Smaug Tea from 52Teas

SmaugTea Information:

Leaf Type:  Green & Black

Where to Buy:  52Teas

Tea Description:

We had some discussion about what base tea would be used in a Smaug tea, but clearly it had to be a DRAGON Well. For those unfamiliar, Dragon Well (aka Longjing, aka Lung Ching) is a green tea from the Zhejiang province in China. Legend has it the tea derives its name from the beneficent dragon said to live in a local well.

Our Smaug tea is a blend of Dragon Well, cinnamon chips, a hint of lapsang souchoung (I only used a single ounce in five pounds of Dragon Well, just enough to give it a little smoky character), some cayenne pepper and organic flavors. It’s a fiery feast for your tastebuds!

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

Oh WOW!  This Smaug Tea from 52Teas is amazing!

I love the level of spice here – it is spicy, in fact, my first few sips, I could feel it in my sinuses!  That’s how you know it’s got the spice!  But, it isn’t SO spicy that I feel like I need to put out a fire on my tongue.  I’m not running for a drink of water to dilute the spice, nor am I needing a bite of something dairy-ish to extinguish the flames on my palate (my personal favorite in instances such as these is ice cream).  So … it is spicy and just a little smoky, but not to the point where I find it uncomfortable to drink.  On the contrary, I’m really enjoying the burn!

The Dragon Well tea offers a light sweetness and a hint of vegetal taste.  If I had any complaint about this tea at all, it would be that the Dragon Well almost seems a little overwhelmed by the flavors of cinnamon and cayenne pepper … almost, but not quite.  I can taste the Dragon Well, but, the flavor does seem to be competing with the other flavors here.

The Lapsang Souchong is a barely there addition … there is just enough to give the cup the faintest insinuation of smoky undertones.

Another idea would be to use Chipotle pepper which would provide smokiness in addition to heat … Frank, if you’re reading this … how about a Chipotle Raspberry Chocolate tea?  Spicy Love!  YUM!

The cinnamon offers a nice, earthy character to the cup in addition to a zesty spice which compliments the cayenne pepper very nicely.  The cayenne adds … just the right amount of heat here.  It isn’t over done.  If you’re wimpish about spices, you probably wouldn’t like this, but if you enjoy taking a walk on the spicy side now and then … I think you’ll find this tea is right up your alley!

Loving the burn!  Absolutely LOVING it!

 

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