Jan

29

20090720232950_senchashan1.jpg

20090720233000_senchashan2.jpg

This week’s featured tea (10% off all week): Sencha Shan Izumi

Sencha Shan-Izumi is a beautiful example of Japan’s most popular tea. It is wonderfully smooth and lightly sweet with a crisp mouthfeel, flowery green aroma and vibrant jade cup. We’ll likely also dip into our Fukamushi as a way to compare/contrast the two teas. We had an additional shipment of Fukamushi arrive just today!

It’s always a fun way to start the weekend. We look forward to seeing you.

Thanks very much for checking in.

- James

Jan

26

Regulars No. 5

January 26, 2010 | Leave a Comment

laura.JPG

Name: Laura Namey

What do you do? Mom and musician

Why tea?
Besides the health benefits of tea, I like the calming ritual of preparing it. The perfect cup of tea helps me to slow down, to steal back a few moments from the craziness. I also love the fact that there seems to be a variety to suit any mood I happen to be in.

How did you get into it?
I grew up drinking bagged tea from time to time but in the last few years, there’s seemed to be more information floating around about how good tea is for you in so many ways. Or, maybe I’ve just been paying more attention. A couple of years ago, I made the switch to high quality loose teas and learned how to prepare them.

Which teas you have been into lately?
I usually start my day with Tung Ting Formosa Oolong. Mid-day, I often switch to something fun like Earl Grey or Vanilla Black. I was recently given some Dragon Pearl Jasmine Supreme and it’s now a new favorite. That one is such a delicate, refined tea that I make sure to sit down and enjoy it, using my finest tea ware. I’m also hooked on Rooibos Chai and usually brew a pot for my husband and I every evening.

Do you have a perfect tea scenario?
That’s easy—a quiet house, big leather club chair, the latest download on my Kindle and a cup of whatever suits me that day along with a couple of Lyons Rich Tea Biscuits (thanks, James, for getting me totally addicted to those…) Usually, my Miniature Schnauzer puppy is happy to join the party and beg for whatever he can get. But I don’t share.

——————————–

Thanks, Laura! We really appreciate you taking the time to share a slice of your tea life with us.

Getting quite a bit cooler here after a couple days of sunshine. This pot of Assam is going down quite well right now.

Hope you all are well, and thanks for checking in!

- James

Jan

22

20090720185412_goldbuddha1.jpg

20090720185417_goldbuddha2.jpg

This week’s featured tea (10% off all week): Gold Buddha Wuyi Oolong

Yes indeed, in spite of the rain (and hail!) we will have the water on and the oolong flowing. Gold Buddha is a great choice for today: full, round and warm. These long, dark leaves are high-fired to produce a robust tea reminiscent of dark chocolate up-front with a mild sweetness and lingering notes of peach. This is a fun one to explore with different times and different amounts of tea.

Go slow out there, and we’ll see you for tea! Hope your Friday has been a good one!

Thanks for checking in.

- James

Jan

19

raincard.jpg

So, it rained pretty darn hard earlier today, and we hear it’s supposed to keep going through the week. Perfect tea weather! There’s nothing like being indoors with your favorite cup of tea tea, maybe a book or a movie, and a solid rain outside. So, here’s something for those of you who need to replenish your stocks or check out a new winter tea option. Don’t let a little rain stop you! Simply mention the code on this card if you’re at the shop when it’s raining, and we’ll give you 15% off your total loose tea purchase through the month of February.

Hope all is well with all of you. Be safe, go slowly, and enjoy the weather!

Thanks for checking in.

- James

Jan

15

moroccanmint.jpg

20090519234813_tea4.jpg

Feeling the need for a sweet tea tonight. We’ll make our version of North Moroccan Mint tea for you to stop in and enjoy. It’s always a good time, so we hope to see you here!

Have a great Friday, and thanks for checking in.

- James

Jan

14

fukamushi.jpg

A deep-steamed sencha with a full-bodied, silky mouthfeel and very little astringency. The deep-steaming enhances the tea’s natural sweetness and the thicker body enables the tea to be paired with your favorite sweet without being overpowered. We suggest sea-salt chocolate as a perfect complement!

Hope all is well with all of you!

Thanks for checking in.

- James

Jan

12

Regulars No. 4

January 12, 2010 | Leave a Comment

justine.jpg

Name: Justine Zafran Aguilera

What do you do? Zoo Keeper, Mammals

Why tea? It is an affordable and constant comfort, never filling, always gratifying.

How did you get into it? My mother is a black tea drinker, British style. I grew up with it. But once I left home, I discovered green tea. I grew to love the clean, fresh feel of my mouth after drinking it, not like after tea with sugar and cream. Since I hated to drink water (pre-bottled era), tea was a perfect solution for all day sipping and hydration. As with wine, my tastes refined and I have finally begun to pull away from the flavored greens and whites in favor of the subtleties of the teas themselves.

Which teas you have been into lately? Huang Shan Mao Feng and Silver Peony Fujian White are my current favorites, and have been for months now. I religiously start my day with these two choices. But if I still crave a flavored tea, I reach for the Dragon Pearl Jasmine Green. Mmmmmmmmmm.

Do you have a perfect tea scenario? A drizzly Pacific Northwest afternoon, a fire in the hearth, Orcas visible in the Sound from the window of my study, and my man and son at home. (Though, sharing a morning cup with my favorite gorilla Vila DOES have its appeal!)

————————————–

Thanks so much, Justine. We really appreciate you taking the time to tell us about your tea life. Not too many people have the option of sharing tea with their favorite gorilla.

I said it before, and I’ll say it again—we have the best customers ever.

Thanks very much for checking in!

- James

Jan

7

20090813004605_grandshou1.jpg

This week’s featured tea (10% off all week): Grand Shou Pu-Erh 1997

It’s been a few weeks since our last 4:00 Friday. After all of that holiday fun and food, why not start off 2010 with a tea from 1997? Pu-erh tea is known for its significant power as a digestive. It is also proven to lower cholesterol and blood sugar levels and helps metabolize fatty acids and oily foods. Okay, that’s further than we usually go down the medicinal properties of any given tea. Fact is, this tea is just a pleasure to drink.

Pu-erh teas come in many forms, styles, vintages, etc. This loose-style offering from Yunnan begins with significant earthy overtones of wet forest and chocolate which mellow and can become surprisingly sweet after several infusions. We’ll play around with water temps, time, amount of tea, etc. I also have a few other samples to check out, so we can compare and contrast to our hearts’ content.

4:00 Fridays are always a good time. Hope to see you there!

Thanks for checking in.

- James

Jan

3

Here’s to 2010!

January 3, 2010 | 1 Comment

newyear10.jpg