No notes for this one? I’m kind of surprised about that, because it’s been out a while – I think since last autumn? Anyway, I should probably preface this by saying that smoky teas are generally not my thing. There was a time when just the thought would make me stomach turn, but thankfully my aversion isn’t that strong anymore. I still don’t drink many smoky teas, though, and I tend not to seek them out. I’ll try the occasional one, though, because when it comes to tea I feel like continuing to challenge my preconceptions is still a valid thing to do. I wouldn’t be drinking pu’erh, oolong or green tea otherwise, and that really would be a loss.
The scent of the dry leaf is strong, reminiscent of beef jerky with hints of barbecue smoke. Based on the name, I was hoping for more of a cigarette smoke/men’s club type of scent, rather than bonfire and meat, but there you go. This blend is a mixture of Lapsang Souchong and Russian Caravan, so it contains some formosa oolong and keemun. I used 1 tsp of leaf for my cup, and gave it 3 minutes in boiling water. It brewed up to a medium golden-brown, so no additions.
To taste, it’s actually more palatable than I was expecting. The smokiness is strong, and it lingers in the aftertaste, but I don’t have the instant urge to tip the rest of the cup that I would have had at one time. It’s smoother than I expected, with no bitterness or astringency. It’s hard to say whether there are any nuances, though, or how effective the base teas are, because the smoke/meatiness simply overpowers everything else. Not a disaster, though!
Everytime I see/drink a smoky tea, I inevitably recall the way Von Smallhausen of the Gestapo says “I prefer Lapsang Souchong” in ’Allo ’Allo. The subtext of that sentence really has to be “because it reminds me of the concentration camps”, and his tone and delivery totally nail the creepy vibe (as well as being inappropriately amusing).
