Home made blends! My first time taking this step, and I started with the two most opposite teas on my shelf. This Shou Mei white tea, and my uber smoky, campfire-esque Lapsang Souchong. Let’s see how this goes:
I used mostly Shou Mei leaves, about 2.5 (maybe close to 3) tablespoons of it to only one teaspoon of the much more potent Lapsang Souchong. I figured that might give me a decent balance, especially with the short 1 minute steep time of the white Shou Mei, instead of the 2 minute + time of the black Lapsang Souchong.
Now to dig in:
The aroma right off the bat is dominated by the smoky, campfire Lapsang. It’s not as in you face as when I brew the Lapsang alone, and it does have that light, almost airy smell of the Shou Mei.
First sip is all Lapsang. It is a nice flavor though, it’s s much more subdued and light compared to a cup full of Lapsang leaves. The first taste is all Lapsang, and it dominates the pallet, but I can certainly taste and feel the lightness of the Shou Mei, followed by that woody, earthy, nutty taste. I would like to have a bit more of that in the balance, so next time I will probably cut down the Lapsang leaves to 1/2 or even 1/4 teaspoon. It’s that potent.
I think, in the end, what I have done is actually make a REALLY good Lapsang Souchong by giving it a light white tea base. I’ll certainly be mixing these again.
