This is one of the lapsangs I’ve had in my cupboard for a while but haven’t tried until project lapsang sipdown kicked into high gear.
It’s a slow process because I only drink black tea on the weekends and holidays for the most part, and I basically have a one cup threshold when it comes to lapsang. Otherwise it’s too overwhelming for me. But while the colder weather lasts, I can find myself looking forward to that one cup.
The dry leaf on this one smells quite woody, like charred embers. But not ashy, which is a good thing. I don’t get a lot of resin, but I do get a strong pine wood smell.
Steeped, there’s more of an ashy smell which is worrisome. The tea is a medium orange brown color and clear.
The flavor isn’t bad. It doesn’t have the sweetness in the finish that I enjoyed in the Kusmi and the Leafspa. It maintains a smoky woody flavor throughout the sip and into the aftertaste. It has a smooth and soft mouthfeel that I like.
The flavor isn’t overly ashy, as I had feared. Nor is it meaty, which is sort of a relief.
I don’t like it as much as I liked the other two lapsangs I’ve spent a lot of time with recently, but it will have some time to grow on me. According to the handly little checkbox system on the bottom of the container, this 1.5 oz container will produce about 20 cups. Since I make 2 at a time in the Breville, I’ll have something like 9 more encounters with this tea to change my mind.
Flavors: Ash, Char, Pine, Smoke, Wood
