Tea-O-Graphy

Strange… this has a molasses like scent and a hint of it in the sip. There is something unbalanced about this mix. It has deep notes and high notes, but no mid to tie it together smoothly. The chickory gives it a depth like chocolate or coffee, but there is something bright and tangy too that is hard to fit in. I had thought that adding cream might fix this, but I was wrong. It deadened the flavors that were there. This was fun to try, but not something I’d seek out again.

I bought the tiniest sample of this tea and it took me 3 years to sip it down! My tea management skills leave much to be desired! I’m really enjoying this cup and it’s surprising me. I figured that after years of sitting around in a wax paper bag I’d be tossing the cup after one sip. Instead the flavors have stood the test of time quite well! The smoke is the most prominent flavor, but the puerh seems to be adding depth. It’s very dark and earthy. The cedar and cypress add complexity and the feel of sipping on a forest. I’d love to have this tea again sometime, but I don’t know that I’m taken enough by it to buy it again.

This is such a pretty tea! All the different shapes and colors of ingredients make it fun to look at. I can imagine it being mesmerizing in the end of a tea kaleidoscope.
The lapsang is center stage here for sure. Smokiness is dominant in each sip, but there is more going on than in a straight lapsang. I don’t think I can pick out the puerh on it’s own. Under the smoke there are savory herbal notes that I can’t name. I kept thinking the green twigs were Juniper, but the ingredients say Cypress. This tea is very much like tasting your way through a forest! I’m liking it!

A local company. I’d originally tried this at a festival in the spring. When brewed, I got a scent of rose and cardamon. The chocolate comes out more in the flavour, but I mostly get floral spice. There is some vanilla as well. Was good with muffins.