Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Shanti Tea
Tea Description:
A lightly smoky blend of dark oolong and maple, a best-selling breakfast Oolong.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Oolong is not a tea that I would ordinarily think of as a “breakfast tea” but this tea changes things up a bit for me and is making me think a little outside of the box. While it isn’t quite as hefty as, say, an Assam or a Yunnan tea, the Oolong base of this blend is a robust, full-bodied tea that would make a really nice alternative to the typical breakfast tea.
And did I mention the delightful maple-y note to this? Mm-mm!
Even though this is a flavored Oolong, I decided to brew it the way I would typically brew an Oolong: in my gaiwan. I combined the first two infusions to create my first cup, and it’s a cupful of gently smoked, maple-y joy! The dark Oolong base is smooth and lightly smoked. It has a rich, buttery undertone with nutty mid-notes. There is some dry astringency to the cup that arrives toward the finish.
The rich, flavorful Oolong melds really nicely with the sweet, maple notes. It has a really delightful flavor that’s smoky and sweet and tastes just like breakfast in a teacup! It’s really good.
With my second cup (infusions 3 and 4), I started to notice less of the maple notes while other flavors began to emerge. I noticed the nutty flavors of the first cup were a little stronger this time, and I started to notice a hint of peach to the background. The smoky tones were still present but not quite as powerful this time.
The third cup (infusions 5 and 6) was a very smooth tasting cup. It tasted lighter though, reminiscent of a Oriental Beauty now, but with hints of smoke. The maple notes are quite distant now, and almost indistinct. The smoke notes are not nearly as strong as they were in the first and second cup, but there are still “wisps” of smoke to this. I still taste notes of fruit and nut, but, these are also quite a bit softer than they were in the previous cup.
Overall, a really flavorful cup. The first two infusions would make a really nice alternative to the standard breakfast tea, with the subsequent infusions tasting lighter and making a nice way to transition from the stronger cup of tea in the morning to the lighter taste in the afternoon.
Lapsang Souchong Black Tea from Steepster
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Steepster Select
Tea Description:
Our Lapsang is a hearty black tea which has been lightly smoked over aged pine. Surprisingly sweet and complex, note how the pine aromas start strong up front and soon diminish revealing a very structured and delicate flavor.
Taster’s Review:
I’ve never made any big secret of the fact that I’m not particularly fond of overly smoky teas. And as I typed the previous sentence, it occurred to me that is probably not the first time that I said that here on this blog. So, when this Lapsang Souchong Black Tea was included as part of the Steepster Select box this month, I wasn’t exactly doing the happy dance. I wasn’t … unhappy … exactly, but, I wasn’t thrilled either.
As I sit here typing, my hot cup of tea sits before me and the aroma of smoke wafts from the teacup. It isn’t an overpowering scent, that is to say, it doesn’t make me feel as though I’m sitting ’round a campfire. But, the smoke is there. It’s smoky.
I brewed this cup the way I typically brew a Lapsang Souchong or other strongly smoked tea, I gave it a quick, hot water rinse.
This time, I did a 20 second rinse rather than my usual 15 seconds, not sure that the extra five seconds will do a whole lot different, but, I just kept counting after the fifteen and I didn’t realize – hey, it’s time to dump out the rinse water. What can I say? It’s still early and this is my first cup of the day, I haven’t had any caffeine and my brain isn’t functioning properly.
Anyway, after the 20 second rinse, I brewed the cup for three minutes. I’m glad to say that the tea tastes less smoky than it smells. It still has a fairly strong smoky taste, but there are a lot of other interesting flavors in this cup as well.
I can really taste that delightful caramel-y undertone. As much as I am not fond of smoky teas, the thing that I’m quite captivated by with a smoky tea (and the one thing that keeps me coming back to try a smoky tea now and then) is that caramel-y undertone. I love the way the smoke and the caramel meld together. It’s quite magical.
As the description above suggests, this is a hearty tea, but it isn’t quite as hearty as you might expect such an aggressively smoked tea as a Lapsang Souchong to be. It doesn’t quite have the roundness that other hearty teas have, like a top-notch Assam or a Fujian Black tea might have. It certainly doesn’t qualify as a “thin” tasting tea, but it’s lighter than I’d like my first cup of the day to be.
That said, the lighter body of the tea allows me to explore some of the other flavors in this cup. I taste notes of fruit which marry beautifully with the smoked notes, giving them a taste of charred fruit, as if I grilled them. Nice! The fruit notes are difficult to distinguish, but I do taste a distinct stone fruit, like perhaps plum or nectarine, or a hybrid of the two.
I also taste notes of pine. Not surprising, right? This is a Lapsang Souchong. But, I actually taste the wood and not just the smoke. I taste the woodsy tone of pine, and that is very complimentary to the smoky tones, not adding to the smoky flavor but giving it some dimension and making the cup not be all about the smoke.
Overall, this is a pretty decent Lapsang Souchong. One of the nicer ones I’ve had. I enjoy the complexity of this.
Assam Smoked Oolong Tea from Grey’s Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Grey’s Teas
Tea Description:
Having a big, tippy, curly leaf, this is a most unusual and aromatic oolong from India’s northern Assam region. It is produced using the semi fermented oolong process and is smoked with an oak-like wood, unlike the pinewood used for lapsang souchong. Its aroma is unique. Brew for three minutes and drink without milk. Once tried, forever besotted!
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I could smell the smoke in this Assam Smoked Oolong Tea from Grey’s Teas the moment I opened the pouch. But what I liked is that the smoke … didn’t overwhelm me. I didn’t get that “off-putting” sort of feeling when I smelled the tea … and that often happens when I encounter a really strongly smoked tea. I like that I can definitely tell that this is smoked, but it’s not an assault on my olfactory nerves.
And this is a really interesting cup of tea! I brewed this tea the way I usually brew an Oolong – in my gaiwan, using short steeps – and my first cup is the combination of infusions 1 and 2 (following a quick 15 second rinse).
The sip starts out with an immediate introduction to the smoky notes. But I can also taste the fruity qualities of this dark Oolong, and together with the smoky notes, it almost tastes as though a plum and a peach were smoked in a pit. It’s a very unique flavor.
And I can also taste floral notes … and with the smoky tones, it almost tastes as though flowers were smoked with those stone fruits. This tastes unlike any other tea I’ve ever tasted. The smoky tones are extraordinary in themselves, because this doesn’t taste like the typical “smoked” tea … the flavor is deeper, richer … more like the fire from a hearth rather than a campfire.
The second cup (infusions #3 and 4) brought a more unified taste. There is less distinction between the different flavors. I taste a little bit of sweet and savory. The smoky notes are prominent. The fruit tones are sweet and sour and the smoky tones are savory and even hint at some bitter notes, with hints of sweet, exotic flower in the distance. This cup is very smooth and has very little astringency to it. It has a very pleasant, soft mouthfeel.
As I brewed the third cup, I sort of expected some of the smoky tones to wane, but the smoke remains! It softens somewhat … but it really surprised me just how long the flavor stays with this tea.
If you’re one of those who love a good, smoky tea – you really should try this Assam Smoked Oolong from Grey’s Teas! I’m not a huge smoky tea fan … but I really enjoyed this, and it surprised me at how long the smoky tones lasted. It’s a really enjoyable and very flavorful tea!
Gingerbread Smoke Black Tea Blend from 52Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tea Description:
As for this week’s Tea of the Week, I think this is the tribute blend I should have done months ago when I released the Inscape blend. Inscape was maybe a bit too deep and complicated, whereas this one gets right to the heart of the (dark) matter.
If you haven’t read Joe Hill’s new horror novel NOS4A2 (think Nosferatu), you’re missing out. This week’s blend attempts to capture the essence of the insidious Gasmask Man’s terrible gingerbread smoke, which he uses to daze and sedate his victims. The tea is a blend of our premium black teas, ginger root pieces and just a hint of smoked lapsang souchong. It tastes a bit like the gingerbread cookies my mom used to make (she had a habit of burning cookies, but don’t tell her I said so).
Learn more about this blend here.
Learn more about Zoomdweebie’s fundraising campaign to reopen the Tea Bar here.
Taster’s Review:
Recently, 52Teas released a second tribute tea for the horror novel NOS4A2 by Joe Hill … this tea: Gingerbread Smoke Black Tea Blend. And whenever there is something alluding to “smoke” in the name of a tea, I tend to be a little bit cautious. However, because there was also “gingerbread” in the name of this tea, I was actually kind of excited to try it, having LOVED the Gingerbread Chai 52Teas released a few years ago.
And I am loving this Gingerbread Smoke tea too! The smoke is not overwhelming at all. Even when I opened the package and smelled the dry leaf, I didn’t notice an overpowering smoky tone to the fragrance. Some hints of smoke … but certainly nothing that would have set off the alarm for me. The aroma smells of fresh gingerbread – with a well-defined note of ginger – and hints of smoke.
And the flavor is very much the way the scent suggests: spicy-sweet gingerbread with hints of smoke! But before I notice the gingerbread or the smoky notes, I notice the black tea base. It’s a robust yet well-rounded base, providing a satisfying background of tea flavor for these flavors. Rich, earthy, and sweet with caramel notes. Nice.
The gingerbread hits the palate next. I notice a balance of sweet and spicy here. Warm, peppery ginger and a sweet, slightly buttery, cake-like flavor. Then I notice the smoke from the Lapsang Souchong. I like the way the Lapsang Souchong is blended here — there is just enough of a smoky note to let you know that there is some Lapsang Souchong in the blend of teas, but not enough to overpower the balance of flavors.
The smoke adds just enough interest to the cup to make it a not-so-ordinary cuppa … which is exactly what I’ve come to expect from 52Teas!
Time is running out for the fundraising efforts to revive Zoomdweebies. If you haven’t yet contributed … please consider doing so! Check out what I’m talking about here.
Lapsang Souchong Black Tea from English Tea Store
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: English Tea Store
Tea Description:
The Lapsang Souchong China Tea blend from English Tea Store is a smooth crisp character with the remarkable heady aroma of a pine and oak wood fire.
The tea originates from Fujian province. The Fukienese word ‘souchong’ means subvariety – that is a subvariety of other black teas from the Wuyi mountains of Fujian. When Lapsang Souchong was first exported to western European countries and became famous on the international markets – it was no doubt due to the distinct aroma and flavor. Interestingly the best Lapsang is produced in the nature preserve located in the Wuyi mountains where the high mountains with thick pine forests and heavy mist provide the ideal environment for growing top quality tea.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
As I’ve said on many occasions, I tend to be wary of heavily smoked teas. And Lapsang Souchong … well, it really doesn’t get much smokier than that, does it? This Lapsang Souchong Black Tea from the English Tea Store is so smoky that I could smell the smoke before I even opened the tin that I had it stored in. Smokin’!
The reason for my wariness of smoky teas is that … I find the heavy smoke to be a bit off-putting. It smells to me a bit like a campfire combined with cigar smoke and I’m not … into drinking a liquefied version of that. And as I’ve mentioned a few times, my first few experiences with Lapsang Souchong have not been positive. I have since learned better ways to brew the tea so that I can enjoy it.
Here’s what I do: I bring the water to a boil and then I steep the leaves for about 10 – 15 seconds, and then I strain off the liquid and discard it. A little rinsing of the leaves. Then I steep the tea for 2 1/2 minutes in boiling water, and strain it immediately. From this process, I get a tea that is smoky, but not so smoky that I can’t lift the cup to my lips without feeling put off by the smell of smoke. It smells smoky, it tastes smoky … just not as smoky as I’d experience if I were not to do the rinse and steeped it longer for 2 1/2 minutes.
And when I say I can enjoy the tea … I really do like it! The smoky tones are still very clearly defined, but, I also taste other aspects of this tea that I really like. I taste the caramel-y undertone that sweetens every sip. It has a rich, robust taste to it that is invigorating.
No, Lapsang Souchong is not my favorite tea now. It probably never will be. But I like it now. It’s not something that I’d drink daily, but it’s something that I do enjoy about once a week … and this Lapsang Souchong from English Tea Store is a really pleasant example of a fine tea.