August 2013 Picking
I almost wish there had been another listing for this tea by season because I’ve written reviews for last season and this new one is different.
Yes, I still have some tea left from last season’s purchase which I shared with quite a few friends here in Fort Collins and sent to California. That tea was outstanding “sweet like cotton candy”, Joe at Happy Lucky’s Tea House likes to say.
Joe works on Thursdays, so today I took the new Taiwanese Wild Mountain Black Tea in for tasting.
When I arrived, Joe’s mom was at the bar and joined in with fellow tea slinger Sam (Andy came by for a sweet sip later on).
In no time, tiny cups of fragrant, golden tea was being passed around for tasting…and immediately we could tell the difference from last season and this season’s tea. Both take your breath away with the quality of flavor, the sweet scent but this season was slightly less sweet than last.
When we were on the first steep I told Joe that the tea aroma was permeating my head with an intense flavor imprint. When this happens usually I get a little stabbing headache between my eyes, but not with this tea.
Joe’s mother had never had a tea this good. It was a treat to share with her, and she loved the experience.
Something else was different that I discovered much later.
We tasted another tea, then, I drank a pot of tea (which is my custom when I go to the tea shop).
At home, I drank another pot of tea…but I kept tasting the Taiwanese Wild Mountain Black Tea!
This was my first experience with any tea flavor lingering such a long time!
How Stacy pulls strings to bring such a fine tea to us is a mystery! This is one of the finest tea’s I’ve ever tasted and close to the original tea she introduced before!
This is a not to be missed tea!
Steep in a gaiwan or use a finum infuser basket (or teacup and strainer) for best results and short steep time. Western style brewing wastes the leaves in my opinion.
If you only had few tea’s you could buy, this would be in my top 5 at least!
Added note I just remembered Joe’s mom (also named Stacy) asking when one should drink this tea?
Joe answered, “While watching a beautiful sunset.”
To which I added…“On Santorini or Hawaii.”
“When you propose, fall in love, your Anniversary.”
You get the picture of how special this tea is!
People who liked this
Comments
mine’s coming! (then no tea until november).
You won’t regret the purchase James. Take your time with it.
James: keep kidding yourself ;)
Bonnie: another beautiful review. Hearing about your adventures @ Happy lucky’s is like a tea drinkers version of ‘Cheers’. I look forward to every episode :)
You’d love it! It is like cheers! New Belgium Brewery is hosting a fundraiser for Sustainable Schools International, which is the charity that the teahouse owner’s wife began (10% of tea profits benefit the charity), this weekend. The shop has been full of art and artifacts from Cambodia for auction and last minute rushing. African safaris, a trip to the Glenburn Tea Estate in Darjeeling are up for auction too. You’d love the energy!
Cool!
Very well said Terri! Thanks to Bonnie’s talent! Perhaps Happy Lucky’s will be made into a mini-series?
Bloop, I’d be in the basement going boo!to the people on the ghost tour! (Oh yes, ghost tour’s file behind the tea bar several times a week while you’re sipping tea, head down to the basement where solitary confinement was located and underground tunnels…because the teahouse was a firehouse AND jail!) Where IS Stephen King?
Love it!
mine’s coming! (then no tea until november).
You won’t regret the purchase James. Take your time with it.
James: keep kidding yourself ;)
Bonnie: another beautiful review. Hearing about your adventures @ Happy lucky’s is like a tea drinkers version of ‘Cheers’. I look forward to every episode :)
You’d love it! It is like cheers! New Belgium Brewery is hosting a fundraiser for Sustainable Schools International, which is the charity that the teahouse owner’s wife began (10% of tea profits benefit the charity), this weekend. The shop has been full of art and artifacts from Cambodia for auction and last minute rushing. African safaris, a trip to the Glenburn Tea Estate in Darjeeling are up for auction too. You’d love the energy!
Cool!
Very well said Terri! Thanks to Bonnie’s talent! Perhaps Happy Lucky’s will be made into a mini-series?
Bloop, I’d be in the basement going boo!to the people on the ghost tour! (Oh yes, ghost tour’s file behind the tea bar several times a week while you’re sipping tea, head down to the basement where solitary confinement was located and underground tunnels…because the teahouse was a firehouse AND jail!) Where IS Stephen King?
Love it!