Thursday TeaDay 11/18/10 B & M store purchase?

[Chip]

Greetings everyone, it is a new TeaDay. Time to share what is in your cup throughout the day.
Yesterday we discussed reasons we visit TeaChat. You can still vote and discuss yesterday's topic.

Today's TeaPoll and discussion topic. When is the last time you bought tea at a brick and mortar/local tea "store?" Please share some details. Did you enjoy it?

I am looking forward to sharing this TeaDay with everyone. Bottoms up.

A reminder. There are still FOUR incredible Hagi SO 13 "Tempests." Check them out here: http://www.teachat.com/viewtopic.php?f=66&t=14459

[Seeker]

<1mo
Some of my absolute best teas come from my fav, local brick & mortar tea shop.

Havin some chamomile citrus blend before bed.

[Victoria]

The last brick & mortar tea purchase was probably in Honolulu about 2 years ago. From the Ala Moana Shopping Center.

[Nenugal]

Two weeks ago I visited a Palais des Thes shop during a trip to Oslo. They had a quite nice selection, but the prices seemed quite a bit higher than what I'm used to when shopping online. I ended up buying a small bag of a tea called Tawaramine Shincha. A very tasty tea, but a bit more broken leaves than what I would expect from an expensive asamushi. I also got a sample of their sakura sencha, which was ok but a bit artificial-tasting.

This morning I'm drinking sakura sencha from o-cha. It is the first session with my new "smelly-tea-kyusu" (the red glazed one from Hibiki-an) that I plan to use for genmaicha, houjicha and other teas that I wouldn't expose my unglazed tokomame kyusu to.

[auhckw]

What is the meaning of brick & motar tea shop?

[Herb_Master]

What is the meaning of brick & motar tea shop?

Not online

It has a door that you walk through

[brad4419]

About 1 year ago I bought a whole lot of tea from a local tea shop called Joy of Java during a moving sale. It was horrible. No matter how cheap the tea was it doesn't make up for them selling very old tea. I would be willing to bet that the tea was several years old and not the good aged kind. Some of the black tea was "drinkable" but all the green and white teas were stale.

More fukamushi sencha this moring.

[TwoPynts]

The last time I bought loose leaf tea was at a local outlet of the Spice and Tea Exchange I happened across earlier this year. I have bought bagged herbal tea at the grocery store, but don't count that.

2009 Yunnan Pure Small Bud "Gold Tips" from Jas is today's cuppa.

[tortoise]

I put this last B&M tea purchase at just under five years ago and it was a memorable experience at Mariage Freres' rive gauche location in Paris.
I can't remember what I drank in the tea room, but it was so crowded it almost wasn't fun. Some very thin, very tall, very old woman came in with a certifiable retinue. She was wearing a crazy green dress and huge tiara. Someone in her own party was waiting on her. I had a lot of fun imagining who on God's green earth she could be.

I then bought some tea and a tin container from them. They had a gaggle of college aged English boys working the counter which I found a little bizarre. I do remember buying something they called "Blue Tea". It looked like a wuyi style twisted leaf that had whitish streaks in it. I can't remember much about the way it tasted, but I didn't dislike it.

Oh, I did buy some rishi oolongs at a whole foods about 2 months ago, but that story isn't as interesting.

O-cha's hatsumi fukamushi this AM.

[bryan293]

I bought about 2 ounces of green rooibos at Tea Leaf & Tarot in wickford last Sunday. They're selection is, admittedly, rather sparse but the people in there are very nice and it is a family business; the prices are also pretty good. I go in to chat rather often, and feel guilty if I don't buy something at least once in a while.
Today I had a delicious cup of Yame Gyokuro from O-cha. The thought of opening that container and taking a whiff of that amazing dry leaf was the only thing that got me out of bed this morning.

[artmom]

More than five years ago. Don't have many real Tea shops in this area, and I don't get out much. I used to love shopping for Tea in person.

[Krabbenhueter]

a brick and mortar/local tea "store?"

on monday this week.
see there: http://www.teachat.com/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=14446

And I am regular in this shop.

Tea: TGY anxi and Da Hong Pao a test.

Krabbenhueter

[msurads06]

August 13th, I was in dallas for a continuing education class and stoped by the Cultured Cup. If it wasnt almost 3 hours away i would definately have gone back. I plan to stop by my next time in dallas, but dont know when that will be. I realy wish i had a local tea place closer, but dallas is the closest i have found that sells tea, we have a few "tea rooms", but they are more restaurants with lousy selection, mostly teabags.

Aged dong ding this morning.

[physiognomy]

< 1week ago here... I have a Seven Cups store just down the street from me & have yet to be disappointed in any of their teas (admittedly, I've only sampled a small selection so far). Like many TCers, I buy much of my tea online, but it is just another experience all together to be able to walk into a tea house & sample the tea before buying.

Last week I went to their free puerh tasting (including a 90's shu that changed my perception of ripe puerh) and also attended an evening class on Chinese green teas. I learned just as much (& more) about tea (& Chinese history) in those 4-5 hrs than I have in the past year reading online. I may be able to buy cheaper online, but I will definitely continue to support my local B&M teahouse in the future... They are also getting in more puerh!

'09 Wuyi Shui Xian Zheng Yan from Jas-etea in my cup today... My bank account would be in severe trouble if Steve's place was just down the street!

[TwoPynts]

The last brick & mortar tea purchase was probably in Honolulu about 2 years ago. From the Ala Moana Shopping Center.

Last time I was there was in 1989. Was the Spaghetti Factory still in business?