Lapsang Souchong Black Dragon (ZS90)

I love ordering from Upton Tea Imports. Everything they have available you can also get in a sample size, which is great for people like me who get sick of drinking certain teas after trying them once or twice.

I got a brand new Finium tea cup with a fine mesh gold filter, which I think is AWESOME!

This tea was a surprise, it is definitely one of the lighter lapsangs I have tried up until now. The smoke is subtle and the tea has a nice sweetness to it and brews up to be a reddish amber color. The flavor is almost floral like! I was not blown away by it but it was certainly very pleasant and delicious. I think I still prefer Hu Kwa which has a more unique aroma and flavor, but this was good!

Me: sips tea Hm.. interesting. Pups, you like this?
Snuggles: sniffs thoroughly and gives a curious lick when offered a drop. Goes back to sleep
Cali: Sniffs twice and turns away. Gives a polite lick
Husband: Sniffs and makes a horrified face. Tries to give mug back
Me: Come on! The pups are braver than you! Man up!
Husband: Sips …didn’t I hear you flush a minute ago?

And that’s how my family reacted to this tea. :)

EDIT: For those who are interested, I made a marinade with soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, maple syrup, grated garlic, dad’s homemade hot chili sauce, and a strong brew of this tea.
Marinated some cubes of pressed tofu and shrimp for 5 hours or so. They were so very tasty. Smokey, sweet, spicy, savory, and totally awesome. I served this over some rice with sauteed cabbage. Drank a cup of this tea with my meal. Perfection.

As husband was going in for his second helping I said to him, “You know that tea you thought was disgusting earlier?”
“Uh huh?”
“I made this food with that tea.”
He mimed throwing up, and then ate the rest of his dinner. What a silly goose. :D

On another note, I went to make a pot of green tea with the same strainer I had used to make this tea. I noticed it smelled strongly of smoke, so I soak it for a few minutes in boiling water. Out of curiosity, I sipped on the liquid the basket was steeping in and it definitely tasted like smoke. Yeah… this stuff sticks!

This is a really good LS. It’s smoky and woodsy but not overdone. It’s not bitter and doesn’t leave a funky aftertaste. It has a mysterious hint of pine as well which is nice. I really like this!

Thank heavens! Youngest had finished her lapsangs on Friday. How on earth could she do geometry without it? As it happened, we went in a different order today so this very generous sample from SimplyJenW arrived in the mail just in time for geometry!

Youngest opened the bag and sniffed. Ahhhhh! This smells heavenly! She was quite taken with it.

She made a pot of tea as I was running out the door to drive to Cary to pick up birthday worms for hubby. (He really loves his earthworms…he has two compost bins, one compost pile, and a Worm Factory 360. LOL! I told him we could harvest worms from the yard for him. He said no, they were to remain free range worms. He was going to get rescues. I think these don’t qualify as rescues. It’s a worm mill, for cryin’ out loud!)

I took a cup of the tea and told her to call me in ten minutes and let me know how she liked it. She loved it! She said didn’t the tea didn’t last nearly as long as geometry did.

As for my cup, it was very sweet and light, and the smoke is pretty light. It is very present in the aroma, but isn’t one that leaves a lot of lingering ash flavor in the mouth – whether that is good or bad depends on your love of

This is a great first Lapsang for people who are afraid of it, a good tasting tea base. And even if you love strong smoke and lingering ash flavor, this one has a lot going for it. It deserves the hype it has received on here.

Thank you, Jen! :) Looks like she will make it through the week! And in spite of the dramatic doodles, I am pleased to report that she made an A on her first geometry test last week!

I’ve had this sample since early March, and the smell of the dry leaves have scared me from testing. I’m not a fan of smoky flavors generally, and this smells like you’ve been hanging downwind from a roaring campfire … that smell that gets into your clothes and won’t go away. Once this smelled like it was mixed with barbecue sauce, but not today. I’ve already told my son that he is getting this sample without me testing (he shares his father’s tastebuds more than mine, lol). But reading Amy’s review last night, and Jen mentioning marshmallow, well, what can it hurt? This is supposed to be a Lansang Souchong beginner tea afterall (can you tell I’m talking myself into sipping?)

The brewed aroma shares that same smoky aroma … with a little rubber mixed in? (oh boy, must sip……….) Oh phew, no burning tires upon first sip. Hmmm hmmm (ponders).

I did add honey (yes, wimpy), so it is on the sweet side. And I do get a hint of the smoke, similar to the campfire association. As I let that linger, I’m concluding that the smoke isn’t all that evil, like I thought it would be. Ha, maybe this tea would be good to have with a charbroiled steak (mmmmmm) <<< but I don’t indulge in that often. The taste is actually not that bad. Maybe if I try not to sniff it, when cup comes to lips, it would be better to my senses. Yep, lol, that bumps it almost…almost very good.

Growing up, most family vacations involved fishing trips (Dad’s choice), which meant camping trips to surrounding states and mostly Canada (in search of Walleye). This tea invokes those memories.

According to Jim this is an amazing tea….and after trying it I have to agree with him. My first Lapsang was the good Dr’s, which I would say has a good hardy smoke to it. This one is more subtle. At first I didn’t like it. I didn’t think it had enough smoke. Now that I am tasting it again, which it is good that I am doing my tasting note in the afternoon since my first was a morning steep, I am noticing a really good Chinese black tea with a lighter smoke to it. You can taste that good grainy, starchy, potato like flavor synonymous with a good black and yes a touch of sweetness like the description says. This makes me think I might have to revisit the Adagio sample I have that I thought was terrible. Definitely a comfort tea. Lapsang is always welcome in my book thank you Jim for good swap.

Big Trouble in Little Lapsang! #2 of 3

After trying this LS and reading a number of the reviews I can certainly understand the attraction for many. It combines subdued smokiness with soft classic black honeyed-malt nicely. That being said, it just didn’t do it for me. While all of the nuances coexist in amity, there just wasn’t enough of a presence from any of them to make it remarkable based on my personal preferences of a bolder Lapsang Souchong. That sounds harsh and may not seem to align with my rating but I didn’t find it unpleasant or vile. It was perfectly drinkable but regretfully forgettable.

EDIT I tried this one again with some helpful suggestions from Jim Marks and have bumped my score slightly. In a more concentrated form, the reserved subtleties become dominant and more closely represent my personal preference of a tour de force Lapsang Souchong. Still not better than another that I have tried, but I appreciate the tip and the resulting cup!

I got my Upton order today!!! Super quick shipping also which was nice. I put a sample of this in with my order and I am excited to try it. In fact, this is the first tea I’m trying from my order. I’m also extremely terrified of this tea. I have started to develop a taste for smoky teas, but I’m wondering if this will be too smokey, too soon…. The scent is straight up smokey almost bacony….but not off-putting.

Okay, I’m too much of a chicken to try it straight up so I added a healthy dose of cream and a bit of sugar. Here goes…..wow, this is actually pretty good. I don’t know about drinking it plain but as a milk and sugar tea this is good. Perhaps even great, but I’ll have to see if this is something I crave. The tea initially hits you with a whisper of smoke that blossoms into more sweet smoke. Even though I added stuff to the tea, I can tell that there is a natural sweetness. I’m liking this.

I was hoping for good things from this tea and maybe that’s my problem – my expectations were too high. I mean, it’s not a bad tea. It’s a gently smoky tea with a nice sweetness at the end of the sip. Super-faint hints of cocoa occasionally pop up, as well as something almost floral. It’s got a nice depth of flavor and actually reminds me of Teas Etc’s Bohea (which I love).

All of this sounds great, right? But there’s one thing that makes this one a non-happy tea for me. The aftertaste. There’s a little twinge of something on the end of the sip and in the aftertaste. I can’t quite peg what it is but it’s a little… off. It makes me think I’ve just walked through a big cloud of hairspray while inhaling through my mouth. Something sticky and a little perfume-ish/chemically. It’s not a very strong aftertaste so it’s almost ignorable, especially if I sip a little more quickly. But ultimately it means that this tea gets no love because there are other softly smoky teas in my life that behave better.

I’m wondering if Upton does something to their leaves that gives them this aftertaste. This funkiness isn’t near as strong as the ick that was the Extra Bergamot aftertaste (that one was bitter and sticky and wrong) but they could theoretically be related. Perhaps the way they store or package or maybe even flavor their teas? I see nothing that indicates that this tea is artificially flavored but maybe?

Wowza. Thank you so much to SimplyJenW for sending me a sample of this! Would I not have gotten a half pound tin of Hu Kwa, I would be in quite some distress to decide which was the better Lapsang between it and this and which I should order more of. It astounds me how similarly delicious they are, balancing their smokiness with sublime smoothness, yet how unique their tastes are. Upton did right by me on this one. Definitely recommended.

Doulton’s Shakespeare: A Tasting Note in 5 Acts
Act I scene 3

Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer’s lease hath all too short a date . . .
Sonnet 18, 1-4

This tea is both a sonnet and is sonnet-worthy. I know that Doulton is married to this tea so I am incredibly grateful that she’s willing to share! I shall merrily be this tea’s mistress and woo it with poetry and all of my feminine wiles.

I really didn’t know what to expect in regard to this tea. With Doulton’s love and the name “Black Dragon” (the name alone is a natural 20 in my book!) I was thinking that this might be the smokiest tea on the planet. Well, I had another think coming! This is the loveliest smoky tea that I’ve ever had. The smoke and the sweet earthiness are so beautifully balanced. It’s like I’m drinking the new growth after a forest fire. It’s like drinking summer.

I highly recommend this to anyone who’s intimidated by smoky teas. It really highlights the best parts of Lapsangs. I think that Life in Teacup’s LS will be my LS when I need “oomph” and smoke. I can see this becoming a daily “must-have.” It’s absolutely lovely. TG

My “cat sounds” Lapsang Souchong rating: this tea made me purr!

Beef Jerky!

That is totally what this tea reminds me of in both taste and fragrance. One of my friends describes Lapsang Souchons thusly: “Smells like beef jerky, tastes like tires.” I have to agree with the smell part but you know, I LIKE beef jerky. Quite a lot actually! My favorite is hickory smoked with teriyaki-glazed coming in close second.

I like Black Dragon. It is lighter than other Lapsang Souchongs I’ve tried, but that’s not bad. This tea might be a good beginning brew for anyone who is trying to develop an affinity for the Lapsang Souchong. It could be a staple for those who like their Lapsangs to taste a little bit less like the dregs of a Webber Grille. I can certainly see this tea as a cupboard staple.

SECOND STEEP: In the second steep the natural sweetness really emerged full-throttle (if sweet can throttle this did it!). I still like the tea a lot. My affinity for smoked/sweet flavors is all the more satisfied by the second steep. It feels a bit as if somebody put a very sweet Bar-B-Q sauce in my tea.

I got a sample of this is my last Upton order, and am finally getting the guts to try it. I have not really had good experience with lapsang souchong tea, but then my sources were not one of my now favorite vendors. Also, I have read some really good reviews on this one from Daulton and mrawlins2, so I figured this was the one to try.

Definitely smokey, but it is also sweet. This is a lapsang I rather enjoy! I am not sure it is an everyday tea for me, but I need some in my cupboard. On the shopping list it goes……

24 oz teapot, 4 actual tsp tea, freshly bolied water, 3 minutes. Lightly sweetened.

Lapsang is not normally something I drink first thing in the morning. It’s more of a thing I like during the heat of the day, but backlogs to clear, so I forge ahead.

I can’t believe I’ve been thinking I love Lapsang in general, when I have only tried one the past 3 years-TG’s. Well, 2 if you count the Russian Caravan from Loose Leaf Tea Lounge in Chicago that tasted like it was 100% Lapsang. So, I am trying some more this summer-starting with a couple from Upton’s.

Anyhow, a lot of people think this is moderate smokiness at best and a good intro level Lapsang. If that’s the case, I am going to ask my adviser to get me in the upper-level courses because I want to learn more.

The dry leaf aroma is, of course, smoky-kinda resembling a campfire. Dry leaves are medium length with some moderate curls and twists. Some golden buds mixed with very dark brown leaves and an occasional really long piece that looks a lot like a pine needle-but not sure. When brewed, the leaf begins to take on an aroma much like a peat moss. Liquor is light copper.

Haven’t had Lapsang in 7-8 months, but this tastes very similar to TG’s version. It’s, well, moderately smoky. If you’ve never had it before, it will be very unique. If you are kinda scared of smoke, it’s not spicy hot and it’s smooth-not bitter at all. It’s somewhat subtle and not overpowering. This is medium-bodied and very tasty. However, I am anxious to move on to Upton’s China Imperial Grade Lapsang.

I’m cheating a bit, because I drank this about a week ago, not today, but I realized I never logged it (my brother was still visiting and I was trying not to be a laptop cave troll).

This is, hands down, my favorite tea in the world. I used to drink this tea every single day of my life. The only reason I don’t now is vague concerns about health risks from particulate matter arising from soft wood smoke.

If you like smokey teas, but find many lapsang are too bacon or too house fire, try Black Dragon. A solid, smokey flavor, but still tastes like TEA.

This sample is courtesy of the benevolent SimplyJenW. My very first Lapsang Souchong!

If this is Lapsang light, I don’t think I could ever drink the heavier version. After an awful experience with a smoky Keemun, I was expecting to hate this. And I was pretty confident in that expectation.

But luckily, this doesn’t taste nearly as scary as it smells. The dry leaves and brewed tea are very smoky. It is reminiscent of liquid beef jerky, as another user pointed out.

Still, I don’t think smoky teas are for me. But I would highly recommend this Lapsang to people new to Lapsangs. Thank you, SimplyJenW!

Fantastic and tasty tea. Malty and smoky, this Lapsang is less smoky than the usual and comes along with this interesting backend flavour that is interesting and chill, but also has interesting Lapsang notes to it. Very nice.

My first lapsang! I’ve been steeling myself for it all week, trying other smokey blends until I felt ready to try this one. The dry leaves smell like jerky – yup, I definitely get jerky. I like smoked things, so I persevered. I steeped 4 minutes and then added my usual aount of cream/sugar before trying (not brave enough to try this without!) It smells intensely smokey, but the actual taste is a little more mild. I get black pepper and a little sweetness – it’s very nice! I tried a second steeping of the leaves, but I wasn’t very impressed with the results. I’m excited to try more smokey teas!

This Lapsang Souchong is on training wheels. Its for people who aren’t sure if they like smoky or not. Its lightly smoky and a little sweetness under the smoke. The tea is very mellow and smooth and to me has a peppery finish. Its a good place to start for those who aren’t sure about smoky teas. I really like smoky so I’m happy this only a sample.