Lapsang Souchong from Little Red Cup Tea. . . . .

I have been upping my intake of Lapsang Souchong as of late. I’m not sure if it’s because of the cooler weather, change of season, or just because I’m craving it – but what ever the reason I glad I am. Lapsang Souchong from Little Red Cup Tea is the tea of the moment for me and I have been wanting to share it with you for a while now.

Lapsang Souchong from Little Red Cup Tea is a stereotypical yet top-notch Lapsang Souchong! It gives off the ‘camp fire’ smell you would expect it would. It has a rather loud aroma and flavor but I would expect nothing less from this gem of a company! I enjoy this because of its pungency. Because of its quality. And because of its character. It does finish quiet smooth considering how it starts out and I find that fascinating and I welcome it.

If you are looking for something for the change of season or just looking for a potent, smoky, flavored black tea – try Lapsang Souchong from Little Red Cup Tea – I enjoyed every sip!


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type: Black Tea
Where to Buy: Little Red Cup Tea
Description

Our Lapsang Souchong (Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong, 正山小种) is amazing. We know, that’s a bold statement, and some will disagree. But Lapsang Souchong is a love it or hate it proposition, and we’ve given our hearts to this tea. This is one of our strongest teas, think bridge abutments or skyscraper foundations. This is our most pungent tea — we send it to you in a ziplock bag in addition to our regular packaging.

The black tea is redolent three distinct flavors at once — the black tea base, a hint of longyan (Dragon Eye, a Chinese tree fruit similar to lychee) and the pinewood smoke which is the tea’s most defining element.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Smoking Coconut Black Tea from 52Teas. . . .

I loved everything about this warming tea. I loved seeing the big coconut pieces, the delicious coconut aroma, and of course the taste. As soon as I poured the boiling water over this tea, all I could smell was coconut.

I associate coconut with all things sunny and warm, so it was very soothing on a cold, grey, snowy winter day. I added a little raw sugar and a splash of coconut milk and just enjoyed the heck out of this cup. I never thought of combining any kind of tea with coconut(other than milk) but it really works out so well.

The caffeine in the black tea helped to wake up my fuzzy brain, and the aromatherapy of the coconut helped not only wake up my senses, but put me in a mellow, peaceful frame of mind which is so important. I felt like this tea was giving me a big, welcoming wake up hug. If you love coconut, this is a tea that you need to try. It’s the kind of tea that you mourn the last sip, you just want it to last forever.

I would say this is in my top three favorite new teas I tried in 2016. Actually, I would say it’s in my top two. It’s competing with another coconut tea, matcha with coconut. I guess I just love coconut!


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type: Black Tea
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Description

This tea is no longer available but click below for what teas are.

Tea Description:  I just wanted a tea that was coconut-y and a little bit smoky. So that’s what I did.

Sometimes, that’s what my inspiration is all about. I wanted a coconut-y tea and I thought that the combination of a lightly smoky tea with the creamy, sweet coconut flavor would be really interesting. 

I started with a blend of black teas – a rich, malty Assam; a smooth, medium-bodied Ceylon and a tippy, robust Yunnan. Then I added just a teensy bit of Lapsang Souchong to give it a hint of smoke. I wasn’t going for a heavily smoked tea this time around – I didn’t want an overpoweringly smoky presence – just enough smoke to add some contrast to the silky sweet coconut flavor. Then I added a bunch of huge shreds of coconut. 

The result is a sublimely yummy cuppa that you’ve gotta try. Sure, it might be a little on the ‘usual’ side especially when compared to some of the teas that we’ve made in the past but it’s no less delicious. Sometimes – going with something a little more ordinary can lead to extraordinary results!

This tea is vegan, gluten-free and all organic!

organic ingredients: black teas, coconut and natural flavors.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Bourbon Black Tea from Elmwood Inn Fine Teas

BourbonBlackTea Information:

Leaf Type:  Black

Where to Buy: Elmwood Inn

Tea Description:

Enjoy the flavors and aromas of Kentucky’s best-known beverage infused into a custom blend of handpicked Chinese and Indian teas. Vanilla and caramel notes with a hint of char from the bourbon barrel. Make mine a double!

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

Another blogger that is more into lifestyle recommend this tea for me.  She purchases tea from them and thought I would enjoy them.  So of course I instantly checked them out and couldn’t believe the variety of tea they had.  This one instantly caught my eye and seems to be one of their best sellers.  I jumped on the chance to try this unique blend.

Brewed this up like a black tea with the help of my Breville One Touch and poured myself and Jason a cup.  He was more excited to try this one than me I think. Before I even took a sip of the tea you could definitely pick up the char that they hint at in the description.

Took a sip and we both smiled.  The tea is definitely bourbon inspired.  The vanilla and caramel notes are delicious with a mix of a woodsy malty flavor.  The char is a bit stronger than a hint like the description suggests and can be overpowering at times.  But overall this tea is unique and is one that demands your attention. Such a rich deep smooth flavor that is very reminiscent of the title of the tea.  I just adore those vanilla and caramel notes mixed with that char note.

I found that my cup was empty at no time and was wanting more.  Jason on the other hand wasn’t a big fan of the char aspect of the tea.  He adored the flavor of the tea-he just isn’t a fan of smoky teas.  I’m typically not either but I really like the combination of flavors.  This is one cuppa I could drink all night!

For my first experience with this company, I’m extremely pleased!