I need to preface this review by saying that we drink a fair bit of Lapsang in this house and we love it. I see lots of bad ratings for Lapsang teas and they frequently come from people who have never had Lapsang and didn’t know what to expect.
I like this one, but I expected to love it. I thought yesterday’s Upton Lapsang was better, yet this one is more expensive and is supposed to be a higher grade. I wouldn’t turn a cup of this down, and I will say it resteeped nicely, and maybe the rain and dark clouds made yesterday’s cup cheerier and more comforting. Sometimes mood and company factor in strongly to one’s perception of a tea.
Bottom line – it’s good, but I am just as happy with the cheaper one between the two. I still prefer Dammann Freres Lapsang Souchong Crocodile and the now extinct Harney Wuyi Shan Lapsang. One more Upton Lapsang sample to go!