I haven’t reviewed this tea? I could have sworn I did. Oh well, maybe I’m thinking about Teavivre’s version.
Anyway, it was 33°F this morning. A harsh wakeup call, if you ask me. So, I wanted something strong and wintery. No iced Earl Grey for me today!
I’ve had lapsangs before, but this one smells like straight up bacon cooked over a wood stove. Or cooked outdoors, at least. It’s smoky, but not in a cigarette way. In a nice fall way. You know that smell that fills your car for a moment when you pass someone burning leaves in their yard? It’s sort of like that.
However, the flavor is much less intimidating than the aroma. It’s actually a very smooth black tea. Hardly astringent and not bitter at all. It also doesn’t taste charred. More cured than burned. In the forefront are smoky pine notes, followed by leather and meat. I know it’s odd to think of tea as meaty, but I definitely taste something that makes me think of bacon.
While I know most people don’t like lapsangs, I still recommend this tea. It’s an unusual experience that I think people should have at least once. You never know, you might love it!
Flavors: Campfire, Dark Wood, Leather, Meat, Pine, Wood
