Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tea Description:
As for this week’s Tea of the Week, I think this is the tribute blend I should have done months ago when I released the Inscape blend. Inscape was maybe a bit too deep and complicated, whereas this one gets right to the heart of the (dark) matter.
If you haven’t read Joe Hill’s new horror novel NOS4A2 (think Nosferatu), you’re missing out. This week’s blend attempts to capture the essence of the insidious Gasmask Man’s terrible gingerbread smoke, which he uses to daze and sedate his victims. The tea is a blend of our premium black teas, ginger root pieces and just a hint of smoked lapsang souchong. It tastes a bit like the gingerbread cookies my mom used to make (she had a habit of burning cookies, but don’t tell her I said so).
Learn more about this blend here.
Learn more about Zoomdweebie’s fundraising campaign to reopen the Tea Bar here.
Taster’s Review:
Recently, 52Teas released a second tribute tea for the horror novel NOS4A2 by Joe Hill … this tea: Gingerbread Smoke Black Tea Blend. And whenever there is something alluding to “smoke” in the name of a tea, I tend to be a little bit cautious. However, because there was also “gingerbread” in the name of this tea, I was actually kind of excited to try it, having LOVED the Gingerbread Chai 52Teas released a few years ago.
And I am loving this Gingerbread Smoke tea too! The smoke is not overwhelming at all. Even when I opened the package and smelled the dry leaf, I didn’t notice an overpowering smoky tone to the fragrance. Some hints of smoke … but certainly nothing that would have set off the alarm for me. The aroma smells of fresh gingerbread – with a well-defined note of ginger – and hints of smoke.
And the flavor is very much the way the scent suggests: spicy-sweet gingerbread with hints of smoke! But before I notice the gingerbread or the smoky notes, I notice the black tea base. It’s a robust yet well-rounded base, providing a satisfying background of tea flavor for these flavors. Rich, earthy, and sweet with caramel notes. Nice.
The gingerbread hits the palate next. I notice a balance of sweet and spicy here. Warm, peppery ginger and a sweet, slightly buttery, cake-like flavor. Then I notice the smoke from the Lapsang Souchong. I like the way the Lapsang Souchong is blended here — there is just enough of a smoky note to let you know that there is some Lapsang Souchong in the blend of teas, but not enough to overpower the balance of flavors.
The smoke adds just enough interest to the cup to make it a not-so-ordinary cuppa … which is exactly what I’ve come to expect from 52Teas!
Time is running out for the fundraising efforts to revive Zoomdweebies. If you haven’t yet contributed … please consider doing so! Check out what I’m talking about here.
