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LiberTEAS

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Unsmoked Lapsang Souchong from Townshend's Tea Company

LiberTEAS drank Unsmoked Lapsang Souchong by Townshend's Tea Company

I recently placed an order with Townshend’s Tea which just arrived yesterday, and this is actually the tea that made me want to place that order. That is unusual only because I don’t think that there’s ever been a time when a Lapsang Souchong tea is what made me want to place an order. I’m just not a fan – typically – of Lapsang Souchong as I don’t like that heavily smoked flavor.

But it was the UNSMOKED that captured my attention, as you probably can guess.

And I LOVE this tea. I love that I can taste the complexity of this tea grown in the same region of the smoked Lapsang Souchong, but without the heavy smoking process to alter the flavors. There are some smoky tones to this, but they are considerably lighter than that heavy pine-smoked flavor and aroma of most Lapsang Souchong teas. This tea has delicious fruit tones – almost plum-like, sweet and luscious! Some floral tones too! It doesn’t have that same caramel-y note in a smoked Lapsang Souchong, but the sweetness from the fruit tones is so pleasant that I don’t find myself wishing this had that caramel note.

I love this. LOVE this!

2012-04-05 17:25:34 -0400

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The DJBooth 2012-04-05 17:39:26 -0400

Wow! That sounds amazing.

Tina S. 2012-04-05 19:58:45 -0400

I am so jealous! I’d love to try it unsmoked!

Dylan Oxford 2012-04-05 22:04:36 -0400

Feel free to call me silly, but I thought Lapsang Souchong actually meant that it was smoked. I didn’t realize it was a different variety of tea that just happened to get smoked.

ashmanra 2012-04-06 00:32:48 -0400

I think I read that souchong refers to the size of the leaf, being one of the largest leaves on the branch used for tea making, I think about the fifth to seventh from the tip. I don’t recall what Lapsang means, though. Off to the magic that is Google!…

Angrboda 2012-04-06 04:15:53 -0400

I can’t quite wrap my head around an LS that isn’t smoky… I have never seen that before.

LiberTEAS 2012-04-06 04:41:08 -0400

@Angrboda: it does have some smoky tones to it, it just isn’t that heavy pine smoke from the smoking process. These leaves are roasted instead of smoked, so there is a little bit of smokiness from the roasting process.

Angrboda 2012-04-06 05:51:04 -0400

It’s funny how differently people perceive these things. I tend to think roasting gives a harsher, more prickly sort of flavour than smoking, but most people seem to find it the other way around. :)

Kittenna 2012-04-06 14:17:21 -0400

I definitely am with Dylan, and thought that lapsang souchong was synonymous with “smoked tea”. Interesting!

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Bio

I am obsessed with tea!

I am a co-founder of the SororiTEA Sisters:
http://sororiteasisters.com

I also review teas for the Tea Review Blog:
http://www.teareviewblog.com

In addition to my passion for tea, I am also a mixed media/altered arts artist. You can see some of my art here: http://eccentricpastiche.blogspot.com

I am also a self-proclaimed foodie. I review local restaurants and the food I buy online here: http://hungryinportland.wordpress.com

My favorite teas are Yellow Teas with most Oolong teas at a close second. As far as “flavored” teas go, I love Earl Grey, Chocolate and Jasmine teas.

I also am intrigued by flavored teas with an unusual or unique flavor combination.

I don’t do a whole lot of swaps anymore, however, I do occasionally sell sampler boxes here: http://liberteas.teatra.de/ I don’t always have sampler boxes available as it depends upon how much time I have as well as packaging supplies. I usually post at least one or two sampler boxes per month, though, so if you’re interested, keep an eye out or PM me and I’ll let you know when I have some posted.

Most of the teas that I record in my notes here are going to have a fairly high rating from me. This is not because I am not discerning, but because I do not usually waste my time on drinking tea I do not care for, nor will I waste my time on writing about it.