Popular Tasting Notes
Suddenly we now have a large chunk of this here wedding malarky sorted satisfactoraly. We had a meeting with the restaurant this morning and the battle plan for the day has taken shape. Now all we actually need is just invitations and our own outfits.
This totally calls for celebratory tea. I’m also celebrating with some chocolate cake so I chose a fruity one that might go well with it.
What I have actually ended up with, though is a rather curious blend, because it wasn’t until after I had almost poured a full cup and the contents of the pot suddenly didn’t fit, which it usually does, that I realised that I had about a third cup left from this morning. That was The du Tigres (or whatever. In this house goes by the name of Tigger Tea), also from LPdT. That one is smoky.
I think I’m about to discover what a flavoured Lapsang Souchong might be like. (Seriously, have either of you ever seen that? And I mean flavoured, not just blended into something flavoured. I would seriously like to know what that could result in)
My accidental blend of strawberry black and some cold half-day old Tigger Tea is actually surprisingly good. It doesn’t hurt that I’ve really managed to nail the strawberry on this pot. So it’s very strawberry-like and then I get some of the smoke coming in on top and near the end of the sip.
It sounds bizarre, I know, but it actually strikes me as a really interesting flavour. It makes me actually want to try and experiment a bit with smoky tea and fruit flavoured tea. Just the regular LS, though. The Jin Jun Mei that Spoonvonstrup sent me is obviously way too valuable for that sort of fooling about, and the Tigger Tea is getting a little low and the boyfriend has become very fond of it.
Alphakitty! Thanks for this!!!!
It’s sweet and vanilla and caramelly and somewhat spicy but it’s the sweeter spices not really chai spices! It’s very aromatic and flavorful in every way! It kind of has a cream soda sort of a taste to it, too! VERY creative, VERY unique…LOVE the LOVE that went into this one! Very nice!
It’s amazing how Stacy got this to really have a soda feel!
TeaEqualsBliss-Have you tried this with sugar? It tastes like a completely different tea with sugar. Definitely worth checking out.
Stacy – I haven’t…eeeek…I don’t have any left to try that…maybe my Sororitea Sista will send me a bit of hers :) teehee
Oh no. Next time I send you teas, remind me and I’ll add some Tamarind Pop. :)
Thanks so much Stacy!!!!! HUGS!
Hugs right back at ya :)
I have some of this in a box for you too… and you SHOULD DEFINITELY try it with a bit of sugar… it’s amazing.
I just had a sample of this for my morning tea & I just couldn’t put my finger on how the flavors came together until I saw you describe it as cream soda! Perfect description :)
So I was just sitting here quietly, recuperating after a weekend with my parents and little to no choice when it comes to tea. Two kinds, Steepsterites. TWO KINDS! That’s like… nothing! At least it’s good stuff, because it’s AC Perch’s own bags with real leaf inside that I bought for my Mum for Christmas once (and now seem to be drinking for her, because she sticks to her cheap stuff and saves these for me. headdesk ) So anyway, I was sitting here, minding my own business when suddenly,
WHAM!!!
I was hit by an unusual, but strong craving for green tea. A craving that meant serious business!
Nothing for it but to comply, then. I remembered that Autumn_Hearth sent me a number of green teas that I never finished sampling, so I thought dipping into those would be an excellent thing to do under these circumstances. I chose this one because I made a pot to share with Husband and the amount of leaf was Just Right for this purpose.
Bear in mind now, though, that my nose appears to be wanting to close up again so my sense of smell and taste may be ever so slightly off. Also the fact that I just ate a Fisherman’s Friend… Yeah. Ultra-good circumstances to try something new in, yes?!
I don’t usually bother much with the description of the colour of the tea, because tea is tea-coloured and I wind up repeating myself a lot if I do. So for me, that’s a fairly irrelevant bit of information unless something really strikes me about it, like it’s unusually dark for the type, or if it reminds me of something or if it’s, I don’t know, blue or something. Okay, maybe not blue, but you get my point. Unusualness.
This one struck me as being exactly the same colour as a gooseberry when I first poured the water on. I have to admit that I’m disappointed that it didn’t retain this colour all the way through, but I wasn’t really expecting it either.
What little I’m capable of smelling is totally floral. I’m not one of those people who can really tell the scent of different flowers apart, so either stuff is floral or it isn’t. This particular one, however, reminds me of lavender just off the top of my head, so I’m going to call it a lavender note.
That’s all I can find in my present state, though. I’m sure there must be more to it, but my nasal mucus membranes are not currently interested in participating in the experience.
Based on this, I fully expected something with a strong floral flavour, and what I actually got was a surprise. It doesn’t taste floral at all. Not even slightly.
There’s something vegetal going on here, which strikes me as borderline spinach-y, and then there’s something behind it that seems kind of salty.
Salty? O.o How absurd. I know other people have consistently found salty notes before, but I’ve never in my life really been able to pick that particular one out. It has always struck me as a pretty bizarre note to have in green tea, but I’m definitely getting it here. And I say again, O.o
I sincerely doubt I’m getting the full picture here, my health situation being what it is (I really thought I was finished having a cold! Why is it coming back?), but what little aspects I am able to taste here are very pleasant and definitely hitting that green craving spot.
I think Husband is enjoying it as well. He finished his off before me and accepted seconds. This wouldn’t happen if he didn’t like it.
Oh, Fishermans are on demand today :-)
They are my favourite throat pastil now that I can’t have my absolute favourite (kur-a-kof) anymore. I used to prefer those but they’ve disappeared from the shelves some years ago. I expect they weren’t selling well enough.
I could live without people automatically assuming I’m talking about the booze though! O.O
Drank while watching Princess Jellyfish (I’m very, very tempted to rewatch the whole series again tonight; I’d say it’s tied with Blood+ right now as my favourite anime). It was the perfect light, kind of nutty, buttery counterpart with just enough sweetness from the apple!
Very gentle.
I haven’t watched those yet. I’m glued to my Fairy Tail manga and I am currently watching Magi, Log Horizon and rewatching Sword Art Online as the new season is coming :D LONG LIVE ANIME!
My roommate likes Sword Art Online, but I’ve been putting off watching it specifically because he likes it, heh…
if you like .hack//sign or Log Horizon than you will like Sword Art Online. It’s very good and popular. Well you could always watch Attack on Titan it’s popular… I don’t really like it that much though. Dusk Madien Amnesia is good, 11 eyes was okay, Another was AWESOME and creepy as hell. Watch out for the umbrella! (watch Another and you will understand)
I have a friend who really wants me to watch Attack on Titan, but the art style bothers me a lot… Right now I seem to be on a bit of a Bishounen/Shoujo kick, though often I lean towards more fantasy type stuff.
Black Butler (kuroshitsuji) has a very nice art style and the manga just flat out rocks! Kamisama Kiss is good the manga is Kamisama Hajimemeashita. Also I recommend Ouran High School Host Club, Vampire Knight, Fruits Basket, My Bride is a Mermaid is funny, Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood (FMA doesn’t count) Fairy Tail of course, and umm.. dang it I’m drawing a slight blank right now but give me time and I can list more…
I’ve seen Ouran (albeit a while back) and Fruits Basket (also one of my favourites). I watched the first episode of My Bride is a Mermaid but it didn’t really do much to sell itself. Too many angry shouting Yukuza, and I got the sense that’d be a regular thing. My brother is watching FMA Brotherhood right now, and I’m waiting to hear his verdict. Fairy Tale is on my list of stuff to watch, but not totally sure I’m in the right headspace for it atm. I also really like Soul Eater, Digimon (up until Frontier), One Piece (I watch occasionally with my roommate, so what I’ve seen is sporadic), and Free! Iwatobi Swimming Club. I also very recently finished B Gata H Kei and thought that was decent enough, though I was disappointed in the ending.
I love Ouran and Fruits Basket, and just finished a long weekend Hell Girl marathon. I’m debating what to watch next – either Sekaiichi Hatsukoi again (cute boys!) Or something new. B gata h kei did end a little soon – apparently the manga goes on a good bit yet, buf the anime just didn’t get renewed??
well of course Digimon rocks, Black Butler is on Netflix season 1 rocks but the manga is better and still going, season 2 is weird and doesn’t count. Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood is awesome and I’m sure you’ll like it. I can’t stand One Piece but than I can never get past episode 1, or in the manga chapter 1 because the animation style bothers me.. it looks so childish… and I’ve only seen the first two episodes of Naruto before deciding it was stupid. Soul Eater is pretty interesting but I’ve only got to Death Junior I think his name was.. the weird kid with the obsession with being perfect. Angel Beats is a good show. Magi is really good!! It is kind of addicting to watch Magi so I warn you now. I’ve seen an episode of Free! Iwatobi Swimming Club and it’s in my Crunchyroll que but between Magi and Log Horizon it hasn’t got much attention… poor thing I’ll watch it tomorrow so it stops feeling left out.
@ AnnaEA unfortunately a lot of animes get cancelled but the manga continues. Oh D Gray Man is really good but the anime and manga are both kindof in limbo at the moment but still worth it. I haven’t seen Hell Girl yet. Trinity Blood was good, Black Blood Brothers was also good if I remember correctly. GUNDAM WING rocked but then anything Gundam is usually good, Escaflowne the manga was deliberately done differently than the show and the show actually came first both were awesome though.
@AnnaEA, B Gata H Kei was supposed to have a second season but because of complaints/content and what not it didn’t happen initially. Supposedly it’ll be released sometime this summer. Supposedly. @Helena, Death The Kidd! He’s awesome. Definitely one of my favourites. The problem I have with Soul Eater is that I only like half the characters; I can’t stand Liz, Patty, and Black Star. I have a friend who likes Angel Beats and I watched the first episode with her, but I just didn’t enjoy it a whole lot.
They need to release the volumes of Princess Jellyfish faster. There are only 13. The sooner they make more of it, the sooner the anime can have a second season.
well it got better after the first episode when you figure out everything it can be quite sad. Not nearly as sad as Clannad After Story even if it did have a happy ending.
Inuyasha is always a must :D
I thought I was the only person who LOVES Blood +. #latetotheparty
Blood+ is my favourite anime (tied with Princess Jellyfish)!
Thank you to Joe at Happy Lucky’s Tea House for this taste!
Today I went for my regular Sunday Tea. Almost immediately after perching myself on a high barstool, a special bag of tea was whipped out from behind the bar by my grinning tea professional, Joe.
“Here it is, the 1982 Wenshan Baozhong I told you about,” said Joe.
“Heh, chimed in Eric, none of us were born when this was produced.”
(Which made me groan!)
“Really? Thanks!” I said, pretty excited to try a tea that old!
Instead of me bringing a tea for my friends to try, they had a special tea to share with me! An Oolong 30 years old from Taiwan!
Joe made sure that I was presented with the tea in a formal way for viewing at every stage of the process.
First, I looked at the long dark twisty leaves, some with a little green on the edges. I smelled them but they had little fragrance since they were so very old and dry, but they were lovely.
Next the tea was brewed in a Gaiwan and then poured into cups and the leaves placed in front of me so that I could smell the aroma. Whiskey, apple, tobacco, honey.
The fragrance of the wet leaves was unbelievable. Everything about the leaves was a symphony of shifting melodies.
The flavor was so delicate that as soon as I decided on one flavor it was gone and another took it’s place. Again another one was also elusive and gone. The flavor’s were moving around like sheets of silk on a breeze.
Plum, light colored jujube, honeysuckle, apricot, yellow delicious apple, yellow raisin, and always back to a mystery flavor or flavors that I could not figure out at all.
Oh my.
My friends had as much of a laugh at my delight in drinking this special tea as I have when I bring one to them.
This is what hospitality is truly all about!
Thank you Joe! http://flic.kr/p/d8Zvvs (Here’s Joe!)
What a cutie!! and a generous one to. Is he single? ;)
Yes but not for long. And he dances! He’s a lindy hop dancer!!!
lol I don’t doubt that he’ll be snatched up in a second!
I wish I could have visited Happy Lucky’s while I was in Fort Collins! There seems to be great teas there. Next time I’m in CO, I’ll have to stop by. Also, the other places you mentioned
Bonnie…I’ll fight you for him! I need a good man who can swing! teasing
Hey Bonnie, do they ever do live music at Happy Lucky’s? I’m thinking I should go on a Tea House tour… : )
Oh wow, he does the lindy hop! That’s wonderful!
He traveled internationally dancing! I think that the 4 young men Andy, Sam, Joe and Eric who work at Happy Lucky’s are the tea fearsome foursome! They know their stuff!
Now that “Joe” has been made aware of his fans (Hi there Joe)he not only doesn’t mind the nice comments but would return them based on my recommendations that you are all the cream of the crop, finest of the fine, fairest of them all (too many fairy tales).
Hi Terri, we occasionally have music at Happy Lucky’s. It’s gotta be the right fit though, since we are a small place. Shoot us an email if you’re going to be in town. [email protected]
FINALLY actually enjoying a cup of tea! Yes I must be getting better! Finally thank goodness!
I wanted something vanilla but still a bit weak to get too far into my cupboard to find the one I was looking for also from Della Terra but marshmallow – close enough and it is SO SO GOOD!
Its nice to have a cup and be able to taste and enjoy it again. This whole past week I have felt like an appendage was gone.
Good to hear that you are feeling better!
Nice to see you back Azzrian
So glad you are feeling better!
oh, what a relief it must be for you! So glad you are better Azzrian… I have some S’mores on its way, with so many people raving about it, I’m getting quite anxious!
oh dear, to not drink tea… you must have been seriously out :(
Glad you are on the mend xx
I am glad to hear that you’re getting better. Get as much rest as possible, I found that made me feel better faster than anything. That and a good cup of tea, of course!
Sometimes just because you CAN do something, doesn’t mean you SHOULD . For instance, just because you CAN eat four Krispy Kreme donuts in one car ride does not mean you should eat them. Or just because you CAN chug two bottles of water in under a minute, does not mean you should. I, of course, am speaking in the hypothetical here however should you decide to do those things and just happen to feel quite nauseous, you may want to drink a mint tea. Perhaps one like this tea. Just a thought.
Omg I miss Krispy Kreme doughnuts. They had them here in Canada for like five minutes once upon a time, and I could blow through a box no problem. Could have, I mean. I never did that, obviously. I meant it hypothetically.
Of course, all hypothetical here :P. And should you hypothetically be in search of more, last I heard there was Krispy Kreme downtown by the Eatons Center.
Are you serious?!?! that’s such good news…hypothetically speaking. Really good news for those people (unlike me) who enjoy sugar. Yup, good for those people.
We still have one in Mississauga, but you don’t find them anywhere else here anymore. They attempted to expand to fast, and crashed and burned.
Apparently there are two downtown Toronto: http://www.krispykreme.com/select-your-store
Are they a lot better than Tim Horton’s doughnuts? I only ever had their original glazed once and didn’t care for it. There used to be one in Calgary but it apparently only lasted a few years.
I have an insane sweet tooth so I love them but most people find them disgusting. It is hard to compare them to Tim’s though just because they are so different (as in they are all coated in sugar whereas Tim’s aren’t :P)
I only like them when fresh and hot. I find the cold glaze ones greasy and well gross. I think that’s why their attempt at selling them at other stores failed. They have some interesting flavours of filled donuts though, some of which are pretty good.
The only place I’ve encountered them is at fundraisers, and… how old are those donuts? :O
(that didn’t stop me from buying a box… OMG)
I prefer cake donuts, which is good because there are no delicious light fluffy sugary melt-in-your-mouth gluten free donuts. There is a Krispy Kreme here, and my boss sometimes brings in a box. So tempting, so dangerous.
Mmm donuts
I’ve decided that this tea and Star Trek are going to be an integral part of my life starting now. Small commitments.
Preparation
OMG Star Trek. I’m so obsessed right now. Enjoy the tea :)
Which Star Trek? :-)
can’t wait to get my sample of this from cavo…
Agh, this is one I missed and possibly regret missing. Sigh.
I’m waiting for my sample from Cavo too :)
Haha. Kittena – you want a sample too? I don’t want you to feel left out!
Hmmm. Going to try this again tomorrow. My first try was not pleasant. I think I steeped too long.
I would love a sample! :D Just enough for a cup would be plenty. I was up in the air about buying this for the longest time, because I don’t always like 52teas’ lemony flavours, and then it sold out :( Feel free to peruse my cupboard as well if you’d like :)
Chelle, I found this tea to be quite strong the first time I had it too. I’ll write a more detailed note on the tea after I’ve tried it as an iced latte.
Fuzzy_Peachkin, Right now I’m into the latest two movies and the original series with Shatner, Takei, etc. I haven’t seen anything else. Yet.
Oooh that’s pretty exciting! I should watch the original series back to back! My bf and roommate love Star Trek, but they don’t want to watch the episodes in order – they’d rather show me “the BEST”. I tried telling them that I watch Doctor Who and Harry Potter and I have a pretty good tolerance… but nooooooo.
lol, Cacocorax! Let me guess? Trouble with Tribbles?
Crowkettle: I still haven’t seen the second new movie. I gotta get out to the movies this weekend. I love the original ST, but my favorite is The Next Generation. Bring back memories of evenings spent watching it with my Dad and brother. :-)
Alright, tasting note 300!
This was a wonderful tea to come home to. It won’t knock your socks off; instead, it’ll kneel at your feet, remove your socks kindly, and then give you a hug. And it’ll smell of good things: home, innocence, laundry (laundry? shut up, keychange!). Ok ok, so it doesn’t smell like laundry. But how can a creamy cup of coconut tinged with raspberry not be comforting on a day that makes you feel as though winter has taken up residence in your very soul and will be there forever and ever? I hate all these layers of clothes; I hate feeling like a graceless sausage as I try to cram legs into leggings and then dress pants just so I can freeze at the office anyway. I hate having to walk so gingerly so as to not slip and fall, which given that I seem to have terrible balance at the best of times, is bound to happen nonetheless. And I hate the fact that I get cold so quickly—like I’ll be standing outside for ten seconds and then start shaking violently as if I’m having a seizure, and like, no thanks. How needlessly dramatic. But this tea really does make me feel as though a coconut and sun-screen laden summer isn’t terribly far away.
And those are my deep thoughts for the evening. Back to bitching about the cold and being annoyed at having to wake up early tomorrow morning.
Preparation
300 woot!
Yay 300!
I also despise winter. We can survive it though. Summer is getting closer every day!
300! Yay!
Congrats on 300!!
Woot! Go 300 go!
Fireworks for 300!!!!
Yay! 300! Congrats!
Happy 300! I’ve starting burning summery candles to help push those winter blues aside!
Thanks guys! We can beat this winter! one tasting note at a time!
Let me just say that I love reading your tealog notes—your comments on tea are great, but I also love your amusing anecdotes and descriptions (“I hate feeling like a graceless sausage as I try to cram my legs into leggings…” HAHA! I can totally relate!) Anyway, thanks for sharing your thoughts! :-D
Oh, thank you! Reading that comment just made my day!!
Battling a mild case of the Janu-weary blues—you know, the kind that makes you want to gnarf a whole box of Russell Stover cream centers…so in the interest of health and waistline, I limited myself to a cookie and a cup of this really nifty, chocolate-y, nearly completely guilt-free goodness. A little half and half elevates it to the satisfaction level of a cup of cocoa with figgy aftertaste. Recommended if you’re grumpy. Recommended if you’re not.
I recently finished a box of See’s chocolates and oh, do I miss them ha ha.
Ayup. I am there with you.
I an unspeakable amount of bread today. Same source.
I feel you! I have Seasonal Affective Disorder which fluctuates Winter to Winter. This year hasn’t been too bad (thankfully) but I’ve been eating chocolate like it’s a food group! lol
Glad to hear I am not only one with Janu-weary blues. I felt it so strong yesterday, but today it’s much better.
I think, without realizing it, I’ve struggled a little with the seasonal affective thing since I was a kid—like teapartyfortwo, some winters more than others.
Love this one as a dessert-y beverage.
I have had a few really bad days as cold weather finally hit and we had a full day of freezing rain. I finished a box of Bissinger’s chocolates and started on a Godiva. Law, how I wish I had a box of See’s….and you know what? I am a grown woman with a credit card. Wonder how long it will take to get here…
I’ve been sitting on a See’s order since December and was finally tempted enough this morning to hit submit after reading ashmanra’s comment. I’m a grown-up and I can buy my own box of chocolates if I want!
Haha, people, you are killing me. Thank you for reminding me about the chocolates AND the shortbreads I’ve been thinking about ordering online.
Janu-weary, how have I never heard this? Hang in there!
I live two blocks from See’s. Yee who have little access need to let me know what your favorites are and I can always include some sweet treats with a swap.
If I lived near See’s, I’d be …just like a kid in a…
Oh how I love a box of chocolates… I don’t think I have had See’s though! I guess I just realized in the winter it’s usually about wittling down whatever chocolate is about…like every day…chocolate.
Just want to add, See’s Dark Salted Caramel might be the best I’ve had. Regretting now that there was only one in my box.
They do that so you must buy more, Shae. :D
Well, it WORKED.
When one woman’s ick is another woman’s nom, it’s awesome that we can share. fleurdelily didn’t care for this one, and although it’s far from my Perfect Vanilla Black, I can guarantee that it will get legs to walk on in this house. :)
Return parcel will follow. Eventually. Please be patient with me…
Aww that’s great! I hate to waste things, and I feel so much better when someone else can make good use of it :) I am actually glad you disagree with my opinion of the tea LOL ! much less guilt for me, and happy Noms for you :) YAY!
I have taken to putting things I didn’t care for in a special box so that I can use it to pad swaps. The recipient might like it better than me. :)
A bit out of topic, but regarding vanilla, if you ever have the chance to try (or just smell) a Mariage Freres tea called Black Orchid do so. It´s very very vanilla to me, but not normal vanilla. It might be a hate-love thing, and not sure where you would fall on it, but it´s got to be a competitor for any vanilla tea quest! I did not get it, it was not what I was in the mood for at the time ( and mariage frere´s vanille des iles is a more normalish vanilla, and I think you do NOT want their rooibos rouge bourbon, it´s very light on vanilla and very rooibos-ish. I like it, but it´s one of those things I would not recommend unless to unabashedly rooibos lovers).
TLDR – Black Orchid, it´s a strange vanilla tea, but worth checking IMO.
Vanilla but abnormal vanilla…. scratches head that sounds either abysmal or awesome, and I can’t decide which! I’ve been planning for years to order from MF some day, so I’ll put it on the list and see if I ever get to it. :)
It is a weird vanilla – I am so unsure if you will love or hate it. But it is very interesting vanilla, sultry sort of. And vanilla, real vanilla pods are on themselves complicated smells, very vanilla (duh!) but they are orchids which are spices, floral and spicy and something.
But as I said i did not buy Black Orchid so it´s not really a rec. But if you can check it, do: I was absolutely fascinated by its very complex scent.
Well, I put it on the list, and I put MF on the to-do list so that I can remember the next time I want to order tea. Probably won’t be for a while, though. I’m in frugal mode at the moment.
So last week I placed a Butiki order. Then I saw TastyBrew’s review of this tea & there was a conversation somewhere in the discussion boards about it too, & it was like: I must have this! I’m salivating already!
One of the awesome things about STACY is that she actually participates regularly on Steepster, & it was SO EASY to have her add an oz of this. I am SO GLAD I did! Because OH MY GOD, it is DELICIOUS!
Ms Theresa, whispering “shhhhh, little terri, use your inside voice”
LT “Sorry, it’s just SO YUMMY!!!”
So, I’ll confess, as soon as I opened the box yesterday I opened this tea & breathed in. The smell of the dry tea freaked me out a little, it’s very buttery, WAY buttery, almost too buttery smelling, & cream-like too. It’s SO rich smelling! I was a little nervous…
BUT I brewed it, & this afternoon I brewed another cup, & it is the best tasting caramel tea I’ve ever tasted. Unbelievably delicious. Also, I love vanilla, but haven’t been all that excited about any of the vanilla teas I’ve tried. Even vanilla comoro didn’t quite deliver what I was hoping for, although brewed double strength it’s not bad. I think the last time I had that, I said that I wished I could add caramel flavor to it.
My wish came true in this tea! The Assam is assertive enough to give the cup depth, the Vanilla & Caramel are so perfectly balanced but also strong enough to really be tasted. As far as I’m concerned, Stacy is the Mistress of the Arts & this is the quintessential Caramel Vanilla tea! It even re-steeps rather well! We love you Stacy! You Rock!
BTW, TastyBrew’s review of this tea is so perfect, that I’m just rambling!
Yay!!! I’m so glad you like it too! It’s sooooo good!
SO JEALOUS.
The paltry oz I ordered is NOT gonna cut it!
“Please, sir, I want some more…”
Yeah, I had her put some aside for me after I had my first cup. 1oz definitely not gonna cut it! I went huge and got 4oz. That way I won’t feel like I have to save it for special occasions. I don’t have that kind of will power.
oh thank god. it’s this one. I wasn’t sure that it was this one when you mentioned it earlier. Pretty sure i get 1.5oz of the 2 we jointly ordered
Yep, you get 1.5/2 :P I figured I’d be conservative and pick up more later :D
conservative! pshaw! go big or go home! which is where i wish i could be. YAY for more problems!
little terri throwing a tantrum: “I want MOAR!!!”
Terri-So glad you are enjoying this! I never know how a tea will be received until it is reviewed a few times on here. I just had a cup as I was writing up the tea description. Yums! This will be up on our website in a few hours.
Awesome!
Leave it to Stacy to create a dreamy caramel vanilla tea. :)
Ordered some! Can’t wait!
I have received the experimental samples from Peony Tea S! You know, the offer for people outside of the US to test the shipping procedure. Three things I got, and this one was the only one I asked for. For the other two I just said which types I’m not usually very keen on and let Derek Chew pick something out for me. I suspect he may have been looking at my previous posts on Steepster, and my general likes and dislikes. One is a Dancong, which is a type I’ve had very good experiences with recently and the other is a Wuyi Sacred Lily, which is something I don’t believe I’ve ever tasted before. I’m almost always up for something new. Especially something new coming from Fujian, om nom nom!
Now I’m just waiting for the two orders of the First Wave of Post-Wedding Shopping to arrive. A massive one from TeaSpring which I would be surprised if it didn’t result in a customs fee and a smaller one from a Danish tea shop I haven’t tried before. There’s a 100g of Panyong in the latter. If it’s even remotely as lovely as my beloved Tan Yang Te Ji, then I shall definitely return to that shop. Again and again and again. My debitcard will thank me for keeping the Te Ji as a special occasions kind of tea.
Anyway, that was a tangent. THIS one came to me for absolutely free because of Peony Tea S’ very friendly offer. (Customs people opened the box and apparently 150g total of tea does not land me with extra customs fees. Explain then the time I had to pay fees on a similar amount from 52teas! Anyway. That’s also a tangent.)
As mentioned this is one I had requested, because a) I would never say no to a Lapsang. b) I would never say no to a Fujian black of any sort, really. c) I have never had an unsmoked LS before.
This is a whole new territory for me. How exciting!
Now, you may or may not remember me having talked about the Perfect LS before, about how it must be smoky, not too much and not too little, and how it must have a robust, fruity-sweet substance to it underneath the smoke, so that it does not just become something akin to standing in a smoke-filled room with a mouth full of water. That is my Perfect LS.
Therefore, I am expecting from this one a lot of the robust, fruity-sweet substance, and perhaps something along the lines of floweryness or pseudo-smoke like in Keemuns.
The leaves certainly smell like I expected. They are fruit-y sweet and with a strong aroma. There’s something vaguely floral about it as well, and I am very pleased to say that it also has a lot of that special Fujian cocoa-y note. It smells quite similar to Tan Yang.
That’s a good start!
The similarity doesn’t end there, and the brewed cup also smells somewhat Tan Yang-y. It’s a bit grain-y now and still with the cocoa note to it, but with the fruity sweetness of the LS. I have never experienced these notes this clearly before, they’ve always been masked by smoke.
PTS describes the flavour as ‘fruity, light with a sweet aftertaste’. I agree, although I find it cocoa-y as well as fruity. There is fruit there. My brain thinks of fresh figs, which is odd, because I don’t actually like figs and I’ve never been able to tell what they taste like apart from ‘unpleasant’. Like my tongue just concluded they were no good and refused to finish tasting them. Apparently I like them as a naturally occuring note in tea. (I’ve had a fig flavoured oolong once. It was… not for me, really)
A flash of lightly prickly pseudo-smoke at first, like in Keemun, then the brief appearance by cocoa, and finally we slide into a long fruity note and aftertaste. Again, very reminiscent of Tan Yang, but a little drier. Not particularly astringent, mind. Just… drier. (Synesthesia report, dark, dull-y grey, like something black and shiny which has not been dusted for a while.) Not as smooth as I had expected, but then no Lapsang has ever been smooth, really. Smooth under the smoke, perhaps, but I can’t claim to say that smoke is a smooth note in itself. This just goes to show that it’s not only the smoking process that makes an LS prickly.
I find myself reluctant to share this one with my husband. My brain says it’s because I’m not sure he would enjoy that overall dryness much (he hasn’t in the past), but my heart suspects it’s because I want it for myself.
Until recently I had never even heard of unsmoked LS before. I wouldn’t even have been able to imagine such a thing. Now? This is definitely a type that deserves a lot more attention. And it is a type to itself. It feels like a completely different beast than your regular smoked LS. This stuff? Really very lovely.
So, if you don’t care for Lapsang Souchong because of the smoke, don’t let that scare you away from an unsmoked LS.
Oooh, this sounds super yummy!
It’s very nice. The husband is growing very fond of it. :)
This sounds so lovely!
I am feeling guilty here because I also received very kindly 3 teas from the Peony Tea S and have not tried them yet. I am keeping the white tea unopened in the fridge and eyeing it, but can not get over my mental block about tea when it is so hot. I am yearning for some autumn already!
It’s been slowly moving towards autumn up here, but Husband said that when he was in the UK just last week it was really warm. But then again, that’s just a bit further south than Denmark.
Here it is pretty hot, awfully so – temperatures not quite as high as a few weeks ago, but a nastier heat, more humid. I have tried to get over my no-tea-in-summer block, but can not yet! oh well, the tea is well taken care of and is waiting for me.
I love artichokes. They are my all time favorite salty food. Green tea with artichoke? Sounded promising… Must try it. Tonight, finally, I get around to this sample. It has been a very busy couple of weeks and I have managed to get carpel tunnel in my right hand from typing… So I believe my tasting notes will be a bit shorter than usual for a while.
The dry tea smells vaguely fruity. It reminds me of a mild version of Adagio’s Guanabana tea. The leaves are bright green and inviting.
Once brewed it smells a bit like artichoke, but not enough. It is tasty, but not quite artichoke tasty. It has a pleasant sweet aftertaste, similar to the aftertaste of an artichoke. Still taste a bit of fruitiness.
I have to confess that I decided to add a dash of salt to see what happened. Turns out it was a bit more savory, but also reminded me a bit of drinking sea water…. So probably won’t be doing that again. I rather not feel like I am sipping watered down ocean…
Adagio gets points for coming up with this amazing idea. It still needs some work before it is perfect, but I enjoyed it plenty.
Enough typing for now. Time to rest my aching hand… Argh… Why did I work so hard!!! : (
Preparation
I love the IDEA of artichoke too! I hated the big worms I had to pluck off my plants…they were inches long and were bright green with what looked like Red eyes and horns at both ends to scare off preditors and me! Krystaleyn knows what they are probably! (maybe she eat’s um!) I love, love artichokes though!
Tomato hornworms! Disgusting, nasty things. At least that’s what I think you’re talking about. I confess I’ve never actually seen an artichoke growing to my knowledge :)
The artichoke my MIL grows are full of earwigs. They love those crevices… Good thing I’m not a huge fan of artichokes.
Earwigs eeks maybe the hornworms ate um! No earwigs evah! Perfect soil …Monterey Coast not far away is sandy and lots of artichokes are grown in Castroville (Amy Oh knows) .But those worms get really long and you have to pluck um off ick!
Yeah, we were down there about 6 weeks ago but I’ve never gotten up close and personal with the bugs. ewww!
I’d rather worms than earwigs. Shudder. Maybe I should move out to where you are to plant my dream garden and forget about California.
No! I have no idea if you can grow artichokes in Colorado? There are tons of organic farms here though and one of the locations of the World Seed Banks is here in town. I love the NO GMO availability.
I think artichokes like the sandy soil and the ocean air…
H,… Interesting?
I think Amy is right! Here we grow mean melons, cabbage and root veggies, corn, peaches, vines and we grow BEER!
I grew up in Nevada. We had them on the canals and drain ditches. Any where there was standing water or water that kept the soil pretty moist. No one really cultivated those. We were just careful when we harvested them.
Yep… I’m a Harry Potter fanatic. And… yep… that’s why I bought this tea.
Of the black teas that I’ve tasted from Adagio thus far, this is my favorite. The caramel, creme and vanilla work in synergy to create a beautiful flavor that is creamy, sweet, and delicious. If you don’t care for sweet teas, this is NOT the tea for you.
Interestingly enough, the one thing I think that this tea could use is a slight smoky flavor. Ha! Can you believe that I said that? (Well, actually I didn’t say it, I typed it, but, I actually thought it as I typed it, can you believe that?) The sweetness, while very lovely, could use an interesting contrast that would be provided by a smoky note. Perhaps that will give me something to do with the caravan…
Some ginger would also be interesting in this.
Overall, I like it though.
Hehe, I’m a Harry fan too. I could never tell from the books whether ButterBeer was alcoholic or not. Seemed that it was, but also seemed strange that kids as young as twelve were drinking it…
I’m also a Harry Potter fan (or raving fanatic, more like it). From what I can gather, I think BB is just slightly alcoholic. If you remember in book 4 when Harry Ron and Hermione are down in the kitchens, Dobby explains to Harry that Winky’s been downing the BB a lot, and while it isn’t strong for humans, it’s really getting Winky messed up.
Wow. I sound like a total nerd.
Erin: I was just going to say that! Not the “total nerd” part, but the just slightly alcoholic part and how it affects the house elves more than humans.
It’s good to know I’m not alone! I know the specifics of certain beverages in the HP world, and yet I can’t memorize facts for my history exams. Figures.
And it’s okay, you can say it: I am a total nerd (and proud of it)!
My hubby calls me a “harry potter nerd” and a “tea nerd” and even an “art weirdo.” The one I take offense with the most is the “art weirdo” one… not because of the “art” but because of the “weirdo” – it just has always had a negative connotation to me. Call me strange, unique, unusual, or even odd… but not weird.
Love Harry & Ron & Hermione! Have you heard Jim Dale read the HP books on audiobook? Fantastic! I listen to it on my ipod while trying to get house things done. Too funny about this tea, though. We tried the jelly beans (bertie botts), too. LOL!
My daughter bought some of the every flavor beans way back when too… but I could never bring myself to try one… I was always afraid I’d end up with a dirt flavored one or something like that.
Yes! I was quite young when the first few books came out (1st and 2nd grade), so my mother used to play the cassette tapes in the car. Chamber of Secrets was the first chapter book I ever read by myself (in the 2nd grade). All together now: “Awwwww!”
Erin – as I was reading your post, I’m thinking ‘awwww’ to myself but you beat me to it! My Hubby and I read the books to our kids as night-time/bedtime stories, too. :)
I don’t usually plug my own writing, particularly on my “blog” which isn’t updated enough or short enough postings to really fit the common definition of blog, but you Harry fans might find this interesting: http://morganasspot.blogspot.com/2008/09/was-dorothy-slytherin.html
I did find it interesting, although I must now admit that I’ve never seen The Wizard of Oz…!
Erin – I’ve read your comments and I know you hailed from NJ and moved to TX and that’s all in the USA – you must’ve seen the Wizard of Oz – on TV? On tape? On DVD? NO? I’m stumped! :) __ Morgana __ , nicely written – go ahead, plug your own writings!
Actually, the comparison was with the book version which is different from the movie version — in the movie version Oz only appears as a large head. You can read the Wizard of Oz online, it is long out of copyright protection. I think I may have linked to it in that piece. It’s well worth the read if you haven’t read it before.
I honestly didn’t even know that it was a book first. I sincerely hope that in 50 years or so there won’t be kids who didn’t know that Harry Potter was a book first.
When I 1st saw the name of this I thought it was a 52teas blend!=D
I totally dislike Wizard of Oz. I guess because every year it was shown on TV, and guess what… every year, we had to watch it… UGH. It was like my stepmother’s favorite movie or something and we always had to watch it with her like some sort of cruel torture or something.
Hmmm… the review of this tea that I wrote for the Tea Review Blog just published: http://www.teareviewblog.com/?p=11567
In it, I mention that the black tea is a pleasant tasting Ceylon base that isn’t too terribly strong. I must have steeped the tea for a much shorter time when I wrote that review than I have in subsequent tastings of Adagio’s black tea. Perhaps that is the key with their blacks… short brewing time.
I’m a huge Harry Potter fan as well. Funny enough, I didn’t start reading them until my 1st year of college when it was required for a class. The professor didn’t know what she started! :) Also, I have a slightly obsessive love affair with Alan Rickman…so the fact that he plays Professor Snape doesn’t hurt one bit.
I’ve had really bad luck with Adagio but this sounds pretty awesome (and I love HP too)!
I listened to HP audiobooks (UK version is best) on long car trips, sometimes the 8 hour drive wasn’t long enough for me!
I’m with you on the Alan Rickman love!
AmazonV – was Jim Dale reading on the UK version? I loved his reading/characterization of the HP series on the audiobooks that I have!
Too true about Alan Rickman – it’s his voice!
~lauren oh my I can’t remember but it was a wonderfully enthusiastic gentleman, must better than the lackluster US one
I love Alan Rickman too!
I made this into tea syrup the other night- I brewed 1 cup of tea triple strength, and then simmered the tea with 1/2 cup of sugar and let it cool. Now I’ve been adding a few spoonfuls of it to club soda…HOLY CRAP SO GOOD!
It tastes like strawberry rhubarb cream soda with a hint of tea. dies
Everyone should try this!!!
However- when I was putting the dry leaf in the steeper, I came across a particularly large piece of bunny graham…and made the mistake of nibbling it. DON’T TRY THIS AT HOME! bleh! I had to rinse off my tongue LOL
Yay! Tea soda for everyone!
:D :D :D
I guess I’m adding this on my list of things to make into tea sodas (along with DAVIDsTEA’s Coconut Grove, Butiki’s Root Beer Float, and 52Teas’ Very Big Hill Dew Honeybush).
so happy people like this blend heh
Will definitely have to try this… I’ve been thinking about tea sodas recently!
wow, I should try this!
Brilliant! I need to try this.
=0)))))
Awesome idea!
This sounds so good!!
Grabbed this one for Sil, as it’s likely a Dammann Frères blend, and stole a tiny bit to try for myself. It’s good, really good! Even unsweetened it’s thick and syrupy, full bodied and luscious. I may need to find more of this at some point, if I get through the rest of the teas I’ve been hoarding … carrying 50+ different kinds of tea on while traveling indefinitely must point to some form of addiction.
Flavors: Caramel, Thick
Preparation
oh YAAAAY!!!!! this just made my day a whole lot better… because i’m working today….on my day off…
Oh boo got working on your days off. Yep, you have a whack if this on its way to you!
Gah, another one goes on the wishlist. Now that I’ve found a great vanilla tea, I’m on a quest for a great caramel one.
totally going to not share much of this one with the others… i’m calling it my payment for divying up things and sending it all out lol
Nightshifter, I’d say Sil is the Queen of caramel teas. Sil, that was the whole point! :)
i know MissB..just declaring it for the world to see!
Hee! Hoarding teas while travelling?! Do they have their own section in your bag now? :_
Whoops. :)
Ok I need to tour Europe. This clinches it. (all for the tea. well, and the sightseeing/culture as an added bonus haha)
My laptop bag is, well, my laptop, passport, and tea. It’s a great way to travel, tea exploring! Heh.
I bought mine from Mandala, and it’s deeeelish!
Smells like flowers and fruits in the summertime. It’s been a long day, and I’m not feeling very poetic, but this is great. Went and bought a whole cake. Yum.
Preparation
I need one of those pneumatic tubes running from Mandala & Whispering Pines to my house. Would save so much time and provide so much instant gratification
Ha! Awesome idea!!!!
I almost have one, am one postal center away, just La Crosse and then my doorstep.
Yum yum, sarsy :-)
(I envy you Cwyn)
I think I am actually glad they are out of stock, it prevents me from buying it.
Yay Cwyn! I hope you like it!
Oh wow, Allan. I didn’t realize I got one of the last ones.
Cwyn, I’m super close too :) Although I’ve never ordered from Mandala and it’s only about an hour away from me.
mj – you NEED Mandala.
If I lived only an hour away from Mandala, poor G-Dawg would never get me out of his shop.
Right? I would be all up in there all the time
Yep, I would probably be asked to leave. But then I would say no. And then there might be harsh language and everything. It’s probably good that I live quite a distance.
But maybe we should plan a tea tour, Missy, someday. I’d love to find a way to hit all our fave places!
We can do that
It would be fun!
Traveling tea party! Woo!
We have wee tea kettles and travel and a shitload of sheng samples
Traveling sheng party! Wooo! :p
LOL you two! Well, you are welcome at my place if your traveling tea party brings you to Minneapolis! (there’s Mandala close by and Verdant about 15 min from my apartment)
Oh super. I’m so jelly… you live near two of my faves!!!!
I have decided to break this small 100g cake tonight, time to give it some love.
It’s been sitting in its fairy box for a little while now…for real. I was given a special box from a special tea friend. It really moved me cause I like all things fairy and needed a box to store some cakes. When I saw it, I knew right away it would be perfect for my little Mandala cakes. Thank you friend, I think of you every time I look at it :-)
https://www.flickr.com/photos/laafeevertee/14310294606/in/photostream/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/laafeevertee/14331713972/in/photostream/
Now the tea. I’m using 5g for my little 5oz glass Gongfu pot.
It’s very clear in colour, beautiful pale yellow.
Seriously, this is almost to good to handle.
I don’t know if there’s something wrong with me, but I’ve been getting lots of peachy notes in tea lately. I get that again, bright unripe peach flesh. There’s a nice bite at the end of the sip, quite strong for a first steep, I like that very much, it tingles my tongue. It’s not on the sweet side, maybe something I’ll get later.
I lost the peach in the second steep, this time I get woody notes, but no smoke. A nice citrusy astringency is developing and keeps my interest growing. I closed the tv and instead, put on the beautiful piano-guitar-violin and baritone voice of The National to better savour the moment. (I promise if you listen to this song till the end, you’ll get chills)
That’s what tea moments are all about for me.
I’ll be sipping my night through this tea, as I know it’s still holding many surprises in its leaves…
I love the box, you are right its just perfect for the cakes. i think you need Autumn Song in there as well.
Thanks boychik, I will keep that in mind for next order :-) I love the size of those little cakes…
I am so afraid of cakes now, after having read a thread in the forum about mold. lol
I love the art on those cakes. That song is sad…
Such a pretty box – I love fairy things too! :)
Sherapop, I’m no expert, but I wouldn’t be afraid of mold if the cakes are bought from a reliable source. If it’s stored properly and never in contact with anything wet, I don’t see how it can grow mold. I’m not aging my cakes so I know they’ll be gone soon. If I was, I’d be asking more advices for storage. Lol, I must have missed that forum discussion.
Boychik, I agree, everything about those cake is artsy, I feel bad when I brake one!
(Sad songs are a necessity sometimes…)
Caile, I see lots of fairy lovers manifesting themselves on Steepster, awesome :-)
(I meant “break” lol)
You supposed to rinse puerh. Some recommend twice for shou. Boiling water kills everything. If you notice some mold discard the tea.
Sherapop, mold is from “excess” humidity and poor storage. If you need to know the good ones to get cakes from just message me with what you are looking for. I keep close check on sellers and prices of cakes.
Sherapop: I know there are other places for info but this has some good info on how to store. http://verdanttea.com/how-to-store-tea/
P.s. I live in Florida and I don’t have any mold on my cakes; they are a couple of years old.
Love this tea! Thanks for reviewing it, my friend! Every time I taste this one, or heck, or even just think about it, I am transported back to the land where this tea was grown. Being able to sip of the various grades of mao cha that were picked there and then make the purchase of their best leaf to make this cake with was a true pleasure.
I really like buying tea from these small producers and will be doing as much of it as I can until I can’t do it anymore.
Things have to be pretty wetly stored for mold to occur. I have only seen mold on cakes once and it was from a water pipe break in a warehouse in Kunming. That’s not to say that mold isn’t an issue – improper storage (in areas that already have mold) and improper curing of cakes can mos def lead to mold problems.
Steepster is so lonely… there are hardly any notes on my dashboard between the notes I managed to post last night, and the one I’m posting now. So few it only took me a couple minutes to get through. So sad :(
Cold-brewed the rest of my sample of this one overnight in a cup of water. It is so crazy sweet it’s ridiculous. I highly doubt this is a calorie-free tea. It’s almost too sweet, actually. Anyhow, it’s pretty good iced, but there’s a lingering bitter flavour that I am not enjoying. It’s possible that it’s from the orange slice in the mix, but I’m not sure. Turns me off a bit; although this one is ok, I don’t think it will make a reappearance in my cupboard. But thank you again for giving me the chance to try it, Azzrian!
Side note: the fruit somehow still tastes quite sweet! So I ate some :D Usually cold-brewing sucks everything out, but not this time apparently!
Preparation
I think the lack of notes is due to the extremely slow Steepster =(… Soon enough I will be writing notes up a storm. Just you wait!
Yeah, I was assuming that was why. I obviously neglected to say that though. :) I’m hoping everyone is still logging everything, just offline! (I’m glad it’s working pretty well right now… knocks on wood )
I haven’t posted for a while because of the issues. Loading is a problem and steepster loses some of the things I have tried.
The name “Mango N’ Friends” makes me think that this tea should be accompanied by a kicky theme song and cartoony fruit companions.
Lol alpha I totally agree!
Hahaha, I agree! I definitely have been imaging little cartoony orange slices with limbs and eyes dancing around :D
@Missy – I don’t think I’ve lost any posts, but I have lost comments that failed to post. And a lot of people’s comments are being double/triple-posted. Sigh.
I think the double triple posts are echo’s from yelling into the Steepster canyon! Hellllooooo your dowwnnnn againnnnn!
ok you’re
ok you’re
see it did it…I’m not kidding…I did not do that! Ha ha ha ha ha!
see it did it…I’m not kidding…I did not do that! Ha ha ha ha ha!
It’s you! You’re jinxed!
It’s you! You’re jinxed!
Hahahahahahahaha, holy crap that’s bad! I don’t know why it’s happening; I’ve noticed it happening to you a lot Bonnie, but it has happened to me as well, and Rachel sent me a message in triplicate earlier today. Poor Steepster.
(Maybe it’s you Krystaleyn!)
tear
I know I’ve stopped posting everything I try… It’s just so frustrating :/
Same issues here??? Steepster come baaaaack!
I’ve been out of town again, so that’s my story.
I have only a few more samples left from the wonderful bunch Sil sent me back in Decenber…it seems that I saved the best for last.
This has an amazing aroma…it really came as a burst as soon as I removed the lid of the gaiwan. And guess what? It tastes even better!
It’s floral but not in a bouquet kind of way, just a delicate linger…also fruity, fig like.
Some caramel as well and a subtle nuttiness that wraps and ties everything together.
It feels round in the mouth, thick and voluptuous. I think it’s one of the finest Wuyi I have had for sure.
I stopped reading just to make sure I would fully focus all my attention to it. It’s that good. I had 4 delious steeps and will now cold brew the leaves for tomorrow…
Thanks Sil, this was lovely :-)
Dog and tea story…(skip if not interested)
My dog Dexter is a snob. I always say he’s an “AristoDog”, basically he acts like he’s Royalty. He doesn’t like to get messy, spring time, he tries to avoid stepping in mud, and if he does (which inevitably is bound to happen), he licks himself till he’s got no more saliva.
And Dexter likes his comfort. Yes, he’s allowed on the couch. He has special cushions that he grabs and carefuly places at stategic spots so he can morph into a sophisticated potato couch. This is a typical illustration of his concept for comfort:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/laafeevertee/13451905514/in/photostream/
There’s one thing missing though: his “doux-doux” (French prononced “doo-doo” in English). “Doux” means soft. In my family, we’ve been calling our favourite special throws/blankets a “doux-doux” ever since we were little children. I still love special blankets, have several all over the house and ready to be used when sitting in front of a fire, or just to lounge on the couch, a book in one hand, a cup of tea in the other. Dexter has his own doux-doux, the same one since he was just a puppy. He carries it with him pretty much everywhere. When I wash it, he looks for it everywhere.
Today was a lounge doux-doux day for the both of us… I grabbed mine, he grabbed his, and we had a cup of this wonderful tea. I say “we” cause while I was sipping, he kept trying to get into my cup, literally…totally unlike him!
But there’s something about this intoxicating aroma that tantalized his canine nostrils it seems…well I don’t blame him, this stuff is irresistible!
What a cute story!
OMG I love his eyes, sad eyes. he really looks like blue blood. its doberman right?
When you cold steep the leftover leaves, how long do you have to leave them steeping?
So adorable! And he does look pretty comfortable with all his pillows!
Thanks Keychange!
Boychik, that’s his sad puppy face, he probably does it on purpose just to get the attention, he seems to love the camera, lol! Here’s his happy face, and yes, he’s an “un-cropped” Doberman :-)
https://www.flickr.com/photos/90056560@N08/10899799146/lightbox/
Marzipan, I cold brew used leaves in mason jars for about 24h, but I suggest you just taste along the way and decide when it’s enough for you. New leaves, I will normally do 12 hours, depending on the tea. Don’t hesitate if you have other questions :-)
So glad you enjoyed this. I was hoping you would :)
Caile, yes, he’s quite a lucky puppy I’d say…but I’m a lucky owner as well, he’s such a great companion :-)
Sil yep, totally my style, thanks :-)
I love the floppy ears!!!
Awww….
Puppy! :) So cute!
Dexter is so so so cute and I love that you didn’t crop his ears. My dogs like to get in bed with me in the morning while i drink tea and sniff my tea mug.
I learned a new vocabulary word! Doux-doux. Love it. We use woobie and huggy interchangeably for the same sort of item.
He’s beautiful – awesome when you get to have lazy lounging days with your pets!!!
Thanks guys :-)
Stephanie & MzPriss: floppy ears are not common for Dobermans, the breeder was pressuring me to have his ears cropped when I got him at 3 months old, but just didn’t have the heart to do that to him. I’m glad I didn’t!
Haha! I see your dogs can appreciate a good cuppa also :-)
Gmathis, I love woobie, I’ll try to remember that!
Dexter, those are my favourite days…I know you enjoy them also :-)
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
Happy 300th Bonnie! Great review! You are so generous to bring little tea tastings to your local shop, I am sure they appreciate it.
They really are pro’s so they know about tea which is a comfort!
Happy 300th. I wonder if this tea is a Twilight reference.
No, they created it around Christmastime. Biblical reference to Peace!
Happy 300th tasting note! Your reviews are always so delightful, and are as much about the experience of tea as the tea itself.
Excellent review, Bonnie. I envy you your tea house too. :-)
Yay, Steepster’s back and I get to read your note! Glad you have such a wonderful relationship with your local tea shop, and congrats on hitting 300!
Happy 300th!! You have captured in words what life is all about…thank you for filling my heart with joy on this beautiful saturday morning:)
Happy 300th!
Your tea house sounds so lovely, very jealous:)
Congrats!
Congrats on your 300th review ;-)) I LOVED your review.. especially “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 am still learning how to write reviews..hopefully, one day I can be as Insightful and poignant with my words as you are! It’s a passion and it definitely shows in your writing ;-)
Lovely! And congrats on your 300th – I appreciate your beautiful reviews each and every time!
Thanks for the kind words, Bonnie! We drank some more of your samples this morning thinking of you!
Happy 300th!! I’m on the lookout for a tea bar. I’m not really sure what you call them but I want a stool to sit at, so I think of it as a bar. I’m glad you found a really good place to go. :D
Wow, 300! Congrats! I always look forward to reading your reviews.
Smell: This tea smells very doughy. It is like a raw tube of puff biscuit right after it is popped. It has a slightly salty and peppery scent but the thick doughy scent is the most noticeable.
Taste: This tea is a lot fruitier than I expected. The doughy scent is a lot lighter than it smelled. The flavor is like fresh baked wheat bread.
I like wheat bread pu-erh especially in the morning!
Suddenly I’m craving Pillsbury crescent rolls :)
Mmhmm. Pilsbury is the exact brand I was thinking I just couldn’t remember :) It was a very bready tea, and the fruit made it seem like toast and jam.
You make it sound amazing!
It was really good. I especially liked it because It was very different from many other shu’s I’ve tried
got this one for Christmas!
Hope you enjoy, it’s a really unique tea :)
I got them curriculum writin’ blues
Those low-down curriculum writin’ blues
I done been editorially corrected
And I feel lower than my shoes.
I gotta rewrite five activites
Gotta rewrite them before next week
Got them freelance writin’ blues
Too tired to think or type or speak
OK, enough of that and a mild expression of awe to any of you poor kind people who made it this far in the tasting note without scrolling right on to somebody else :)
Life happens and so do copy changes, But I made a cup of cookie sweetness to keep me from spiraling into chocolate-gnarfing self-pity. This is good. Leave the bag in the cup and it gets better.
Anyone who ignores discipline despises himself, but whoever listens to correction acquires good sense. Proverbs 15:32. I’m becoming more sensible by the minute ;)
Oh wow, not only are you writing too, but you’re drinking the same kind of tea I am. Love Love Love that sugar cookie sleigh ride.
figures. Our store only has Tiger Wee, but no sleigh ride
Tiger wee? That sounds…um…kind of icky. An exotic ingredient, sure but…ew! :)
I played slide blues air guitar while singing along. Big amazing solo at the end. Oh yeah. Amazing how the blues make you feel better.
Tiger Wee? OMGosh seriously? I have to find this on the shelf.
bengal spice. drink at your own risk
Aw man, that’s one of my favorites and now that nickname for it will be stuck in my head forever. Nice going Fleurdelily, now I’m scarred for life. :o(
LOL, I’m scarred by drinking it! 0_0 how on earth can you drink that stuff?
It probably has some relation to me being born in the year of the tiger.
I think I had a bad Bengal Spice experience in the past, but I’ve tamped it down so firmly in my subconscious I can’t tell you what I didn’t like about it.
They really named it…Tiger Wee? That’s like proudly labelling a blend, “Poo-erh”!
Congrats on the malarky sorting!
Thank you. Weight off my mind! I hate this organising stuff.
I have one mixed with dry jasmine’s that is more mellow and good. I mixed Oh Canada. by DavidsTea (use any Maple) some Lapsang Souchong and a pinch of Applewood Smoked Salt (really good) . I was going to toy with how to get natural flavor like applewood on the Lapsang to blend with maple. I can imagine chili and chocolate too.
I lean more towards fruit flavours myself. And vanilla and sweets obviously. I’ve never really had much luck with chocolate, though. It never seems to want to come out properly for me. I have tried adding a little maple syrup to a cup of LS before which turned out relatively okay. I’m not used to sweetening my tea at all, so it got a little too much in the end.
I often put a pinch in my floral tea’s like Czar Nikolas Renaissance and my local shop has Lapsang Souchong Earl Grey.
flavoured LS? what a good idea, this sounds very interesting indeed.
Oooh… wedding malarky. Part of the reason Missy and I are still just engaged ;)
Bonnie, I’ve never considered doing that before, but I’ll definitely experiment with it now. What I would like though is a fruit flavoured tea where the entire base is LS. If it’s a fairly mildmannered LS, I can’t see why it shouldn’t work.
Cteresa, I know! I’ve been sceptic about flavouring green, oolong and pu-erh when first I encountered those, wondering how it was at all possible. But it was and it’s good, so why shouldn’t this work?
Dylan, my advice is that when you decide to marry, make sure you’re well on the way with preparations before you tell anybody. I think that would really keep a lot of the stress down. There have been times where I’ve wished we could have done that.
I’d love a LS and melon or pear if the fruit would stand up to the LS. No heavy hand!
Oooh, so exciting!! I wish I was as far along as you in wedding plans. I’m at the very beginning, taking a trip at the end of the month to check out possible venues. I’m surprised you haven’t gotten the dress yet. That’s one of the best parts!
Oh there’s no rush with that, but it will be the next thing on the agenda. I need to consult with my mother about it first though, because I want to take her along to help me. (and drive me) We’ve been looking at some windows and some websites though, so I do have a few candidates that I’d like to have a closer look at. Since ours will be a civil ceremony, which in Denmark is literally just the two questions and takes all of five minutes (no seriously. Our time is 11:05 and the couple before us is at 11) I don’t need the whole shebang of veils and a dress that looks more like a dessert than anything, and if it should happen that I can’t find a white dress that suits my demands, I could happily go with a different colour. I’ve been thinking actually if it might not be fun to have coloured shoes instead of white shoes. I saw some bright blue ones yesterday, same blue as in my icon.
Colored shoes are a great idea, seen lots of those lately, specially with knee length dresses and colorful flowers, it is so cute – go for something you love and reflects your style!
And then you’ll have your something blue!! :)
I’m not paying super-much attention to that particular tradition, but the thought did cross my mind, yes. :)