I have the wonderfully generous and beautifully kind QuiltGuppy to thank for my sample of this tea.
We all know that Lapsang Souchong teas are smokey, but the aroma of this tea dry gives my smoked salts some seriously smokey competition. The smokey aroma lessens a bit as the tea steeps. At first sip this tea is, you guessed it, smokey. This develops into a slightly peppery and far less smokey body, and then to a nice savory finish. The black tea is very smooth and not the least bit bitter. This is a very good tea, but I have to admit that I’m not a huge Lapsang Souchong fan in general. However, I do find myself wanting to marinate shiitake mushrooms in it. Add some diced shallots, olive oil, a splash of mirin, a little tamari… yum!
On a side note, my puppy really seems to enjoy this tea. I’m having a weird busy morning, so I decided to have leftover yellow curry for breakfast. Leftover yellow curry and a cup of Lapsang Souchong makes for a dicey breakfast combo at best. Well, I left my questionable breakfast unattended for a moment and my puppy apparently figured out how to jump onto the cocktail table. When I returned, he had eaten a few big bites of curry and lapped up a good 1/4 cup of my tea. I called my vet, because I worry, and he’ll be fine. BUT my afternoon may prove to be very interesting… I can hear his belly gurgling now :/
