Lapsang Souchong

Thank you for the free sample Joseph Wesley! This is lovely, truly!!
I am usually on the fence with Chinese black teas, but this, well this is delicious. Definitely getting a cigar association as the Snooty Tea Person pointed out below, but like s/he said, not a strong one. Mild and pleasant!
Beyond that there is a sparkling element that I find with really good teas. Is that mineral, is that what that taste is? Hmmm.
It has some depth to it, and LOTS of complexity. I’m getting Barley, a tiny bit of hay, and a big wallop of cacao right before the end of my sip. The aftertaste is of barley as well.
Now, I know this is damn good tea because every time I take a sip, it’s like reading that book you just can’t put down, I want more more!! but then, I really need to savour this as well… so I’m taking really tiny sips in hopes that I can fool myself into thinking that it will last longer that way.

Joseph Wesley’s Lapsang Souchon blows heavy smoke in your face upon first whiff of the dry leaves. Not quite as heavy as if you’re standing next to Grandpa Joe and his massive Cuban cigar; this is when he’s stepped out to the bathroom and left his jacket behind, which you put on so that, just for a moment, you can feel like the Old Spice guy.

And yet, once in the cup, this baby comes out as light as you please–we go from Old Spice to Posh Spice, all grown up and nestled in the arms of David Beckham. The liquor is tarnished gold, like a pale ale, and the aroma gives you nothing but… Full review here: http://snooteablog.com/2013/11/05/snooty-tea-review-joseph-wesley-black-tea-round-1/

Sipdown! every pot I made at work was deliciously complex and satisfying. While i’m supremely bummed to say goodbye to this tea, i know that i can find some good quality non-smoked LS elsewhere. In all honesty, I would lean towards different types of Chinese black tea like Jin Jun Mei or keemun. Coincidentally, my last tin of tea from Joseph Wesley is a Keemun congfu. Very excited to be starting on that tea tomorrow :)

Tea Advent Calendar – Day 18

I’ve recently discovered that I like smokey black tea and I’ve never tried anything from Joseph Wesley, so I was excited to see this one in today’s Advent calendar pouch. And I wasn’t disappointed! This is a lovely Lapsang Souchong. The base tea is rich and nuanced with notes of mineral, malt, and dark chocolate and the smokiness level is just right – present, but not overpowering. I did notice a slight dryness at the end of the sip that kept me going back for more but left me a bit unsatisfied when my cup was finished. Thankfully, this re-steeps beautifully, getting smoother over time but not losing its flavor. I may have to add this to my collection at some point in the future!

I put off trying this tea for a few years because I though it was smoked. I hate the heavily smoked versions of this tea.
This one though is very good and I taste no smoke at all.

205F, 2-4 min, at work
Very fruit forward – cherry, berry, bright; little bit of malt, caramel, and smooth. I’m torn between savoring and drinking it quickly. Berry aftertaste lingers on after each sip. This was a great tea!

I really enjoy this tea, which is surprising. My first experience with Lapsang Souchong actually led me to create one of my most popular dishes on my menu at my restaurant, Lapsang Souchong Braised Shortribs. After purchasing some to try, I realized that it was far too smoky in flavor to be enjoyable. I didn’t want to throw it away so I decided to cook with it. However, this Lapsang Souchong was very pleasant to drink. It had a very light smokiness which not only allowed me to enjoy the other earthy flavor components but rather complimented them.

Almost to the end of this tea. Probably about two sessions left. I picked this one out because it has been dreary and rainy for the last 5 days. A covenant has been broken. A new ark needs to be built. But a slightly smoky black tea is just what the doctor ordered for a rainy fall day.

This tea is quite good. It’s not a smoky lapsang. There are some notes of malt in there. There are some notes of chocolate in there. Very tasty.

I brewed this one time in a 16oz Teavana Glass Perfect Tea Maker/Graqvity Steeper with 3 tsp leaf and 200 degree water for 3 min.

Another sad sipdown. Maybe one day Joseph Wesley will return. This is one I would definitely repurchase. It’s got a bittersweet chocolate vibe, very deep and dark. Plus, it’s kept is flavor much longer than others I purchased from JW around the same time. Highly recommend.

So, I totally didn’t realize this was a non-smoked lapsang until I brewed it up. That’s okay though…you know why? Because it tastes amazing! It has a subtle hint of smoke, more like a keemun than a smoked lapsang, but there were notes of malt, cocoa, caramel, fruit. Mmmm! Later infusions brought out the caramel even more. Absolutely delicious, and probably ranks up there with the Classic Chinese black tea. :)