I was apprehensive about this tea because the dry leaf smells dreadful. I read somewhere that the leaves are sometimes smoked over pine tar rather than pine wood, and I wonder if that’s the case for this one, because it smells like pine tar. With heavy emphasis on the tar, and not much on the pine.
That said, most lapsang souchongs taste better than they smell, in my opinion, so I forged ahead.
When I first sipped it, I didn’t like it, though it definitely tasted better than it smelled. Now that it’s cooled a bit, it tastes nicer, sweeter and more mellow. There’s still a faint note of something that just doesn’t appeal to me though.
I have a feeling that this tea might just be too authentic for my sheltered American tastes. I’ve never really been into lapsang souchongs, but of those I’ve tried, I liked David’s the best. It was recognizably smoky, but still on the mild side.
Flavors: Smoke, Tar
Preparation
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Another smokey one! I still have half my sample I’m saving to try again, but it isn’t something I think I’d have very often, although I did enjoy drinking it. I remember though that the aroma of it stayed with me all day!
I agree with the sheltered American tastebuds vs smoky tea. I live in the southern California wildfire area, and now smoky teas remind me of evacuating my home, so I steer clear of them….for now!
Yes, I’m getting near the end of my first round of tea sampler packets, and it’s no coincidence that the smoky teas got shoved till last. I only drink them when I’m feeling daring. I guess I’m just fussy about smoke flavor. I WANT to like it, because it’s so interesting and nuanced. And as we discussed, personal tastes do change from day to day. But at heart, I’m a peaches and cream kind of girl, so something this strong is way outside my comfort zone.
Sorry, donkeytiara, I just now saw your comment. Just watching them on tv, those southern California fires look terrifying. I hope they’re not as bad down there this year! Now that you mention it, I wonder if I too haven’t been affected by bad experiences with smoke. I’m staying in Idaho at the moment, and though I’ve never been in danger from the fire, both the forest service and the farmers have these controlled burns all through the summer that really pollute the air. I cringe now whenever I smell smoke.
Another smokey one! I still have half my sample I’m saving to try again, but it isn’t something I think I’d have very often, although I did enjoy drinking it. I remember though that the aroma of it stayed with me all day!
I agree with the sheltered American tastebuds vs smoky tea. I live in the southern California wildfire area, and now smoky teas remind me of evacuating my home, so I steer clear of them….for now!
Yes, I’m getting near the end of my first round of tea sampler packets, and it’s no coincidence that the smoky teas got shoved till last. I only drink them when I’m feeling daring. I guess I’m just fussy about smoke flavor. I WANT to like it, because it’s so interesting and nuanced. And as we discussed, personal tastes do change from day to day. But at heart, I’m a peaches and cream kind of girl, so something this strong is way outside my comfort zone.
Sorry, donkeytiara, I just now saw your comment. Just watching them on tv, those southern California fires look terrifying. I hope they’re not as bad down there this year! Now that you mention it, I wonder if I too haven’t been affected by bad experiences with smoke. I’m staying in Idaho at the moment, and though I’ve never been in danger from the fire, both the forest service and the farmers have these controlled burns all through the summer that really pollute the air. I cringe now whenever I smell smoke.