Happy Lucky's Tea House

Thanks to Bonnie for this sample ;)

This tea had a very light smokiness that was very mild with a very silky mouth feel. It was very easy to drink..in a comforting and familiar way!! The very light roasted flavors, reminded me A lot of roasted sesame seeds!! A pleasant tea to be infused at any time of the day ;)

Song Pairing “Seashell” By Skylab http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhIN-4NXFXA

This is a superb LS. Many thank yous to Bonnie, who supplied me with my fix. It is greatly appreciated. All my previous tasting notes still stand. It is everything good about an autumnal camping trip, the smoky fire, the barbecue flavour. All that and more. But, better yet, in addition to drinking it today, I made some LS chocolates this week and have been scoffing those alongside the pot of LS. Yum! The LS works well with dark chocolate, producing a smoky flavour that two friends thought was like smoked Bavarian cheese. They came back for more, so success then. This LS wins on yet another count.

Sipping this while seasoning my new Yixing travel tea tumbler. Thank you hugely to Bonnie on both counts. It’s sweet and very smoky. It makes me feel good. I love it. Thank you, Bonnie.

Sample from Bonnie. Many thanks.

The dry leaf is smoky. It reminds me of a winter’s day in the mountains. The campfire is burning (as is dinner, probably), the skis are stacked for the time being and the sun is out. Or maybe it is the smell of the smokehouse with racks of meat hanging in the rafters being cured. It really is that sort of smell. Very strong but utterly lovely.

Drinking the tea, it is smoky, sweet and there is depth to it as waves of flavour break on my tongue. In some ways there is too much going on for my fuddled brain to sort it all out. It is fantastic though. As I drink the tea a beautiful lethargy comes over me. I am calmer and more relaxed. It is also somewhat cooling. It’s odd really. I feel kind of spaced by this tea but not in any unpleasant way. I have thoroughly enjoyed this tea and I’m off to make more right now.

I haven’t been on steepster in a while, I apologize for that. It’s been hectic. Our littlest came down with a stomach bug & during that time I wanted to stick to the teas I know well rather than try anything new. I wasn’t in the mind frame, nor did I know if I would have time to sit and thoroughly explore something unfamiliar!

I have tasted this tea before, but one of the kids ran off with my tasting notes which had been scrawled on a scrap of paper that was apparently very interesting. So here I am now, tasting it for a second time & pretending it’s the first haha.

I’d like to thank Bonnie again for the lovely samples she sent me! (and Stacy too- I will be pulling those out of the cupboard this afternoon!)

I have found in my recent exploration of teas that I am quite fond of pu erh and this is no exception! Rich, earthy and silky it is so far the best pu erh I’ve tasted. Granted, I haven’t had a LOT of experience with pu erh but nonetheless this is definitely delicious. I even had my husband try a sip (telling him first not to sniff it because I knew the barn-y aroma would deter him!) and he thought it was quite good! That’s a big compliment coming from someone who hasn’t really had hot tea outside of the couple times I’ve had him try it (and isn’t sure if he likes it yet) :)

Sample from Bonnie. Thank you, Bonnie.

It’s citrussy with a golden orange liquor. It leaves me feeling calm and happy. There’s a hint of something else at the back of the flavour but I cannot for the life of me think what it is. It’s clearly a very nice Darjeeling and I really should learn to drink it, not inhale it. Oops. That hurt a bit. Ok, better now. Let’s try again. Yes, it is smooth and easy to drink. It’s what I expect of a Darjeeling. Not my absolute favourite Darjeeling but definitely worth trying, if you have not already.

This weekend I stopped at my tea pub to specifically pick up this Moroccan Mint tea as a base for my own homegrown mint that I have in pots on my patio.
I love to fix the traditional Middle Eastern sweet, hot brew now and then if someone drops by.
While in the shop I taste tested a pot. The mint was just right and minty enough to drink when my own stock of fresh mint runs low. Furthermore, the mint isn’t bitter (mint can be bitter if dried incorrectly or if the blend is not the right type of mint) and the gunpowder is mildly smoky.

Last night, my granddaughter Megan needed a break from her 5 brothers. She came to spend the night with buddy Grandma.
This morning was the opportunity I was looking for to try out my Moroccan Mint/home grown mint in a pot with lots of sugar.
(I cut down on the sugar by doing a 50/50 mix of splenda and sugar)

First I placed 2.5 TB tea in my brew basket in a 32oz glass pot. Then while the water was coming to a boil, I went to the garden and broke off 2 long stalks of fresh mint, rinsed, tore it with my hands to release the flavor, then put it in with the tea. The water was poured over the tea and steeped for 3 minutes.

Two mugs of deep golden liquor were poured, steaming with the scent of sweet mint. Megan and I hovered adding lots of sweetening until the right high level of sweetness was reached to balance the mintiness.

This is how this tea is meant to be. Hot,very sweet and sipped slowly on a hot day by the pot.

One of my best tea memories is drinking this tea with my friend Randa in San Francisco for hours and hours. The pot was full of mint leaves, always refilled with more and more water and the bowl was always full of sugar.http://flic.kr/p/cyh4kw

The Moroccan Mint tea was perfect this morning with my granddaughter, providing an experience that I hope will be a special memory for her also.

Megan’s comments:
The tea was sweet before adding sugar but got so much better with the sugar added.
My tongue stung a little but I liked the feeling.
The tea was creamy. (She noticed that and I didn’t…good for her!)

Drank this again today at H.L. with Granddaughter Megan and
had the awesome Ginger Cookies!!!
As always the companionship of Megan was the best…and her reaction to the malty tea without sugar paired with the soft ginger cookie was
such a treat to see. “Wow, this is sooooo goood!”
“I know, I know!”
“Who would have thunk that the tea without sweetening and the cookie would be heaven?!”
“Wow, grandma…this is great!”

And the experiences keep racking up. The lessons of life that a little pot of tea can cheer the heart and warm up a conversation.

I introduced her to all the tea Pro’s at Happy Lucky’s. Me beaming with pride of course.

I stopped in at my tea pub again today…but I had a reason to drop by!
I had been to the doctor and was wilting from lack of tea! It was 3:30pm and I hadn’t eaten since 6:30am or had any tea (worse than no food) for many hours. So you see…? I had to!

Things were busy for a bit. I’ve become so familiar a face that after a few minutes at the bar, I began to say “ahum…hum..yoo hoo…I’d like to have tea today…” I got a smile, which happens with friends and I didn’t mind.
I wanted something new and different to drink. A dark and hefty tea.

Andy suggested China Golden Pagoda. “Oh,you’ve never had this? You’ll like this one,” he said with confidence.
“What’s that?” I proclaimed as Andy put the large tin of tea up to my nose to smell. Um, it was malty with hints of cocoa.
He pulled out some dry cones of tea that looked like smaller versions of Hershys Kisses. All pointy and fat bottomed. He said that each was hand tied. Looking closely I could see string lacing each into shape.

This tea was so cool!

When the steeping was done, Andy lifted the brew basket from the pot and handed me the wet leaves. They were brown sea urchin looking bundles. The scent was smoky and malty.

The liquor was reddish golden light brown.

When I tasted the tea I first noticed a dry splash of tannin across the roof of my mouth that was exciting. It felt like a dry sheet and wasn’t bitter or unpleasant. The flavor was malty but not smoky and had a yammy cocoa flavor sweet enough to drink straight.

I wanted something with this tea to kick it up a notch! It was good…but I wanted more.

In a glass case by the cash register were some goodies which I usually avoid. Today, I hadn’t eaten so I didn’t care about my diet!

I spoke up and asked for a large Ginger Molasses Cookie.
Do you have any idea what that Ginger Molasses Cookie tastes like with Malty, yammy, cocoa tea? Oh My Goodness!!! It was such a fantabulous paring! So, so…..to the zillions good!

I bought and ounce of the tea. (And I got a sample of Jasmine Silver Needle) And someone else took care of my pot of tea…Thank YOU!!!!

A side note.
I was talking with the Happy Luckys guys…about the Original Disneyland Main Street. The architect was from Fort Collins and Main Street U.S.A. in California is modeled after the buildings in our town.

The Firehouse (which is where Happy Lucky’s is located even down to having a firepole still inside) is where Walt Disney had his office.
It is the exact copy of where go to I drink my tea.

When I left with my little bag of tea, I walked around Old Town a bit, watching the crowds strolling about on a warm Friday night. People sitting at the numerous outdoor cafe’s and listening to the street musicians. A tuba trio, guitarists, a band, the outdoor pianos located around town. There’s a sidewalk sale going on with people shopping, sale tables and flowerpots filled to overflowing with color everywhere. I stopped in Savory Spice Shop to pick up some powdered Maple Sugar for my Lapsang Souchong tea, a Whole Spice Chai packet, and some Hickory Smoked Black Peppercorns. Then I stopped at the cheese shop for Powdered Tea encrusted Cheese with Bergamot and a strong Welsh Chedder.
Now I’m hungry!
Off home to watch a movie.

You might look around at this peaceful town and think there are no troubles in the World. It does seem like it. I wish it were so.

Thank you Bonnie for this sample!

The tea sample in the baggie smelled good.
This is a watery roasted tea.
The tea tasted and looked like like a watered down coca-cola.
I was very light.
I tried it plain, no milk or sugar.
I drank it before bed.
I made a small pot and used the entire sample.

I googled “happy luckys tea house”
and got:
http://www.happyluckys.com/
http://www.yelp.com/biz/happy-luckys-teahouse-and-treasures-fort-collins

Overall: Light tea, tastes like roasted “water”, good for sleep
watery, kind of a dud.

Pros: I would like to check out the Happy Luck’s Tea house if I ever go to Colorado.

Swap from Bonnie. Thank you, Bonnie, this is muchly appreciated.

A parcel of tea samples arrived on Monday (it is now Wednesday) containing a large range of teas. Naturally I was excited to try them all out, but I wanted to finish the samples that Teavivre had sent me first because they had been around longer, so yesterday I wrote them up. Now on to Bonnie’s teas. Where to start? I had no preference and all excited me equally, so I picked a bag at random. It was this Gyokuro.

The leaves were a dark green, like pine needles. They danced in the hot water and an aroma of fresh greens wafted up to me as I waited for the tea to brew. Visually this tea is brilliant. So, on to the tasting. Very nice. It is smooth with quite a thick buttery liquor. The flavour is a bit like asparagus to me. It is very pleasant. Good tea. I think that I have enough to try this under ice next time. That will be an interesting experiment.

Whoa- I love this stuff! I’m a big fan of Dragonwell, so I was intrigued with this roasted tea sent to me by Bonnie. Now I want MORE- and was disappointed to find that Happy Lucky’s is apparently all brick-and-mortar, no online sales. Drats. I will definitely be looking for Japanese roasted greens to try now. I love the strong steeping aroma, which reminds me of a forest during a rain, dense with humidity. The roasted quality is what I really relish, but I don’t have the vocabulary to describe the dimension it adds to this tea. I truly look forward to stocking my shelves with this wonderful addition.

An ENORMOUS thanks to Steepster Bonnie for this sample! I was looking forward to trying this blend since my last two experiences with smoky teas were delicious ones!

When I opened the sample packet, my nostrils were bombarded with a powerful campfire aroma. In addition to the campfire effect, I also detected a smell reminiscent of one of my favorite snacking treats when I was a kid – Slim Jims!!!

I steeped this tea at 212 degrees for four minutes as recommended by Steepster Bonnie. The smoky aroma continued to waft from the pot while brewing. The color of the steeped liquid was an inviting amber.

The flavor of this tea is OUTRAGEOUSLY GREAT! It is rich, smoky, smooth, and steady. My tastebuds seemed to detect a hint of bacon in the flavor. There is also a subtle sweetness to this blend that reminds me of my favorite barbecue sauce. The smoky-themed aftertaste of this tea is light, sweet, and easy.

As I’ve said before, smoky foods are in our blood as well as our stomachs down here in the Sunny South. I can’t think of a better way to wash down a big plate of barbecued ribs than with this incredibly tasty tea!

I received this tea from Bonnie. Thank you, Bonnie!

I used to smoke tobacco pipes. I got into it as a qualitative sociologist who needed to study a social group. Along the way I became fascinated with learning about different types of tobacco, and after I wrote my paper I maintained my interest in pipes for a few years, smoking while I graded papers and the like. Then I stopped – got scared for my health.

This tea instantly reminded me of latakia tobacco. And shoe leather. When I first got into tea I started to wonder if one of its draws is its connection to the consumption of tobacco leaves. I loved learning about different tobaccos leaves, their treatment, flavor, aroma and other qualities. With tea I am equally enthralled. This particular tea kind of bridges the gap between Camellia sinensis and Nicotiana for me. Drinking it makes me kind of nervous, as if I’m smoking again. I even feel a little bite on my tongue just as I used to feel as a newbie pipe smoker (though THAT bite came from steaming my tongue half to death). Once I get past the smoky quality of the tea, I detect a smoothness and body that are also pleasantly satisfying. I drank this first mug straight- I’m not sure if I want to alter the flavor with anything.

Do I like this tea? I do. I think I like it mainly because of its uniqueness and the memories it brings forth. I will definitely order some, but I think it will last a long time- it’s not a tea I’ll drink often. I can see drinking it in cold weather- it’s got a warm-you-up quality to it. Maybe it’s the campfire undertone, but I imagine drinking this on the back porch on a cool Fall evening, wrapped in a blanket and gazing at shooting stars.

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.