Lapsang Souchong

Dark and smoky. Made using a french press.

Followed some advice, lower temperature (just under rolling), more tea (three spoons for 2 cups), shorter brew time (3 minutes) and it has worked wonders on my Lapsong. The dark amber of the two was in full swing by 3 minutes, almost looking like rooibos. It was smokey but no bitterness in the end. In fact the end tasted like water, perhaps too thin?
The second steeping (3 minutes), this time no sugar, tasted of green tea, wondrous, and the smoke has settled to a low ember, not burning at all- excellent to the palate.

Smokey! It tastes like the bottom of a campfire pit. Strangely addicting though. I hope the smoke has not introduced carcinogens into the tea. Caveat emptor!

I’ve been looking forward to trying this one.
Smells like: campfire, bbq smokehouse.
Taste reminds me of: pine, smoked bbq, and a little bit of a grassy taste. I was expecting strong flavors after smelling it, but it was actually kind of on the mild side.
I’m tempted to try this in some kind of marinade.

Reading over the past tasting notes, it seems like you either love or hate this particular tea.

I love the woodsy and warm taste of this tea. Totally a morning or early afternoon drink. It reminds me of the bonfire we had every year at a Masquerade function I always went to. Good times.

It’s not as good as the Spice and Tea Exchange Lapsang Souchong, in my opinion, a three minute steeping time left a weaker and more astringent taste. I plan to perhaps use slightly more tea and a two minute steep time next time I make a pot of this.

Just the sort of warm smoky cup I was looking for on this chilly, damp night!

A few years ago I went to Australia with a friend of mine.
We were on the plane and they had brought us some bread, butter and Vegemite. My friend obviously hadn’t had it before, and started to spread it directly on the bread in much the same manner and thickness that you would with peanut butter, or jam. Being a good friend, I of course said absolutely nothing.

The reason I bring this up now is I imagine my face did exactly what his did when tasting this tea for the first time. I was expecting smokey, and got a mouthful of campfire.

I’ll try it again soon with a shortened brew time, and perhaps after rinsing the leaves first. I enjoy smokey, just evidently not enough.

I really like smoky flavors and was excited to receive this but it was not at all what I was expecting. The smoky/pine flavor was very faint and almost unnoticeable. The predominant flavor was a harmony of pork chops, barbecue sauce and iodine. While some teas have failed to impress me, this is the very first time I thoroughly dislike one. I can’t even finish what I have and some co workers who drink tea don’t want it, after taking a whiff at the pouch they say “no thanks.”

For me, Adagio’s LS lacks character. The tea behind all the hoola boola (i.e., the lovely smell of smoky pines) is bland, bland, bland. I have tasted many fine LS’s from other companies and unfortunately this LS has failed in my book.

I had a cup of this for breakfast. This was the strong smoke taste I was looking for. The tea was bold but not overpowering in any way.