Here is yet another tea I totally forgot I had. I discovered it while reorganizing one of the tea cabinets and broke it open earlier in the week. With the onset of my most recent bout of sinusitis, I have not been able to drink any green teas or oolongs as my senses of smell and taste have been going in and out of focus. Black teas, for some reason, have still been able to reach me to a certain extent, so I have focused on sipping down some of the black teas I have had a little longer. I finished this one yesterday. I found it to be a solid, likable lapsang souchong.
I prepared this tea in the Western style. I steeped one full teaspoon of loose leaf material in approximately 8 ounces of 205 F water for 5 minutes. I did not attempt any additional infusions.
Prior to infusion, the dry leaf material emitted aromas of pine smoke, char, leather, and brown toast. After infusion, I noticed hints of malt, cedar, and molasses. In the mouth, I picked up strong notes of pine smoke, pine tar, char, leather, brown toast, cedar, roasted nuts, and malt balanced by touches of molasses, caramel, and light tobacco. The finish was malty, smoky, and leathery, though I could also detect touches of molasses and caramel sweetness that cut through the murk.
I knew this would be a smoky tea and it most definitely was. Honestly, I kind of expected it to be less nuanced, but the little underlying touches of sweetness made for nice additions. They made the tea more approachable while also making it seem somewhat lighter than it was. Overall, I enjoyed this one. Though it was neither the smokiest nor the most complex lapsang souchong I have ever tried, it did not disappoint. If you’re a fan of this style, you will probably enjoy this tea one some level.
Flavors: Brown Toast, Caramel, Cedar, Char, Leather, Malt, Molasses, Pine, Roasted Nuts, Smoke, Tar, Tobacco
