Scott B

Scott B drank Lapsang Souchong by Harney & Sons

_{Brew temp 208}

I HATE the heat.

Although I love hot sauces and spicy food, hot weather and I do not get along. Cold Miser? I’m more hard-core than him-I’d be happy to never have a day above freezing.

Anyhow, living in the States usually guarantees hot summers and for some reason I love Lapsang in the summer. When it gets really hot (like today) I can be sure to sit outside and drink a cup or two. It’s like I’m saying to the heat “Bring it on!”

This is a good solid Lapsang. Campfire smoky. Not tarry. If you absolutely must be so overwhelmed with smoke as to require a respirator, this is probably too mild for you-it’s more of a middle-of-the-road smoky.

Right now, I’m starting to think Lapsangs are like local Chinese take-out/away restaurants in the States. Sure, the restaurant/tea company name is different wherever you go, but the menus/flavors are all pretty much the same. Maybe some minor variations, but not enough to be noteworthy. It’s reliable, inexpensive, and predictable. Now, sometimes predictable is a good thing-very reassuring. However, I’m hoping to find something that keeps the essence of Lapsang but is a little more unique in its flavor. I really like Lapsang, so I don’t mind trying different ones in hopes of finding something distinctive. Only bought an ounce of this, so I’ll try something new soon.

2012-05-19 15:20:00 -0400

205 °F / 96 °C

4 min 0 sec

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Started drinking tea for health benefits maybe 5 years ago-exclusively bagged tea. Usually went for various Celestial Seasonings type of stuff. I bought a tea infuser at a gourmet shop once and then I realized there was almost no loose tea available. Eventually tiring of bags, I started ordering loose tea online and I have never gone back. Initially, I was exploring all the wild and exotic flavor combinations, but now I mostly drink straight teas. I still enjoy blended teas-but prefer those without “flavoring”. Hope to learn here and find some new teas I might not otherwise find. Am a vegan, so “milk” generally means “soymilk” to me. If it’s almond, rice, or coconut, I will mention that fact.

I am new here, and new to reviewing tea. Many of my initial reviews will be from memory and may not be very detailed at all. I hope to write more informative reviews on current and future teas.

I won’t let external factors affect my rating of the tea-such as slow shipping, too expensive, etc. I’ll mention any customer service problems in my reviews. I also won’t let my mistakes in not following the seller’s recommended parameters affect a rating. I can’t believe people who say “I forgot about it and oversteeped it” and then give it a rating. If I brew outside the parameters, I will wait until I brew it right before I give it a rating.

TEMPORARY RATING SYSTEM- Don’t hold me to these numbers and descriptions-like George Bluth, I like to tweak.

90+ It’s awesome, right?? I’ll probably try to keep it on hand.

80-89 – I really like this and will buy it again at some point, but there are so many teas to try!

70-79 – This is a pretty good tea and I may buy it again based on my mood, what tea store I am buying from, and what kind of deal I can get.

60-69 – This is okay. I finished the bag. I would drink it again if offered, but would not buy it again.

40-59 – IF I finished the bag, I recall this tea thinking “Why in the hell did I finish the bag?”

1-39 – Did not finish the bag. Maybe not even the cup. Tea was given away or discarded.