Happy Lucky's Tea House

I regularly go to my tea pub, Happy Lucky’s Tea House, to chat with the staff, customers and share information about tea. Everyone who works at the shop is very educated about tea and they care about their customers!
Usually, I enter the shop, sit at the bar and ask “Hey, what’s new?” Other times I pick some tea from the ‘tea wall’ that I’ve never tried before. I bring tea samples from my cupboard for these special people to share as a sign of friendship now and then. It’s really a cool place!

Today, I started asking questions about Jasmine Tea’s and Silver Needle. Since the new Jasmine Silver Needle was not in stock yet, I was shown the China Green Jasmine Pearls…and the scent was captivating. I decided to try the tea…my first Jasmine Pearls ever.

Sam prepared a glass pot with the pearls and at 3 minutes poured the golden liquor into my glass teacup.
The cup was very fragrant with Jasmine. I commented to Andy that there was a scent of new rubber ducky in the floral scent. “Huh?”, he said.
He poured himself a little and agreed…“Yep, I can see how you would say that.” (How do we come up with these things I wondered! Rubber Ducky?!)
I drank some more…the tea was strong and as it cooled…strong and astringent. I commented to Andy and Sam that it was not to my liking as much as Jasmine Silver Needle Tea.
Andy said he liked the pearls at a 2 minute steep instead of 3 minutes so he brought out a Gaiwan and steeped pearls at 2 minutes for me. (I never asked for this attention to detail…it’s just how considerate these tea professionals are)
Now the tea was very pale. The flavor was much more delicate and not astringent. Oh, I really preferred the 2 minute steeping so much more!
It would have been such a shame to miss out on this tea and probably never drink it again just because I had tasted it at a stronger, more concentrated steeping than I like. Sam prefers 3 minutes. Someone else might like it at 3 minutes. I prefer 2 minute steeping.

The tea was juicy and delicious.

This was a good lesson. If a tea is a little meh. Steep it longer, or shorter. Check the temperature. Give the tea a chance to speak to you.
Don’t be afraid to experiment until you find your comfort level.

I’m a fortunate person to have such a great tea shop to go to. (The owner is a great guy too and all the other tea experts that serve there!) Thanks Happy Luckys!

I said previously that I planned on using this tea in steaming some veggies (as suggested by Bonnie!) and I did, so I thought it would be a good idea to post a tasting note about the outcome!

I made up some packets with carrots, squash, zucchini, potatoes, and cut up ears of corn to put on the grill. I added in a little melted butter, sage, salt/pepper, garlic, red pepper & just a touch of LS (in the tea packets Bonnie sent). I steamed the packets on the grill for 30 minutes.

The smell while it was grilling was amazing. But once I opened the foil packets my mouth really started to water! The tea added a smokey flavor to the veggies that wasn’t overpowering at all, but still quite present. It was divine. I didn’t tell my husband that I’d steamed the veggies with tea until he mentioned the smokiness- he was pretty impressed that just a little bit of tea could bring that much flavor!

I would have never thought to use tea in my cooking, but I’m so glad I did!

When I opened the bag of this tea that Bonnie sent me, I was hit with the smell of bonfires. I immediately knew that this was the tea I wanted to drink.

The smokey aroma lingered as it steeped, and remained as I poured it although it was not quite as powerful as when I first opened the bag. It tastes just like I imagined it would. If you could drink a bonfire, this is exactly what it would be like. I really don’t know how else to describe it, the words have left me!

This tea would be great on a summer night as well as an autumn night. It brings a comforting warmth with its smokiness and I feel that it would be a good tea with which to blend your own custom flavors with. I’ve got a couple pairings in mind to try out actually :)

Bonnie mentioned steaming vegetables with a little of this tea & I already know that I’m going to try it out tonight! We’re having company over and grilling out and I think some smokey vegetables would pair perfectly with the meal! I’ll make sure to let you know how it turns out! :)

I drink tea, I buy tea, I drink tea, I buy tea!

My previous review found me sitting at the tea bar at Happy Lucky’s Tea House having a pot of Taiwanese Ruby 18 and chatting away with Sam about a particular Assam/Oolong blend that I was drinking.
How we began talking about Green Tea (which I rarely drink) I DO NOT KNOW! But, somehow or another I left the shop with an ounce of Green Tea! All I had to do is smell it once and I was hooked. (The look in Sam’s eye was a knowing look… as though he knew this would be irresistable). (I think I was mesmerized by Sam’s purple Cambodian shirt!)

I left the house in the first place to mail tea samples to a couple people (hey!) and get some groceries. By the time I came home through the fire produced fog, I was wanting more tea. (the smoke makes me really thirsty!) This was my tea choice.

Sam said this was a toasted but sweet Green Tea from Japan.
The dry leaf smelled like Sesame Oil. It smelled just like that and like dry seaweed.
I steeped the leaves 3 minutes…the wet brew smelling very salty like a salted fish but not fishy. (that makes no sense except that fresh fish never smells fishy!)

The pale amber liquor was sweet and light with a toasted flavor on the sesame seed side with a fuzzy mouthfeel. No astringency or bitterness. Very light. This tea is a bit salty. I added some sweetening to heighten the contrast between the sweet and salty and loved that the best. There is juice and enough body to enjoy along with edamame, light Asian salad, stir fry veggies or rice dishes. (I’ve got an idea to steam some vegetables with this!)

This tea is a nice change from my usual Black Tea’s, Pu-erhs and Oolongs!
Very good and tasty!

I stopped at Happy Lucky’s for tea today looking for a headache cure for the smoke I’ve inhaled from the big fires here.
I asked if there were any new tea’s to try and this Ruby 18 was suggested. When I asked my expert server Sam more about it, he said it was an Assam Oolong blend, a toasted old leaf Oolong cooked and left with the leaves whole and straight like black tea. We discussed this category of darker Taiwanese Oolongs that would possibly place this Oolong with Black Tea’s in China. It is dark, has long leaves and isn’t green. Not sure.
Just learned the Assam is a hybrid with Chin Shin grown in Taiwan and introduced to the U.S. in 2011.

After my pot of tea steeped. I smelled the dark ruby red-brown colored leaves which smelled slightly of cinnamon and flowers.
The flavor was lighter than an Assam, not malty or smoky but mild with a little Oolong personality and no astringency.
The pairing was more successful than I would have imagined. I thought about how this would make a very fine cold brewed tea. Just the right balance of fruit and body.

I can’t stress enough how much it means to have a tea shop where you know the staff and where they and the owner are knowledgable about tea. If you can find a place…a tea pub…for yourself…do it! Search for such a special place.

Happy Lucky’s is the Best!

Strange day in Fort Collins, Tea and a Fire! http://flic.kr/p/cdpRMU

The day began well enough with all 8 of my daughter and son-in-law’s children arriving at my Church in Loveland a tiny bit late and all smiles to see me (with mom and dad). I rubbed little Micahs neck for a moment and he fell asleep, the 18 month old ate cherrios out of my hand. All was warm and happy.
After the service old Peter from Brooklyn, gave me a 1950’s chrome, mint condition GE electric teapot. It’s Gorgeous! (I’ll post a photo tomorrow). Next, some of the College age adults (guys mostly) from Church made plans to come to my house for tea along with my granddaughter. Lastly, Schey and I went to ‘A Taste Of Fort Collins’. Food, beer, bands…all that is good about Summer in old downtown.

After about an hour or so walking around and sampling food…an AWFUL cloud appeared. Half of the sky was dark. We knew there was a fire not far away, but this was becoming alarming.
I suggested that we go for tea at Happy Lucky’s before heading out to my daughters home. Schey ordered her favorite tea, Lavender Chamomile. The fragrance was surprising. It smelled like blackberries instead of an annoying perfume, which was a relief to me. The flavor was smoothe and soothing. After walking miles at an event with food vendors and craft booths, bands blaring music and the railroad train (which runs right through town) stopping for 20 minutes blocking the venue access, this tea hit the spot. I’m not kidding. It was like a tea massage!
We chatted with tea server Sam (always knowledgable)at length before leaving. Such a restful time.

At Terry Lake, on the edge of town, the view of the hills, sky blackened and a vivid blood red sun was so stunning (a better word would be shocking) that cars were stopped at the side of the road, people standing still to watch. It looked like a volcano had erupted. Soot and ash, plumes of smoke billowed so high touching the red sun and swurling into rust colored whirlpools. My throat was getting irritated and continuing to drive I had to turn on my headlights.
Later when I arrived home, the plume of smoke was behind my house in the hills. This was a huge fire. The winds were strong and things were not looking good. Later the smoke came down like ground fog. It smells thick

I took some pictures which I’ll attach later.
I know this isn’t a blog, but….I hope you all don’t mind. I’ve never been this close to a fire. This isn’t a good or proper review, I feel like I’ve been in a cement mixer…and need some good tea to rinse the ash out of my body!

Here’s another sample from Bonnie and a Thank You for another good Lapsang. I think I like this Lapsang using these times and temps, and doubt if I will ever use boiling water. I also used 1+ tsp leaf per 10 oz mug.

The dry leaf smelled instantly of a campfire, with a certain sweetness that was inviting. This seemed less intense than my previous experience with Lapsang Souchong many years ago. As the tea began steeping, I couldn’t help but think, “Holy shishkabobs Batman!!”. The campfire smoke aroma intensified & jumped out at me. Tobacco aromas lingered in the air as well. My cup liquor was a rather translucent brownish-red color, with pleasantly sweet aromas reminding me of those summer campfires, and tobacco smoke.

The wet leaves smelled like tobacco smoke, with a definite ashy quality that cooled revealing new leather aromas and a natural sweetness. The flavors were surprisingly smooth and sweet, with tobacco and mild campfire smoke on my palate and the back of my tongue. Such a full flavor without being heavy.

I steeped a second cup somewhere between 5 to 5.5 minutes. Campfires were still ablaze, but this time with more smoked tobacco aromas. Sniff….sniff…yes, I was actually getting whiffs of smokey bacon! My cup was slightly darker. Wet leaves smelled of deeper tobacco smoke, with a more pronounced ashy quality. Once cooled, there was a deeper leather aroma that was sweeter, reminding me of pipe tobacco. The flavors on my palate were heavier-smoked tobacco/ashy quality, with less campfire notes.

Today I had two more cups yielding similar results. I decided to have a third cup resteeping the leaves, and was surprised by the continuing strength of the aromas and flavors. Through the second & third cups, the aromas and flavors were full bodied and satisfying-yet mild, and not bitter and offensive.

The demons of my previous experience with Lapsang Souchong are now conquered. I would imagine it’s much like the battles the Caped Crusaders would face every day, as Batman would exclaim, “To the Batcave, Robin!”. Sometimes, I wish I had a hermetically sealed cave, if only to store my tea there. :))

Cupped: Monday & Tuesday, June 4-5, 2012.

Reviewed: Tuesday, June 5, 2012.

What a wonderful surprise FULL of tea samples from kind Bonnie, and a special Thank You! :)) Another gift is my beautiful niece Brie on her way from Oregon. Right now she is in San Francisco with a three hour layover. I’ll be glad when she gets here. :))

This morning I must have been over-excited because I misread the tea label-twice. So I opened the pouch and smelled light smokey campfires, and a light floweriness, which is the Jasmine. It smells very light, and I’m so used to straight Jasmine teas where the aroma really hits you. There was a fruity aroma…….huh, orange?! I reread the label: LS, with Jasmine and orange. No wonder I smelled orange zest! Between the Lapsang and the orange, I didn’t notice the Jasmine-only a flowery aroma. The wet leaves only intensified the Lapsang and orange zest, leaving the jasm-aroma hidden. Still, the aromas were heavenly and almost magical, which brings me to my other reading error.

I let my cup cool. I thought the label said, "Lion & the Lamp. So I thought it was quite appropriate, with the magical aromas. The aromas in my cup are rising. I was envisioning the smoke cloud of a Genie rising up bringing me exotic, lightly smoked, sweet Lapsang, together with the sweet, fruity orange zest. Why does the jasmine remain hidden…….like the Genie in the lamp? If I could only rub my teacup and be granted three wishes. :)) Sure I would wish for more money, but there are SO MANY things that are more important for fullness in life! Alas, I tasted nothing but sweet, lightly smoked campfires soothing my palate. Then came the sweet burst of orange zest, and an elusive flowery goodness. My palate was awash with all of this gentle, yet very flavorful tea-not wanting to leave, but I couldn’t stop drinking this tea!

What a truly great blend and the perfect reintroduction to Lapsang Souchong. This tea really hit the spot and is something I could drink quite often and anytime of the year. As I was typing this something occurred to me. I don’t need a Genie to grant me three wishes. I received all this glorious tea, my niece Brie is coming today, and I’m alive, and well enough to see what gifts each day brings! That is three gifts right before me! Now all I need is another cup of this tea. :)) Thanks again Bonnie!

Cupped & Reviewed: Saturday, June 2, 2012.

This sample was generously provided to me by Bonnie (still haven’t figured out how to make words bold). I was very curious about trying a smoked tea, and just a bit apprehensive. The aroma of the dry leaf is INTENSE pine smoke.

My dad makes his own venison jerky in a backyard smoker using a combination of pinewood and hickory, and that’s what the smell of this tea reminded me of.

The flavor proved to be more mellow, and I have to say I liked it a lot. I didn’t expect to like it this much. It was smooth and surprisingly light, and there is something very refined about it. It reminded me of grilled vegetables and a good cigar. Thanks again, Bonnie!

Side note: I take my SAT’s tomorrow morning, wish me luck!

Big Trouble in Little Lapsang! #3 of 3

Ah yes and the best of the three for last. Thank you Bonnie for sending me another great tea from your backyard teahouse!

The reason I am rating this one highest is mostly because of two distinct factors. #1, the smokiness here actually has a flavor of its own instead of just tasting burnt. Try not to be grossed out, but if you have ever used a product called Liquid Smoke (hickory) as a boost to your barbequed chicken then you may have an idea of what I am talking about. Yes it’s smoky but not like an ashtray. #2, the base flavor of Happy Lucky’s LS holds its own – right through and through. There is a caramel nuttiness that goes pound for pound with the hickory smoke and creates, in my mind, what I imagine to be one of the better LS options out there for an aromatically charged balance of complexities that would impress many who like this kind of tea already from time to time.

journalogging #3 of 4

I must admit that I had never heard of Gyokuro before seeing it in the bag along with the others in the “welcome to tea” samples that Bonnie benevolently sent last week. I’m so very glad she did though because it truly stands up on its own in terms of having a differentiated flavor profile.

I first tried the preparation method of putting 2tsp in the bottom of a gaiwan and then covering it with ice, drinking sips as it melts. I was so intent on following directions literally after my fiasco (albiet a tasty one) with the Pu’er from Happy Lucky’s that I missed the point entirely and allowed this process to unfold in an air conditioned room that gave me a small gulp’s worth after around two hours of ice melt. I prefer my Lagavulin neat and I must say that gulp of Gyokuro made the hair on my neck stand up! note to self – try that again, outside, in the sun, and borrow some common sense if you are temporarily in short supply!

Luckily I was able to salvage the leaves and run them through a more traditional hot preparation and it was significantly, no, drastically better. English pea and macadamia nut are what came to mind as I enjoyed a yummy round on the Green.

journalogging #2 of 4

This one is from a local tea house in Colorado that Bonnie was gracious enough to add in with the other samples she sent. Thanks!

Alright! This one makes Pu’er number two! So similar yet so very different from the first one I tried..

I should start by saying that although I wouldn’t undo this encounter for anything – now wouldn’t be now if then wasn’t then – you should probably stick to 1 tsp per cup like the tea house recommends instead of being savvy with a digital scale and thinking 3g is the same thing as 1 tsp just because you read it somewhere! ..insert anecdote about men and following directions.. Regardless and moving on, using 3g per cup will yield a blackened amber colored liquor that reminded me of the water in the okefenokee swamp from a camping trip I took with my parents when I was in primary school! (Although I’m quite sure this tastes miles better and the comparison is just as it relates to the color.)

My experience with Gong Ting Wang in the early western style steepings was reminiscent of standing on the beach in a light jacket waiting for a sunrise – the saline presence was light and airy like the breeze coming in off of the breaks at that time of day. Simultaneously, there was a humming profile of warm dark whole wheat loaf that had honey butter spread across and then was left to it’s own devices for long enough that the two had become one.
In the middle to later steepings, most of the briny top layer faded as a more velvety toffee sweetness carried the flavor arc to a deliciously subtle waning. Tasty!!

Story (I have a review of tea for the morning)
I’ve had quite a long day. My ex-Husband, needed me to get some legal paperwork together so that he could sell his house (not mine anymore). I had to prep and fax 47 pages off to California along with notarized proof of my name as a favor.

What did I do to relax afterwards? Go to Happy Lucky’s for tea!

I always know that it’s dead quiet around dinner time, nice time to relax at the tea pub.
Sam was about to get off work and Joe (the cute guy in the picture that some of you ladies commented on) was minding the shop alone.

After a few minutes at the bar, my granddaughter Schey came in with Purple Hair…very cute on her…and joined me for tea.

We really had a great time until….the ghost tour arrived again. The line of ladies (no men) filed behind the bar, downstairs, then up again…grabbing iced tea and back out the door.

We drank our pot of yummy puerh (this is a great and reliable, smooth and rich puerh! I’ve reviewed it twice before and this is my really tasty every day kind of puerh. Not fussy, makes a good latte too.)
So we’re drinking puerh and then Schey had a meeting and left.

All of a sudden, 7 women came up from the basement with purple, pink, black and blond wigs on…all dolled up. Older women looking like they’ve been up to something (no idea what though).

I have no idea where they came from.
Joe said, “Didn’t you see them go downstairs before?”
“No I didn’t!”, I answered. Which was true. I never saw them go with the other people and why were they coming upstairs long after the others had left?
Strange. Don’t you think that’s peculiar?

I pointed out the firehouse poll and said something really stupid.

“That’s where the employees pole dance.”
(“OH shut up Bonnie! Whatever are you saying!!!”, I thought, exasperated with my bad habit of speaking without thinking first.)

The next thing that happened was that each woman had their picture taken in a sexy pose with the firehouse poll in the middle of Happy Lucky’s. Yes. Of course they did this. It was almost my idea!

Joe was laughing, I was hoping he wasn’t going to be mad at me later for my big mouth! (I did give him some news though.)

Hope the word doesn’t get out. I’d hate Happy Lucky’s to be the place in town for pole pictures!

Such is life. Never a dull moment.

Good Puerh and an interesting way to end the day!

What a great day! http://flic.kr/p/ccwmdJ (Ian with his Gaiwan)
Ian (my 11 year old grandson) and I went to tea at Happy Lucky’s Tea house. We had tea, and when we finished he had the WHOLE TEA WALL to choose a tea from as my gift. What does he pick? A PU-ERH! MY BOY! All on his own while I was sitting at the tea bar, he brought me the sample and asked if he could have THAT tea. I was dancing with joy, so thrilled!
We stopped at the Cheese Shop, the French Pastry Shop, then home. After setting chops to oven cook…we sat for a Pu-erh tasting before dinner.

The following is Ian’s review from my notes. My 11 year old buddy wanted to share his first ever Pu-erh experience!

I used a Gaiwan and there were 3 infusions at 1.5 minutes each.
The color of the liquor was light maple syrup, cocoa, light cocoa brown.

Ian’s Comment’s:
1. The first thing I tasted was water. Then, there was another taste like wet bark and a dry feeling. Something was like heat or fire.

2. I could tell right away the flavor popped. It reminded me of a smoky campfire in the woods and the leaves smelled like smoky leather.
(I added a little sugar to his tea) “WOW!” (He grinned from ear to ear) “That was good!It tastes like vanilla! I want some more!" He noted that the Pu-erh was making him “feel good”. (hee hee)

3. The last pour was a little lighter but Ian was anxious to have more tea. If it wasn’t dinner time I think he would have insisted on more steepings. The delight in this discovery was so much fun! I took a picture of him with his empty Gaiwan, leaves all wet at the bottom.

His last comment and the heart of the experience was…

“This is the best tea I have ever had!”

First Tasting Note

Yesterday I seasoned the Yixing Purple Clay Pot seen in the picture with tea (I took the photo and listed the tea). It was interesting to heat a lot of Pu’er, put the Yixing pot in the Pu’er and soak for many hours, rinse and repeat. There are several methods of seasoning pots but I liked this one. The Pu’er I used was a little 1 inch square that I picked up at a tea shop in Boulder for $1.29. When I began to brew it in my Gaiwan I almost went into shock! It was one of the finest Pu’er’s I’ve ever tasted! Vanilla cake…oh my…sweet and juicy…wah…I had to continue (but I did cheat and poured me a cup). This had better be a great cured Yixing pot!

Between the beautiful wood tray (shown) and Yixing I bought from Happy Lucky’s I spent about $50 for my 64th birthday coming up this month, and I think that I got a great deal!

This morning the rain was coming down steadily. What a glorious time to use my Yixing Pu’er-only-pot for the first time. I listened to Jim Marks comment on rinsing my leaves for less time so I only rinsed a few seconds. I let the leaves rest… (I think mine are not resting, they are bored with me). My Yixing looks like a little bird with a beak don’t you think?

I heated the pot, a little cup, and had boiling water in another glass pot under a cozy for multiple pourings. All set! (In the photo you can see how bark-like the tea looks.)

I used 1/2 tsp Pu’er for my steepings. The Yixing holds 4oz. water. I did 6 steepings before sloshing away with a smile on my face.

I’m used to Western Style brewing with longer steep times so, I could tell this new method would take some getting used to.

1. I like my Pu’er on the strong side. Beginning with 3 minutes…Huh?!…(a bit longer than the instructions say to do)…the wet leaves smelled sweet and fresh, like new fresh- picked tea and coffee beans. When I took my first sip of the dark liquor, I tasted almonds and salted pecans, then a dry peppery tannin at the front my mouth. This Pu’er was altogether sweet, rich and robust with a vanilla bean finish. A chewy first cup.

2. I cut back the steep time to 2 minutes and still had a juicy, sweet, oat bread cup. There was a hint of leather flavor which sent me to the leaves for a whiff. Yes, the wet leaves smelled like a new Coach handbag. Finishing my small cup, I thought there was a sneeky bit of cinnamon hidden in the tannin at the end. Could be?

3. Shortening the steep time to 1 minute the flavor was weakening but still good. The wet leaves were leathery scented, and the tea was getting juicier and spicy. Here was where I added a tiny, tiny bit of sugar. Not enough to really tell it was a sweet tea. This boost brought out a molasses, pecan nutty flavor that was like drinking a Southern Pecan Pie Pu’er with brown sugar molasses and pecans.

4.-6. As steepings progressed, more cinnamon and vanilla came to play which was enhanced more if a bit of sugar was added. I ended up with combinations ranging from steep times of 30 seconds to 3 minutes which all produced fine tastings. I do love my big, strong and burly Pu’er at the longer steep times the best. (That’s as far as I’m goin with that thought!)

Finally. There was no detection of fishy, musty, earthy Pu’er flavors. I only tell this because some people hate the musty or earthy Pu’er’s that I think are grand. This one is nuttier and would appeal to new drinkers I would imagine, but it is very hardy and rich none the less. Not expensive which is always a plus!

Everyone should have a neighborhood Tea House! Happy Lucky’s is my Pub, my place that I can go to for a pot of tea once a week and chat with the staff about tea and what’s going on around town. I bring in a tea sample now and then for them to try as a friendly gesture, and they save special treats for me too.

This Glenburn First Flush Darjeeling was almost gone but the guys wanted me to try it so the brewing began. I always sit at the tea bar watching all the action. People coming in and out of the shop, what’s being brewed, and the view out the window. I smacked down some Verdant Laoshan Black on the staff for their tasting and while they slurped away.. I began my tasting of this darjeeling.
I was impressed at how floral and sweet this tea was. So I purchased the last ounce available and took it home.

My steeping tonight produced a delightfully golden liquor. I chose to drink this cup after a fine Pad Thai dinner from Yung’s down the street.
The tea was fragrant with citrus and pear. Taking a sip, there was almost a bergamot flavor and smoke. Yes, bergamot. The tannin was a bit much so I added sweetening to lift the flavor upwards to a delightful finish. Ah, better. So much better that now this dargeeling has morph’s into Nectar. Juicy! Sweet Springtime Honey! Thickly coating my tongue and memorable. (now I can’t talk)

Um, this is good! Uh…gotta go read my fortune cookie!

Bonnie! you inspired me to have some delicious Lapsang Souchong with your review the other day! thank you for the sample. Deeelicous!
This is malty and smokey and just overall good. Mmmmmm.
With a sprinkle of sugar and some milk, this is my cup of “country home”.
I’m trying to figure out how it differs from my other lapsang experiences… and I think the main thing is that I feel like the leaves are not just smoked… but burnt. In a nice way!
Also, somehow, it tastes alot lighter… but rounder yet not as deep.
Mmmm. Thanks again Bonnie! xxx

Second Review. This time…Hot Tea Baby!
The last time I reviewed this tea, I had it on ice. NOT ICED, rather UNDER ICE. 2 tsp. in a pot with several ice cubes slowly melting on top and WOW!!! it was so concentrated in flavor and good! Ninja Tea.

What??? would this Gyokuro taste like hot? I had no idea? I’d never had a Gyokuro before the iced one. Never heated!

I began with 1tsp dry dark leaves in my Gaiwan and a 180f 1min steep. Since this was my first tasting, I used a double wall glass cup to catch the color which was the most fantastic bright (but pale) yellow green. Almost fluorescent!

The scent was not very vegital…but the flavor…ah…oh…ouch! WOW AGAIN! The flavor is like sweet corn but not. Creamy, buttery…and then…cool without tasting minty.
I wanted to say that I had just had chicken on the grill with fresh white corn…and had a swig of crushed ice from an empty glass…still sweet from Southern sweet tea. All of those flavors coming together…THAT! is what I tasted.
There is no bitterness at all even when cool. The coolness just gets more buttery and silky.

I Love this! I really Love this tea…!

http://youtu.be/WZ6HOUGE-Ok Aretha Franklin Baby I love You

Clouds are gathering…black and bulging with rain…waiting for the right moment to let loose and expload with a clap of thunder boom and clap of lightening!
Steepster is acting like it took a vacation. I strolled over to Facebook and noticed that my local tea shop (Happy Lucky’s) offered a free pot of tea to anyone who could guess the mystery tea of the day by figuring out a clue. Hum…“What tea is smoked over a fire…blah blah blah?” Lightbulb…“Lapsang Souchong”, I answered in my head.
Time passed. By 1 PM noone had guessed correctly, and Steepster was still on vacation.
I couldn’t take it anymore, so I picked out some tea samples for the nice employees who are so kind to me at the shop and off I went for tea.
When I arrived, and they saw me they knew I would guess right the mystery tea so I earned my free pot. BUT, what a marvelously wonderful pot it turned out to be!

I’ve never had Gyokuro tea before so this was special indeed.
A cast iron pot was prepared with 2 teaspoons of Gyokuro tea (high quality). Then, ice cubes were laid on top and allowed to melt slowly…providing small tablespoon sized tastings over and over again of the most delicious rich liquor.
This was beyond tea! The flavor was salty and rich like venison or the finest roasted lamb without any gaminess. The amount of coating on the tongue was unreal…more than any tea I’ve ever had. Aftertaste…beyond belief…lingering on and on. Each cup remained as good as the last. I can’t say enough about how good this tea was. It hit every taste bud, broke all the rules and stopped just short of what your pleasure center can tolerate.
Amazing tea! Amazing brewing method for this tea! I am going to repeat this method and enjoy, enjoy, enjoy! What a treat! Thank you to Happy Lucky’s!

Shinobi cha video…how to prepare: http://youtu.be/4UEZcq1qVtw

Sipdown 5

I’m pretty sure this one was from a swap at least 6 or 7 years ago. It still smelled super smoky but didn’t have a ton of flavor left. This was one of my first smoky teas and still one of my favorites. I recently found out I live not too far from this tea house so I’m definitely going to need to get some more soon! Especially since my partner recently discovered he also likes smoky teas!

Still the best Lapsang Souchong I’ve tasted. Wish I had more! I shared some with my roommate and she said she really liked it and it reminds her of bonfires with friends in high school.

I was definitely a little nervous about this tea at first. From what I’ve read of Lapsang Souchongs, you either love or hate them. When I opened this wonderful sample from Bonnie, it smelled like a bag full of smoked meat. While that sounds delicious, I was a bit hesitant for it as a tea flavor. Turns out, I really like the smokiness! I think it would have thrown me off if I hadn’t been expecting it, but this is very good! When I was eight, my grandmother’s house was still heated by burning wood, and this feels like being with my grandmother again. I feel like she should be here, sneaking me cookies when my dad isn’t looking :)

300th Review

I really thought hard about what to do with my 300th review. It should be special. Memorable at least to me. What tea would I choose?

I received tea in the mail today.

Still, I couldn’t decide.

Tick…tick…tick…

Stalling, I stopped by Happy Lucky’s Tea House after mailing 5 packages of tea off to Steepsters, and all my buddies were at the bar. I was greeted warmly as always.

My purse was jammed with gifts…a Butiki Good Morning Sunshine Guayusa, Verdant Laoshan White, Xingyang 1998 Golden Leaf Puer for Andy from Verdant, Butiki Blue Nettle Green Tea, all samples for my friends to try. Even the owner popped in for a taste. A gaiwan and little gonfu pot flashed into action.
I sat smiling and drank Lapsang Souchong, watching with glee as my Happy Lucky’s tea shop friends enjoyed their tasting.

Which brings me to the point of my 300th review.

My tea journey is about community. I have never tried to write a certain number of reviews per day, or crank out reviews to beat a record. It’s all about YOU really.
My relationship with you on Steepster…and my family, my community, my past, the environment, the whole World and God!
That sounds deep and you know I get funny, silly, crazy even.(That’s my celebratory side. Joyful abandon! The love of life.)

How can tea do this?

It’s like a mirror. Reflective. When you take a moment to stop…to be quiet in life and to be present in the moment…amazing things can happen inside. Amazing and healing things can happen.

I want to thank Happy Lucky’s Tea House for being friendly to me at a time in my life when I have had no other friends.
For accepting me at their tea bar as I am.
For picking up my cane when it falls.
For always smiling at me when I walk in the door.
For accepting my small gifts of tea.
Thank you so much! (sniffle)

Review:
Lion and Lamb is a Lapsang Souchong with a tender side. This is a blended smoky tea for those who just can’t hang with the full strength China Lapsang Souchong. There’s a bit of orange peel and a large amount of the best freeze dried Jasmine I’ve ever seen in my life. It’s just like Jasmine popcorn (which I said in my first review).
The first thing I do before brewing is pick out a few flowers for myself and crunch away. (so tasty and puffy light)
After 4 minutes, the pour is light and smoky without being overdone. You can taste a hint of roastiness from the Jasmine somewhere along the line of corn.
I like to have my smoked tea sweet, so I added a little bit and enjoyed my cup even more. ScottTeaMan likes this blend. He has no idea that I just picked some up as a gift for him. Surprise Scott! Happy 300th from me to you!

My review makes sense now doesn’t it. I brought my 300th home to where I am right now.

Here’s hoping that everyone can find a place like the one I have right
here in Fort Collins that welcomes you as a friend and serves you a good cup of tea!

http://youtu.be/bnvGwpO3bms My Town

First Review. I like smoky tea and this morning I was in the mood for that fire in the fireplace, cabin in the woods and bacon on the grill taste that a good Lapsang Souchong can give ( especially during Lent when the Eastern Orthodox world, moi,does not eat any meat or fish at all)…yeh bacon! Well…the fact that this has dried big puffy Jasmine flowers and small dry pieces of Orange rind was interesting. What would those additions do to the tasty tea? I set the steep at 4 minutes (3 was suggested). My first pour and sip was smooth, lighter than expected and smoky salty in a corn-on-the-cob sort of way. You could not taste floral or orange. Curious. You don’t need sugar with this tea but of course I added some just to see what would develop. A smidge of sweet produced the flavor of the brown (but not black/burnt) part of grilled marshmallow. Really good. This is my favorite Lapsang blend. You can drink a whole pot without feeling like you’ve been fighting a forest fire. Love that! I drank a pot and then had a second somewhat weaker steeping (should have let it set longer).