Since I have been investigating more blends lately, I decided to go ahead and crack open my sample of Glen Lochey Blend. This is a smoky, earthy blend of black teas. Of course, the intense smoky aroma and flavor is produced by the addition of lapsang souchong. So, it kind of goes without saying that if you are not a fan of lapsang souchong, then you will very likely not be a fan of this particular blend.
In the glass, the liquor shows a warm, rich honey gold. I was kind of expecting a darker liquor, but still, this looks nice. Aromas of pine, smoke, earth, moss, and peat quickly jump out on the nose. In the mouth, I immediately detect notes of pine, smoke, and tar followed by flavors of peat, earth, moss, malt, roasted barley, and an almost algae/seaweed marine brininess. On the finish, there is an integration of earthy and smoky flavors with distinct pine wood notes and subtle hints of caramel and honey that round things out a bit.
All in all, I rather like this blend, but then again, I am a fan of roasty, woody, earthy, and smoky flavors. That being said, I do wish the flavor was a bit more robust overall with a slightly greater degree of separation in the layering of individual flavor components. There is quite a bit going on here if you dig deep enough to find it, but for me, the problem is that everything mellows out and merges a little too quickly. Still, I could see this being a good introduction to smokier blends for those who may be new to them.
Flavors: Caramel, Earth, Fishy, Honey, Malt, Marine, Moss, Peat, Pine, Roasted Barley, Tar, Toast
