Lion and The Lamb

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

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.

I just received a package from Bonnie and OH MY! There is so much tea, so many gifts! Thank you!

My youngest daughter has dreamily inhaled the Lapsang and put it in her stash. She refuses to try it until school tomorrow! I was going to be good and not have caffeine tonight, but this one was calling my name and I didn’t try to resist very hard.

Lapsang with jasmine and orange? You don’t mean it! But opening the pouch an exotic scent wafts out and I bury my face in the bag to sniff. I may be showing myself to be a country bumpkin, but this smells exotic through and through. The combination of flavors and smoke here is so unique as to make it all seem like a totally new thing, and at the same time, as old as antiquity itself! I can picture sipping this on some foreign shore and I swear Bogart is there.

The taste does not let me down, either. This tastes the way it smells. Lapsang, good and strong. Smoke and ash on the tongue. Jasmine, teasing in the background. Orange, a flirty top note. What a cool tea!

I can’t wait to try more from Happy Lucky, and I hear they are going to be selling online soon!

Thank you, Bonnie! This will be an adventure!

I almost forgot to add today’s dramatic doodle. It is the weeping angel, only the angel is youngest, she is sobbing on the geometry book, and her pencil dangles limply from her hand. This kid really has GOT to do theater. http://www.flickr.com/photos/24998856@N06/7873206326/

Quick Notes Thanks to Bonnie for sharing with me!
Dry – Hickory smoked salt rub, hints of orange and sweet.
Wet – Smoky and more citrusy, sweet and somewhat spicy.
Liquor – Light brown/caramel.

1st 3mins – Smoky, sweet with orange citrus hints up front. It goes down smoothly while retaining the citrus notes, it has a savory ‘back bone’ with the smoke that allows the rest of the other flavors to come up.

2nd 3 1/2mins – Smoky, sweet and tart orange up front. It is smooth and smoky with a full body, yet the citrus notes gives it a ‘juicy’ feel. At this point I can taste vanilla hints which I think most come from the jasmine since dried jasmine is subtly sweet but not perfumy at all.

3rd 4mins – Sweet, tart citrus with some smoke up front. The tea continues to be smooth while going down and has a more subtle smoke note, the orange is more present now and lingers a bit more in the mouth.

Final Notes
I loved this one! I usually avoid blends with tea, but this one is well done. (In case you are wondering why I usually avoid blends: it is because Herbals have completely different infusion times and sometimes temperatures from that of tea. Basically you end up having tea the first try, the second faded tea with some herbs and then over steeped tea with herbal tea.)

I liked this one. Thanks Bonnie!

I am not going to lie, the smell of this tea is a little strong and it can put my off a little. However, it really brews nicely. I have never enjoyed a tea similar to this blend. VERY strong smokey flavor.

It’s lapsong light! Less smoky and astringent than regular lapsong suchong, with a hint of sweetness at the end. I can’t taste the jasmine at all, it only softens the black tea. I only got a sample of this from Luckys tea shop, but I am going to have to go back for more.