“Thank you TeaEqualsBliss for sending me some of this tea. I chose it because when I opened the box she sent, this was the tea I could smell. Mostly I grabbed it because I didn’t want to take the...” Read full tasting note
“This one is from the Purrfect Cup! Thanks so much! This has a little bit of smoke flavor but it also tastes like sprouts to me…like alfalfa or pea sprouts even. There is a bit of sweet and subtle...” Read full tasting note
“This is one of four teas I ordered from Tweed & Hickory. Their online store carries a lot of stuff including a wide range of Metropolitan Tea Company teas. Anyway, this tea caught my attention...” Read full tasting note
“Tea from this morning. This one is pretty bold (I picked it up at The Whistling Kettle – who I know gets there tea from MTC)! Very smokey and all around oaky flavor to it, really nice. I really...” Read full tasting note
Country of Origin: Taiwan
Region: Nantou County
Shipping Port: Taipei
Grade: Kangaroo Lapsang
Altitude: 1000’ ft – 2000’ ft. above sea level
Manufacturer Type: Orthodox
Cup Characteristics: A smooth and deep flavorful cup with delectable mild hints of a pine and oak fire.
Infusions: Tending bright, orange highlights.
Ingredients: Black tea
It has been said that “The beauty of Taiwan tea resides in the hard-working spirit of past generations to pioneer the golden age of Taiwan tea.” Truer words regarding this island nation’s tea industry could not have been spoken. Through all of Taiwan’s political ups and downs during the past couple of centuries, the art and business of tea has prevailed producing some of the world’s finest cups. Although these days Taiwan is often associated with semi-fermented Oolongs, the industry there actually began with the development of black tea – teas such as this outstanding Lapsang. Local teas originated from two varieties of wild growing plants, their primary difference being the color of their sprouts. This tea, known as Taiwan Mountain tea had either greenish tending light purple sprouts or purple-red tending fuchsia sprouts. Initially it was thought that neither of these teas were commercially viable. That all changed however when improvements were made to a varietal sub-categorized as Taiwan Tea No. 18 making it suitable for black tea production.
It is the belief of our Master Taster, that due to the exceptional appearance of the leaf, Kangaroo Lapsang is probably produced from plants stemming from this original Tea No. 18. Production begins by withering freshly picked tea over pine and oak fires, pan-firing, and then rolling the leaf by hand. Once rolled, leaves are pressed into wooden barrels, covered with cloth, and allowed to ferment. Next, the leaves are re-rolled into tight strips and placed in bamboo baskets, which are hung over burning pine boughs. As they dry, the leaves further develop their rich smoky flavor. Because of the quality of the fresh leaf used to produce Kangaroo Lapsang, the resulting tea is one of the worlds finest. The flavor is robust, deep, and highly aromatic, filling the mouth with distinctive smoky pine notes. The flavor leads us to another quote, “The beauty of Taiwan tea resides in the flavor, the clearness of its coloring, the purity of its taste, and the elegance of its aroma.” That being the case, this tea is a true example of the beauty of Taiwan tea. (As for the odd name – the true origins have been lost to the mists of time – although legend has it that a ship carrying Kangaroos to the Boston Zoo from Australia almost 200 years ago capsized off the coast of Taiwan, then known as Formosa. The ancient stories maintain that the kangaroos lived in peace amongst the tea plants for many years!)
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