min, 30 sec 4 g 4 OZ / 118 ML
Sil

noms.

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94
12 tasting notes

My first review on Steepster :)
Who knew dirt could taste so good? The earthiness of this Pu-erh is unlike any I have ever had, in the best possible way. I am typically turned off by earthy or grassy teas, but this one completely changed my mind on the former. Garret at Mandala Tea included this sample with my first order from them and I am very grateful. Will definitely pick up a cake of this after I finish the others I purchased from Mandala.

1st Steep(45 sec): I tend to start pretty short on steep times so I can be sure it doesn’t come out too astringent. My first thought was mushrooms covered in dirt, and I realize that may not sound tasty but it was exceptional.
2nd Steep(1min30sec): This one came out a bit more rich but just as smooth as the first. Started to catch some hints of toasted caramel on the finish.
3rd Steep(3min): Richness started to fade but the sweetness started to come through even more. This is where I started to taste something more akin to leather than earth.

Flavors: Caramel, Earth, Leather, Mushrooms

Preparation
Boiling 0 min, 45 sec 4 g 8 OZ / 236 ML
yyz

Welcome!

Garret

yahoooooo!!!!!!

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73
306 tasting notes

This Puer starts out very strong and in-your-face, with notes of wood, cork, and cigar ash. In later infusions notes of ocean spray and clay emerge and in even later infusions it becomes more mellow and sweet with notes of tobacco.

It’s very dynamic from one infusion to the next, but I don’t think it’s really my tastes simply because of how pungent it is at the start. I used flash infusions and it was still rather intense from the get-go.

Flavors: Ash, Clay, Ocean Breeze, Tobacco, Wood

Preparation
Boiling 0 min, 15 sec 5 g 3 OZ / 100 ML

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91
19 tasting notes

Tasted smooth with a fruity lingering mouthfeel.
Very enjoyable! No fishyness detected but lots of good earthy tones.

Flavors: Earth, Fruity, Smoke

Preparation
Boiling 8 min or more 7 tsp 20 OZ / 591 ML

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77
709 tasting notes

The beau and I had 4 or 5 steeps of this last night after a great supper of homemade pad thai. We are anxiously awaiting the opening of a new Thai restaurant in the town near us, but so far no dice. So we took things into our own hands!

This was a great choice afterward for our night tea. This is a habit I picked up from a great friend and her husband of 25 years. They are kindred spirits even if we are 20 years apart in age. For their whole marriage, her husband has prepared coffee for them to take to bed and enjoy before going to sleep. Both of them like whatever is left cold in the morning, and it creates a nighttime ritual for just the two of them, perfect for the parents of four great kids.

After commenting on how brilliant that is, my husband started making night tea for us, usually my choice of tea, as we have no problems sleeping after tea. Or while drinking it. He usually finishes his, and I get halfway through mine, but I love it. We don’t have kids yet, but it is still nice to carve out a ritual for us in the midst of busy lives. Due to my propensity to fall asleep as soon as I am in bed, we usually enjoy this in the living room but it works for me. We also read bedtime stories to each other since I’m just a really big kid. We’re almost done the Philip Pullman collection of Grimm’s Fairy Tales and I am looking forward to reading the Tales of Trenzalore next. Except whenever hubby reads, I fall asleep. He puts up with a lot. :)

SO! We used half the pack, which I got in the Mandala Shu sampler of a few months back. This is the second one I’ve actually managed to try. Probably should have used all 7 g but I wanted two goes at it, and my cups are small. Gave it a rinse, which was very pale and didn’t open it up very much and then drank the first real steep at 30 seconds (boiling water). It was earthy, with a smoky note. I was reminded of a campfire in the rain, it wasn’t overpowering, but very nice. Through all the steeps, that smoke note remained, and was present with some earthiness, some leather, maybe some mushroom flavours. I increased the time with each steep and the leaves really let go of each other with each steep.

This tea had no bitterness or astringency at all which was really nice. As I got further on, I got more sweetness but it was never a really sweet tea. It was rich and nice, very pleasant but a bit mild because I didn’t use enough leaf, I imagine. I was trying this to see if I should get a cake of it in the mandala order I am considering since they’re having a sale, and I think for an easy drinking, every-day, no-thought-required shu this is fantastic. We both really want a few cakes of shu that we can just have western or gongfu, with no fuss. I want one at work, at home, and the beau wants one at work too. For now, finances and common sense dictate we settle down a bit but if I do this order, I will definitely add a cake of this. Really nice easy drinking shu – if you’re afraid of it, try this.

Flavors: Campfire, Leather, Mushrooms, Smoke, Wet Earth

Marzipan

You sound like an adorable couple.

Uniquity

Oh, we fight plenty and can be very petty but we’ve been together since we were 15 and were fortunate to grow into ourselves, with each other (flaws and all). After ten years, I’ve noticed the less time we are able to spend together, the more we fight, so I’m learning to focus on us even when it doesn’t seem like there is time. He is a video game guy and I am book girl but we share both those interests and many others. Unusual maybe, but works for us. Luckily! :) Neither of us had a great example by way of our parents for relationship happiness either so we try to learn from those who know better to avoid the same mistakes.

Uniquity

What a slew of bonus commas. I love the comma today – I’m keeping it in business.

Also, thank you!

Cheri

My spouse and I are a book girl and a video game guy. I will read a book on the couch while he plays his game a lot of the time, just to be in the same room together. <3

Uniquity

I like playing video games well enough, but nothing compared to him. I also read while he plays. It’s great system! When we did our vows (independently) he made a bunch of references to chapters and stories and I agreed to be his player 2. Maybe we’re all on the same wavelengths in the tea drinking world!

Kittenna

That is adorable. :)

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84 tasting notes

Interesting – This immediately reminded of old books.
Dark brew. Tastes smooth and rich with spices, wood and leather.

My favorite dark pu’er sample so far.
Rinse/rest/rinse/approx:10/15/20/30s..

Preparation
Boiling 7 g 4 OZ / 118 ML
boychik

This one is my kind of shou – sweet thick leather stonefruit. Yum! Glad you liked it!

caile

Yes, it sort of surprised me. And I liked the subtle ‘old book’ scent somehow. :)

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100
371 tasting notes

Brewed Western-style. 15 second rinse. Steeping times: 30, 45, 60, 90, 120.

Leather dominates the dry aroma. The leather is intensified in the wet aroma, and notes of tobacco and a scent of moist forest soil also appear. After the second infusion, these disappear, replaced by chocolate.

The liquor has the color and consistency of coffee. A thick, creamy texture. Full-bodied. The first and second infusions taste like milk chocolate and cocoa. Leather returns in the later infusions. Old leather-bound books comes to mind. Fire smoke lifts from the liquid and rises to the roof of my mouth. The flavors also shift further away from the sweetness and become bitter, a light bitterness present in good quality black coffee.

This rich shou is incredibly comforting, even when the weather’s warm and a little humid (cold, no, come back, it’s autumn now). I felt like I /became/ the pu’erh. I was really looking forward to trying a Phatty Cake. It obviously lives up to its reputation. I wanted each cup to never end.

Preparation
Boiling 7 g 8 OZ / 236 ML
Cheri

I think the texture surprised me the most. It really is creamy.

KiwiDelight

It’s one of the creamiest tea ever!

Cheri

I’m definitely enjoying it this morning.

Cheri

(well, I guess it’s afternoon. I haven’t had lunch yet, so I’m all discombobulated.)

KiwiDelight

ALL DAY LONG! I had three cups last evening.

TheTeaFairy

Great review, love this tea!!

KiwiDelight

Thanks! I just had to get a cake.

Cheri

I got one, too.

madametj

This one was soooo good but it gave me THE WORST tummy ache ever. I’m starting to think I’m allergic to tannins or something :(

KiwiDelight

Oh nooooo! Just this shou? Hopefully? Stomach aches feel so terrible :[

madametj

I’ve gotten stomach aches from shoe lots of times (still trying to figure out why), but this one was much worse than any of the others. And this time it wasn’t on an empty stomach either!

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87
278 tasting notes

Another yum tea from Mandala. This is smooth and yummy. It’s less sweet, but has some nice leathery and almost coffee notes.

I don’t know why I didn’t try this sooner. I did two rinses, and then it was ready to rumble. I’m on the 5th steep and still going strong!

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 0 min, 15 sec 5 tsp 4 OZ / 118 ML
boychik

I knew you gonna love good shou !

SarsyPie

Indeed! I am drinking more shou than sheng, lately! LOL

boychik

I start doing what Cwyn does. After sheng session I have to have some shou. Otherwise I get stomach ache. This happens only with young sheng.

SarsyPie

I haven’t had that issue, but I at least know what to do if I have a negative effect on thw future!

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518 tasting notes

Sweet. Creamy. Really good.

I was distracted by work this morning and let an early infusion go longer than planned. Then all other infusions had to be long, too. I had a couple of really long ones at the end. The last was maybe half an hour…possibly longer…and it was just sweet. So delicious.

KiwiDelight

Woah, this tea is sure endurable.

SarsyPie

Wow, that’s kind of amazing!

Cheri

It was delicious. Not really hot by that point, but it tasted tasty.

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