Smaug

Tea Information:

Leaf Type: Green & Black

Where to Buy: 52Teas

Tea Description:

We had some discussion about what base tea would be used in a Smaug tea, but clearly it had to be a DRAGON Well. For those unfamiliar, Dragon Well (aka Longjing, aka Lung Ching) is a green tea from the Zhejiang province in China. Legend has it the tea derives its name from the beneficent dragon said to live in a local well.

Our Smaug tea is a blend of Dragon Well, cinnamon chips, a hint of lapsang souchoung (I only used a single ounce in five pounds of Dragon Well, just enough to give it a little smoky character), some cayenne pepper and organic flavors. It’s a fiery feast for your tastebuds!

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

Oh WOW! This Smaug Tea from 52Teas is amazing!

I love the level of spice here – it is spicy, in fact, my first few sips, I could feel it in my sinuses! That’s how you know it’s got the spice! But, it isn’t SO spicy that I feel like I need to put out a fire on my tongue. I’m not running for a drink of water to dilute the spice, nor am I needing a bite of something dairy-ish to extinguish the flames on my palate (my personal favorite in instances such as these is ice cream). So … it is spicy and just a little smoky, but not to the point where I find it uncomfortable to drink. On the contrary, I’m really enjoying the burn!

The Dragon Well tea offers a light sweetness and a hint of vegetal taste. If I had any complaint about this tea at all, it would be that the Dragon Well almost seems a little overwhelmed by the flavors of cinnamon and cayenne pepper … almost, but not quite. I can taste the Dragon Well, but, the flavor does seem to be competing with the other flavors here.

The Lapsang Souchong is a barely there addition … there is just enough to give the cup the faintest insinuation of smoky undertones.

Another idea would be to use Chipotle pepper which would provide smokiness in addition to heat … Frank, if you’re reading this … how about a Chipotle Raspberry Chocolate tea? Spicy Love! YUM!

The cinnamon offers a nice, earthy character to the cup in addition to a zesty spice which compliments the cayenne pepper very nicely. The cayenne adds … just the right amount of heat here. It isn’t over done. If you’re wimpish about spices, you probably wouldn’t like this, but if you enjoy taking a walk on the spicy side now and then … I think you’ll find this tea is right up your alley!

Loving the burn! Absolutely LOVING it!

liberteas

Anne (aka the Mad Tea Artist) has celebrated her 29th birthday for many years now. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her hubby and her youngest daughter. Her oldest daughter is married and has bestowed Anne with the proud title of "Gramma" and her grandson is about the cutest boy you ever did see. Anne started her journey with tea as a casual drinker and became more serious about her tea drinking when she realized that she couldn't drink coffee. Shortly thereafter, she started becoming obsessed with the beverage and she started creating small-batch, artisan blends of tea that she sold online as LiberTEAS. After a few years, she realized she wasn't cut out to be the sole proprietor of a business so she closed LiberTEAS and started reviewing teas online. She met Jennifer through another blog that they both reviewed for and they decided to start their own review blog. This review blog! Throughout her journey as a tea reviewer, she discovered 52Teas and became enamored with the idea of creating a new tea every week. When the founder of 52Teas decided he wanted to move on, he offered the business to Anne but knowing that she wasn't cut out to be a sole proprietor, she instead offered the company to her oldest daughter who employs her as the Mad Tea Artist for 52Teas!

This post was posted in 52Teas, Black Tea, Green Tea, Tea Company, Type Of Tea