Thank you Janet for this sample tea!
I reviewed an Oolong from Thailand the other day that JC had sent, one that was picked up by him on a trip there some time ago.
Right after that, I received a sample of this Thai Reistee that Janet told me was going to be added to her new straight tea selections and I told Eric at the tea house about it. His interest was keen to try tea from this region of the World.
What good timing that I could now take both tea’s down to the tea shop.
I’ve already written about my weekend trips to the tea-bar and how I have a green bag of samples that I bring to ply my friends with (especially newbie Preston who get’s a little tea drunk and funny by the time I’m done with him).
Eric had been on the West Coast for the Holidays, so we had some tea drinking to catch up on.
The tea house emptied out around 6PM, and we set up several gaiwans to taste tea.
This was our first tea. Rolled…dried spinach and herb looking leaves!
5 of us took sips in our little cups at about the same time and said…
“WOW, this tea is really good!”
Nutty rice tea that was very much like sticky rice in flavor,a little bit buttery and sweet. Savory, fragrant but not toasty like a Genmiacha. Preston held up a few of the leaves which were fat and long (at least 4 inches).
The many times the leaves were steeped, they remained savory and full of nutty rice goodness. (Eric was impressed.)
The Thai Oolong was brewed next (from JC), and Eric commented that there was a minty/camphor taste that he had only tasted in Oolongs from Taiwan. (Same thing I discovered)
After our tastings, Schey and I ordered LOVE MATCHA’S (Matcha Latte’s with Rodelles Chocolate (from Denver)). Preston was already a little tea drunk and changed the music in the tea-bar to fit the drinks he had prepared for us.
Yes, my friends…we were drinking Love Matcha’s and listening to Barry White on a Saturday Night…singing and doing a little dance while sitting on our bar stools, which was followed by some classic Al Green. It was a good evening!
This is North American ‘TEA’ Culture at it’s finest! Experience, experimentation, good friends, the mixing of generations!
If you haven’t been by the offerings at the Steapshoppe in awhile, Janet has been making changes and adding teas. This one is very good! There’s more to come!
WINNER, A GOOD DEAL AND UNIQUE!
LOL Bonnie, I didn’t know you were a Mr. White Fan ;)
those love matchas sound darn tasty!
It was pretty funny.We didn’t expect to hear Berry White coming out of the sound system but Preston went behind the scenes and hooked up his iPod and BAM! Who knew? This 24 year old had soulful r&b ?!