Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Tea Description:
“You smell like a campfire.” Edward says to me as I walk into the office with this smoking hot beauty. Sheena has blessed us with some of the first samples of this smoky wonder. She described it as the scotch of the tea world. Bold and boisterous, it’s a mans tea, able to convert any hard core coffee addict to a gentle tea sipper.
It’s bold scent is definitely softened when steeped. The air will hold on to this campfire scent, reminding us of weekends camping and long weeks at the cottage. It also reminded us how much we like whisky. We brewed up a small pot, iced it and served it as mixer in our weekend Manhattans.
The flavour, while still maintaining a hint of smoke, is very earthy and gentle. Perfect for mornings or an evening of cocktail sipping. Mix 2oz of iced Lapsang Souchong with 2oz of whiskey, a splash of fresh apple juice, and a squeeze of lime for a perfect evening drink.
Learn more about July’s Postal Teas shipment here.
Learn more about subscribing to Postal Teas here.
Taster’s Review:
By now, I’ve mentioned my lack of enthusiasm for Postal Tea’s choices for my first month of trying out this subscription service. They went with the “classics” and the theme “One Classy Lady.” OK, I get it, and I even understand the desire to want to offer subscribers three classic teas that all tea drinkers should at least try. But for those of us who are pretty well acquainted with these “classics,” the teas in this box end up being just a little … less than exciting.
I do LOVE the box though. First of all, it’s packaged beautifully in a slim box. The sample sizes are just the right size for a pot of tea. I liked getting a handwritten note from Postal Teas (it’s a small detail, but it’s one that I really appreciate) and I really liked receiving the tea notebook. These little touches made the box very special, so I am hoping that next month’s shipment from Postal Teas has something just a little less classic for their subscribers.
In the meantime, I have a cup of Lapsang Souchong sitting before me. I can smell the heavy smoky note. The description above is accurate in saying that it smells smokier than it tastes. This is true of just about every Lapsang Souchong tea that I’ve tasted. I don’t know that I’ve ever really thought much about it, because the aroma is so smoky that it’s often difficult to separate the scent from the taste because these two senses are very connected. But this is a tea that definitely benefits – at least for me – to not inhale deeply before taking that sip as I would normally do, because then the sip tastes less smoky.
Another way to help eliminate some of the smoke is to brew it “properly” – again, at least properly for me. I always give Lapsang Souchong leaves a rinse before I infuse the leaves by steeping the leaves for about 15 seconds and then straining off the liquid and discarding it. This gets rid of a lot of the overpowering smoke, but not all of it. There’s still some smoke – but it’s a lot more enjoyable now because it’s not overwhelming me.
212°F for 15 seconds, strain and discard liquid, and then infuse the leaves at 212°F for 2 1/2 minutes – 3 minutes. Strain and enjoy. I don’t usually go over 3 minutes.
This is a pleasant Lapsang Souchong. Smoky, yes, but there is a delightful complexity beyond the smoke. A delectably sweet caramel undertone with notes of stone fruit. I know I’ve probably used this descriptive before in other reviews when describing the flavors in a Lapsang, but it’s applicable and it’s what I’m tasting: imagine charring a ripe plum over a smoky campfire. That’s what I taste. It’s sweet and it’s really quite lovely … and certainly worth the effort of the extra brewing step to be able to enjoy these flavors.
This tea is one of three that I received in my July Postal Teas subscription package, and currently it’s available only to Postal Teas customers and isn’t currently on Tease website, which is why I didn’t include a direct link where you could buy this tea.
I enjoyed the classic teas that Postal Teas sent me this month … but as I said, I’m looking forward to what they will send with the next shipment.
Lapsang Souchong Black Tea from Steepster
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Steepster Select
Tea Description:
Our Lapsang is a hearty black tea which has been lightly smoked over aged pine. Surprisingly sweet and complex, note how the pine aromas start strong up front and soon diminish revealing a very structured and delicate flavor.
Taster’s Review:
I’ve never made any big secret of the fact that I’m not particularly fond of overly smoky teas. And as I typed the previous sentence, it occurred to me that is probably not the first time that I said that here on this blog. So, when this Lapsang Souchong Black Tea was included as part of the Steepster Select box this month, I wasn’t exactly doing the happy dance. I wasn’t … unhappy … exactly, but, I wasn’t thrilled either.
As I sit here typing, my hot cup of tea sits before me and the aroma of smoke wafts from the teacup. It isn’t an overpowering scent, that is to say, it doesn’t make me feel as though I’m sitting ’round a campfire. But, the smoke is there. It’s smoky.
I brewed this cup the way I typically brew a Lapsang Souchong or other strongly smoked tea, I gave it a quick, hot water rinse.
This time, I did a 20 second rinse rather than my usual 15 seconds, not sure that the extra five seconds will do a whole lot different, but, I just kept counting after the fifteen and I didn’t realize – hey, it’s time to dump out the rinse water. What can I say? It’s still early and this is my first cup of the day, I haven’t had any caffeine and my brain isn’t functioning properly.
Anyway, after the 20 second rinse, I brewed the cup for three minutes. I’m glad to say that the tea tastes less smoky than it smells. It still has a fairly strong smoky taste, but there are a lot of other interesting flavors in this cup as well.
I can really taste that delightful caramel-y undertone. As much as I am not fond of smoky teas, the thing that I’m quite captivated by with a smoky tea (and the one thing that keeps me coming back to try a smoky tea now and then) is that caramel-y undertone. I love the way the smoke and the caramel meld together. It’s quite magical.
As the description above suggests, this is a hearty tea, but it isn’t quite as hearty as you might expect such an aggressively smoked tea as a Lapsang Souchong to be. It doesn’t quite have the roundness that other hearty teas have, like a top-notch Assam or a Fujian Black tea might have. It certainly doesn’t qualify as a “thin” tasting tea, but it’s lighter than I’d like my first cup of the day to be.
That said, the lighter body of the tea allows me to explore some of the other flavors in this cup. I taste notes of fruit which marry beautifully with the smoked notes, giving them a taste of charred fruit, as if I grilled them. Nice! The fruit notes are difficult to distinguish, but I do taste a distinct stone fruit, like perhaps plum or nectarine, or a hybrid of the two.
I also taste notes of pine. Not surprising, right? This is a Lapsang Souchong. But, I actually taste the wood and not just the smoke. I taste the woodsy tone of pine, and that is very complimentary to the smoky tones, not adding to the smoky flavor but giving it some dimension and making the cup not be all about the smoke.
Overall, this is a pretty decent Lapsang Souchong. One of the nicer ones I’ve had. I enjoy the complexity of this.
Lapsang Souchong Black Tea from Tea Forté
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Tea Forté
Tea Description:
Exceptional, large leaves delicately smoked over smoldering embers of local pine for a tea with strong, smoky character. The burnished liquor delivers a teasing crisp quality in harmony with hazel-sweet notes.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Even though the photo above shows Tea Forte’s “signature” pyramid sachet, this Lapsang Souchong Black Tea actually came to me in loose leaf form, which I prefer over the sachets. Sure, the sachets are fancy and elegant, but, I’ll take the superior flavor of a loose leaf tea over fancy elegance any day.
Not a bad Lapsang Souchong. I brewed this with a quick rinse (15 seconds in boiling water and then strain the liquid and discard) and then for 3 minutes. The flavor is robust and smoky, with notes of caramel and a sweet nutty note.
I think that it’s the underlying sweetness of a Lapsang Souchong that actually won me over to the smoky side. I wasn’t always a big fan of smoky teas and Lapsang Souchong seems to be the smokiest of them all, so it was usually on my “least wanted” list. And while I can’t say that I LOVE Lapsang Souchong now, I don’t dislike it the way I used to.
Because once you get past that heavy smokiness, you find all these wonderful layers of sweet caramel and even a sweet nutty tone that melds beautifully with the toasty notes of the smoky essence. It becomes less like a “campfire” (or other, less appealing descriptives) and more like a sweet, toasty, cozy cuppa that I enjoy curling up to now and then.
It would seem that some Lapsang Souchong teas are more smoky than others and I would say that this one from Tea Forté is not quite as smoky as some that I’ve encountered … it’s what I’d categorize as a medium smoky quality as compared to some of the heavier smoked Lapsang Souchong teas. Sure, it’s still SMOKY but it’s less intense as some I’ve tried, making this an excellent choice for those who are looking for a good, middle-ground sort of Lapsang Souchong. An enjoyable cuppa.
Carävan Resurrected Black Tea Blend from Damn Fine Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Damn Fine Tea
Tea Description:
You might think that it’s hard for a classic tea to keep its fans wide awake and screaming for more, year after year, tour after tour. Maybe you wonder if a blend ever grows weary of trashing countertops the world over? Perhaps you think that following an exhausting after-dinner encore in Sioux City, this tea is not prepared to demolish breakfast in Wichita the next morning?
Think again.
We’re proud to welcome Carävan back into our lineup. It’s long been one of our favorite, hard-rocking teas, and now it’s bigger, bolder, and better than ever. Hold on to your biscuits and let this custom blend of strong, smoky black tea from China rock you — you won’t regret it!
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
The first time I tried this Caravan Black Tea Blend, I tried the original batch (not the Ressurrected version!) from Andrews & Dunham’s Damn Fine Tea third series. I didn’t review it back then, because I was more than just a little put off by the smokiness of the tea. Back then … I didn’t know how to brew a smoky tea. I have since learned a few things on how to best brew a smoky tea for my taste buds, which tend to be a little put off by a really strong smoky presence.
I know I’ve mentioned the “secret” more than once on this blog, but for those that may have missed it, the secret to brewing a very smoky tea (like a Lapsang Souchong or a blend with Lapsang Souchong leaves in it – like this blend) is to do a quick “rinse” of the leaves. Pour the hot water over the leaves, allow the leaves to steep for 15 seconds, and then strain off the liquid and discard it. Then resteep the leaves for 2 1/2 – 3 minutes. This process will produce a tea that is still smoky, but not so smoky that it tastes as though you’re drinking tea from a dirty ashtray.
Because … I like some smokiness to a tea … I just don’t really care for the full-boar, robust smokiness of a tea like this one has when the above brewing method has not been employed. Some smoke = compelling. Too much smoke = NO.
But now that I’ve brewed this tea to cater to my taste buds, I’m really enjoying it. It’s still smoky, sure, but, I can taste other flavors in this tea now that the smoke isn’t overpowering the cup. The smoke is still the strongest note to the cup, but there are other delightful tastes to be discovered.
It is sweet and caramel-y. There are deep fruity notes that meld deliciously with the burnt-sugar caramel. There is some drying astringency toward the tail, but it’s what I’d categorize as moderate. Overall, this is a very enjoyable cuppa, and certainly worth the little bit of extra effort it takes to rinse the leaves!
Witches’ Brew Chai Blend from 52Teas
Chai Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Chai Description:
Thanks to LiberTEAS for the idea for this blend (and no, I’m certainly not calling her a witch of any sort; that’s just what this blend brings to mind for me). LiberTEAS wanted a smoky chai blend with some additional spices, so we blended some of our premium black tea base with some extra assam and some lapsang souchoung (smoked black tea), ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, clove, star anise, nutmeg and cumin along with some organic flavors. The result is a smoky, spicy treat that will warm you to your bones. Get yours today while they last.
Learn more about this chai here.
Taster’s Review:
Now, that’s what I’m talking about!
If you read the above description, you’ll see that I suggested this blend to Frank (the Chief Zoomdweebie over at 52Teas), and he made it for me and called it Witches’ Brew Chai Blend. He wanted to express to me that he in no way thinks I’m a witch, but I told him that it’s perfectly fine to think of me as such … I’ve been called worse! Ha!
Back when I was still blending teas, I created what I considered the perfect chai. I know I’ve told that story more than once. I spent over a year creating the perfect recipe. One of the ingredients that was a MUST for my chai back then was cumin seeds. I would even toast the cumin seeds myself, because it brought out such a lovely, warm, slightly smoky flavor. And of course, I never forgot the nutmeg, which I would freshly grind into the blend.
But one spice that I didn’t include in my chai was star anise. This is a spice that I didn’t become well acquainted with until after my blending days were over, and I have since fallen in love with the spice and it’s licorice-y tones. So, when I asked Frank to create this blend, I wanted star anise in there too. I thought that the star anise, together with the other spices and the smoky notes of Lapsang Souchong … would be … absolutely divine.
And I was not wrong.
This is as perfect a chai as I’ve ever tasted since I stopped blending my own. I love the star anise, I love that it is warm and spicy and there is a complexity within the spice notes. I love that I taste the rich, malty tones of the black tea base, and the way the smoky notes of the Lapsang Souchong meld with the licorice-y notes and the spice.
I love it served non-latte with a teaspoon of turbinado sugar to enhance the spices. It also makes a spectacular latte, just add a splash of milk or cream. Do take care not to add too much milk to the cup because the dimensions of flavor from the spices is really amazing … and too much of the creamy stuff will obscure that. Just a little bit of milk or cream to bring out the malty notes of the Assam will make a devilishly delicious chai latte!
And this chai is perfectly named too. One taste of this and it evokes thoughts of a great big cauldron over a pit fire, and a cloaked figure stirring the brew. This is SO SO SO good.
This is, hands down, my favorite chai from 52Teas yet … and certainly one of my top favorite chai blends of all time! It’s awesome!
