Lapsang Souchong

EDIT: I think that Adagio has done something very WRONG with their Lapsang Souchongs in the past year—or else my taste has evolved. I would not order from them again. It’s weak and synthetic.

Have I ever met a Lapsang Souchong I did not like? Does a bear wear a mitre around hte Vatican? I wanted to test some Adagio samples and sprang for a full-load of this and do not regret it.

I think that Narien LS is smokier and stronger and I like the sweetness that Black Dragon from Upton Teas adds, but Adagio has acquitted itself more than honourably here. Very well done and their speedy shipping is deeply appreciated.

I know that I will order this again. I have a perpetual motion machine going of various Lapsang Souchongs coming in and going out and I don’t know that I will develop loyalty to any one brand—beyond my need to keep Black Dragon in stock. Knowing that I like this tea so much, I might see if I can concoct a special blend, although I cannot conceive of a Souchong sharing center stage with other flavors.

And I now see that this is my tasting note #200! It is right and fitting that it be in celebration of a Lapsang Souchong.

Alright, let me just say that I know people who really like this and thats all good but for me this just tastes straight up nasty. The smell is pleasant to me though, reminds me of summer camp and making bonfires. The steeped tea smells even more like a bonfire and leaves a strong oder in my filter, oh well. The taste is very smoky and reminds me about the worst part of summer camp, starting up a failing fire. There is also an after taste that is very similar to smoked ham. I hate ham. Always have. So it’s safe to say that this is not something I want ever again. Though I might try from somewhere else just to see if this is something that is isolated to Adagio’s or to all of these. My roommate loves it though so they can have it.

The first time I heard about this tea was well before I really became a fiend. It was in a book, I’ve long since forgotten the name, that my friends had read and would joke about. I later read the book, cover to cover as I was crushing on the girl who lent it to me, and the description the main character had given was that the tea “smelt like water that a ham bone that had been boiled for a week.” Or something very similar.

I agree, it smells like jerky. But their are other elements to it. I can definitely smell and taste the pine, along with the smokey-ness its known for. It kind of tastes a bit like ham, but I haven’t eaten meat, ham especially, in ages so I might have forgotten. As it cools it almost like the resin of the pine is in my mouth. Very piney for me, a little smoky, and kinda meaty. As I don’t like any of these things, I don’t like this tea. But its not that the tea itself is bad, just not what I like.
I’m gonna go brush me teeth.

I’ve been waiting for another “Be Brave” day to try Lapsang Souchong. I like the salty, smoky way it smells dry but I have a hard time seeing it as a tea. I can picture using it as a marinade over seitan or tofu and I may try that at a later point.

I brewed it light with less leaves than I normally do and for less time, just 3:30 minutes. (It smelled so strong in the sample, I couldn’t imagine doing my normal kamikaze tea routine.)

It brews up into a light honey colored amber, though I’m sure that if i brewed it for four or five minutes it would be darker. It has a campfire smell that is reminiscent of smoked food, as someone said it smells like bacon or smoked meats. It has a light sharpness in the smoky taste. I can definitely see using this tea in cooking, especially to soak seitan or tofu in. I don’t mind it too much as a tea drink, either. Though I put it in the same category as drinking pickle juice: something fun and strange to do to wake up my taste buds, but not an everyday quaff.

Thank You Garrett for sending this one. Hmmm where’s the beef?http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnikaebsSAA&feature=related Except in this case where’s the smoke? I love a good lapsang. Whether it’s been smoking a pack a day or trying to quit and switched to ultra lights. I love cooking with lapsang. Marinating beef for chili or throwing a little bit in the crock with pot roast. Kinda like in So I Married an Axe Murderer if it’s not Scottish it’s crap and if it’s crap it’s not Scottish. Any lapsang would make me happy but it has to have a the smoke! I am disappointed because I have enjoyed everything that I have sampled from Adagio. It’s a decent black tea at base. Much like the Gong Fu black from Teavivre or another Chinese black from the Fujian province….sadly as far as lapsangs go this just doesn’t cut it.

WOW this tea was unlike anything I have ever had before! QUITE AN EXPERIENCE! I always considered things like ASSAM to be kinda malty and smokey but WOW THIS. THIS is what smokey tea really is. It was like drinking a campfire. Or some kinda fresh jerky, without the meat. REALLY UNIQUE but in the end… I THINK I LIKED IT!? I definitely want to try something like this again!

I had a little bit of this left in my tin so I thought I’d try finishing it off! It’s a very smokey tea. To be honest the first time I’ve ever heard about Lapsang was from Colin Hay’s Beautiful World(one of my favorite songs!) when he was talking about making tea :] So I had to give it a try. When I opened the package I smelled beef jerky. It kind of grossed me out. But then I tried it and loved it. It tastes like a campfire smells. MMM. I agree with most people saying you’ll either love it or hate it. It’s definitely something everyone needs to try at least once.
My, my, my it’s a beautiful world. :]

Poor Suchong indeed:( Many by now has been out off by the assertive smokiness , what ever happen to the enjoyment of single malts= scotch whiskey and smoked goods? Has anyone ever tasted deeply smoked meats…why not this tea? However, tastes are gradual acquired and those that do brave in drinking a cuppa of this fine tea will be rewarded!(to the content of Mrs. Hua. Its camp fire tea with much of the smokiness of fire and piney body that does not go bitter or too astringent. Its not all that smoky either! Its very well balanced enough for those used to Keemun, this tea is probably best to be introduced into Lapsang! Drink on Steepterites!

This is such a love it or hate it tea. Me? I love it. Tastes like a campfire. I’m a camping sort of person, so that works out well for me. Perfect on a gloomy, rainy, cold night.

Oh my lord…….it’s BBQ water. If I wanted this flavor in a liquid, I would grill a few porterhouses, scrape the grill with the traditional wire brush, and then collect and brew the particulate matter left over after all the scrapeage. DEFINITELY not what a tea should be in my opinion haha.

Kudos to all of you whose taste buds can handle (let alone enjoy) this!!! lol

This is the second time that I’ve had Lapsang Souchong tea and the first that I’ve enjoyed it. The previous time was a teabag version back in college which was really bad. When I opened up the bag the smoke aroma was strong enough to be scary but once I brewed the tea, the tea aroma came off as a lot more mild and not scary at all. The main thing that surprised me was how light the tea was overall with a nice sweet and slightly smoky taste to it. If you like beef jerky there is a good chance that you will like this tea. Overall I find it to be pretty good for something different and I will gladly finish off the 3oz bag that I have but I doubt that I will bother to order again as while it is good there are a lot other teas that I enjoy more.

Inspired by Angrboda’s re-affirmation of her love of smoky teas, I decided I was in the mood for some Lapsang Souchong. I basically HAVE to be in the mood for lapsang souchong or the smokiness just overwhelms me.
Honestly, there was once a time when I did not even like Lapsang Souchong, so sit down, pull up a chair and let Grandma Ewa (yeah, I’m 26, work with me here) and I will tell you the story of how I came to like it: One fine day, I received a black tea sampler and tea press as a present from my brother and I realized that Lapsang Souchong in leaf form is quite tasty if I’m ready for it. The End. Now get grandma some bourbon.

Loving this tea right now. It smells smoky and woodsy like a campfire or fireplace on a cold winter night. The tea flavor is different though: there is a sweetness unfront, which melds into a piney-woodsy flavor. This is definitely a love it or leave it tea.

This was drank hot with no additives. I hope that my sample lasts for a few more infusions :)

I decided to give this tea a try after a signature blend was reviewed on adagioteaV that contained it. I looked it up and the story intrigued me so I ordered a sample of it. When I opened the tin I was immediately taken to a place that I have never actually visited, but could see so clearly in my mind. I was in a smoke shack surrounded by wild game of all kinds and outside there was a camp fire burning. This is not my favorite tea by any means, but it is so different that it makes a great “check this out” sample. I can’t wait to get a hold of some of my dad’s deer jerky and drinking this with it. Great anytime I want to feel like an outdoorsman.

This one is pretty good, I love Lapsang Souchong this one isnt as smokey as i like buts still a good one.

This is one of the most unique teas I have ever tried. It literally tastes like a campfire, in a good way. I read about the processing of this specific tea, and it is indeed oxidized near a fire. You may not like it, but its very unique.

I’ve found that Lapsang Souchong is, for a lot of people, rather like Guinness: You either love it or hate it. I love it. The scent and taste remind me of hot cups of tea around a campfire when I was young. This is one of the few dark teas I can stand without a sweetener even though it’s a little astringent. I love breathing in the smoky steam and it just makes me feel cozy.

I’m not huge on Lapsang Souchong; I think this is the second time I’ve had it since I purchased a sample last winter. But it’s hitting the spot on this cold, snowy day. Even snowier than yesterday, and a storm is coming in tonight. The smokiness is just so good.

Most either love or hate Lapsang Souchong tea. I love Lapsang, but absolutely hated Adagio’s rendition. Instead of a pleasant smokey fragrance, the tea had an acrid almost chemical aroma. When brewed, it was sour and tasted (as I would imagine it to taste) like turpentine. It’s possible that the tea was dried too close to the pine or some of the resin made its way into the tea. Maybe I received a bad batch, but I’ve had a lot of really good Lapsang from other merchants so I’ll stick with them.

My first experience of a smokey tea and I’m loving it! I thought that I was prepared for the smell, but holy jeebus on a pogostick – it truly smells like a campfire. Then I had my first cup and was blown away. My palate isn’t very sophisticated so I can’t go into depth more than to say that taste vs. smell is so unique in a good way for me. Plus I get to pretend I’m a fire-breathing monster fueling up for the day when I drink this. TG