I’m wary of smoky teas in general, but I can make an exception for Whispering Pines. I get along with their brand of smoke better than I do any other, and their blends are so gloriously evocative it seems more like part of an experience than just smoke for the sake of smoke. So, although I’ve let this one languish for a while, I’ve finally pulled it out to try on this cold January morning!
I used 1 tsp of leaf, and gave it a cautious 3 minutes in boiling water. While brewing, the scent is strongly smoky. It’s immediately obvious that this is a lapsang blend! After a couple of minutes, the smoke does fade a little, and some of the spice notes start to come out.
To taste, this pretty much encapsulates the experience of sitting around a campfire on a cold night. The smoke is prominent in the initial sip, and is a little resinous and piney, like burning logs. It’s also somehow “soft”…a gentle smoke, rather than being harsh and acrid. Even if you’re not a fan of smoky tea, this one is palatable.
A mild spiciness emerges in the mid sip, primarily characterised by the dank flavour of cloves. This works really well with the campfire/forest evocation, reminiscent of damp leaves or earth after a heavy rain shower. There’s a hint of orange at the very end of the sip, which brightens the flavour a bit, but it’s fleeting and barely there. I can’t really detect the rooibos at all, although I noted the tell tale red leaves when spooning this into my infuser. Perhaps they’re responsible for the “softness” I can taste – I can’t attribute it to anything else!
I’ve tried a few smoky teas, but this has to be one of my favourites. It’s very natural-tasting and by no means overpowering, and I would extend my rather cautious brew time in future now that I know the smoke flavour isn’t too acrid. An evocative wintery delight.
