Lapsang Souchong

Completely captivated by the deep richness of this black tea. There is a deep dampness found in the dry leaves. The complexity of smokiness is what invites the participant to search deeper for the full discovery of these cultured leaves.

Tea Forte has it right describing it as,“large leaves delicately smoked over smoldering embers of local pines.” The quality of the pines brings depth, because you can smell traces of unmistakeable resin. This is so reminiscent of my earlier childhood in the deep south. Great ambience of centry old pine forest and dark damp swamps working harmoniously to refresh the weary soul and tranquility to the burdened mind.

The liquor is medium amber and there is only a small amount of dry bitterness. There is plenty of flavor and no lack of caffeine. This is a very nice tea that is certainly not for the faint of heart!

Thanks Pureleaf for this one!

My Dashboard and Recent activity tabs/pages haven’t updated in over two hours – even with the new reviews I have added myself this morning. Just wondering if I am the only one having problems.

ANYHOW…back to this tea…

It smells smokey and almost crusty in nature – from across the room. The liquor itself with my nose right up to the cup is smoky and that about sums it up.

My first sip was more of a “him-haw” due to me assuming the flavor would be as loud as the aroma but the taste of the tea is certainly more mellow and even than it leads on. But I’m ok with that! I like being ‘proven wrong’ – I don’t always ‘need to be right’…lol…

The flavor is smokey but also nutty and even from start to finish. There is a subtle creaminess to it too that I wasn’t expecting but sure appreciate!

This is pretty good!

Backlog:

Not a bad Lapsang Souchong. The flavor is robust and smoky, but I didn’t feel overwhelmed by the smoky notes. A really nice nutty tone to this, with a delicious caramel-y low note.

Sweet, toasty and nice. This would be a good choice for those who find themselves a bit intimidated by the smoke level of most Lapsang Souchong teas … this one seems a little less aggressive.

As I recall my last time having Lapsang Souchong, it was from David’s Tea sampler set. This particular tea stands out significantly, with it’s strong potent and complex smokey aroma that would remind you of a campfire around fresh pine.

Tea Forte’s is no different, with equally strong leaves that just captivate and excite your whole body, transporting you to a great northern wilderness, surrounded by pine, surrounding an open fire-pit. Very tranquil.

The beauty is that it is also reminiscent of my backyard, which is the beautiful northern British Columbia.

The liquor itself is an unmistakable deep amber, that is also surprisingly clean, (I only recall colors reminiscent of mahogany) and does not let up on the smokey aroma.

The flavor is not as strong as it’s aroma would lead you to believe. It does retain it’s smokey traits, but you can also trace some smooth nutty flavors, and a slight astringency.

I can see myself drinking this tea overlooking a lake, after a nice morning or evening run.

In the realm of black teas, Lapsang Souchong is a whole different ballpark. Oh man. The first time I had Lapsang was as part of a blend from Adagio, and I wasn’t yet used to the taste, but now I’ve completely fallen in love with it! The aroma is really strong— it smells like a campfire, and it tastes so beautifully smoky. ”Complex” is a very good word for it. Also, there seems to be a slight pepper note in here. It’s really nice, and it complements the smokiness perfectly.