Gongfu!
This bud heavy black tea cake was so much more beautiful than I expected it to be, with a really savory smokiness that immediately put me in the head space of late summer Southern barbecue. To be honest, I spent much of the session trying to think of what particular brand of BBQ sauce the liquor was reminding me of. In addition to a very intense savory smoke note, I was getting a lot of malt, dense honey, and dark, jammy cooked down cherry notes. The first few steeps also had some chocolate notes peppered in there, but I found those went away quickly while I started to notice the fruitier undertones more and more. Don’t get me wrong, despite sweeter elements, this was still a mostly savory, meat-y sort of profile. If that sounds like a BBQ sauce you’re familiar with, I guess let me know? I never did land on what specific one it was reminding me of and that’s driving me a little crazy…
I think dethroning Calabash is going to be a tall order for any of these other smoked teas, but Lapsun definitely gives it a run for its money!!
Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cr6TdcIONqF/
Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srDoL-MU8mY