ZS90: Lapsang Souchong Black Dragon

I definitely felt like having some lapsang tonight.

I initially picked up the Adagio sample I have sitting on my counter, but the leaves smelt of the bag it was in and not all that smoky. Needless to say, it scared me off for the time being. I didn’t feel like testing out something I wasn’t certain about, so I went for this Upton sample instead.

There’s not a lot that I didn’t already say in my (first ever lapsang!) encounter with the Imperial blend. It’s smoky and beautiful and soothing and subtle in ways that keep surprising me. The “BUT” here comes from the Black Dragon blend. We’ll get to that.

This was the second time I used my new glass teapot, so I’m still surprising myself on colours. My mug of choice is the perfect size, but it’s also black. This means I’d been missing out on actually watching the tea steep. And wow, is lapsang ever beautiful to look at. It’s a beautiful rust hue that I found incredibly inviting. Maybe it’s because I was expecting the taste from the way it looked, but I love it anyway.

I’d have to brew the Black Dragon and the Imperial side by side to note differences in smell, but I definitely got the characteristic twang of campfire before and after brewing. Delicious! It’s apparently a smell well-appreciated by my pet rats as well, they couldn’t stop themselves trying to get a taste of my tea. Usually they’re not fussed by what’s in my teapot. I like to think they share my taste in tea.

So, here comes the “BUT”…

Apparently, I like it smokier. The taste is lovely. I can easily find the sweet note that other people have pointed out. I understand why some may call this starter lapsang. BUT. Smoke. I need more.

Still, this certainly hit the spot and it went with my dinner pancakes – mango and banana cooked in obscene amounts of butter – beautifully. I’m rating it a bit lower than Imperial, but still high enough to reflect it’s one of my preferred types of tea.

Oh, notate bene… when the tea has completely cooled, the finish seems a bit sooty. Drink it warm! It’ll taste better!

Several teas from Upton just arrived! I brewed this one in my new Finum filter.

Opening the bag, the smell reminds me of smoked paprika! My favorite spice. There are some pretty silver leaves sprinkled throughout the darker, smoked leaf base. Brewed, the smokiness isn’t as outrageously strong but it’s still nicely there and reminds me less of smoked meat than the dry leaves do. Which is good.

The liquor is a medium amber and tastes wonderful! The smoke taste lingers at the back of the throat and the maltiness of the Assam is perfect. Not too bitter and tastes almost milky, even with nothing added to it. I’m glad I ordered a whole 250 g bag instead of just a sample.

I did not have high hopes for this tea after getting a migraine from the smoke of Upton’s LS Imperial. At best I thought it would be less overwhelming, at worst I thought it would be watered down and shallow, boy was I wrong. The smell of the leaves are more hickory than campfire, it is pleasantly strong but not overwhelming.  I tried not to inhale the scent from the cup after getting dizzy from the imperial, but there was definitely smoke just more toned down and not filled with as many sensory memories. I thought perhaps steeping it for only 3 mins was a mistake, fist sip was smokey but palatable though I thought it lacked complexity.  Then I got a scratchy burn in my throat like smoking and I was reminded of ash trays and cannabis (mind you I do not smoke anything) but still watered down so I decided to toss it and resteep stronger.  But in my last sip before I poured it out I tasted something new, something spicy, and I thought this is promising.  

So I resteeped the full 4 mins.  The fist sip was mild and I thought perhaps it wouldn’t translate.  This was less smokey for sure but something more was coming through, the tea leaves, I could taste the tea and not just the process (well actually I’m sure I was tasting other parts of the process, not just the pine needle firing). Then a very familiar taste came through, at first subtle then growing stronger, a tangy high note that reminds me of wine. It may be what connoisseurs refer to as muscatel, all I know is I’ve tasted it in Oriental Beauty, Dan Cong and Big Red Robe.  The tea gained a smooth body in the cup and my mouth and I was quite pleased, so I actually sat back and enjoyed.  

Third steep had the least amount of smoke, revealed more wine notes that turned quite sweet. The body evolved and turned buttery, yes buttery, I was in love and all thoughts of blending this tea with a smooth oolong left, it so doesnt need it.  I think I actually like this better than my oriental beauty, the tea that inspired me to seek beyond Teavana, the muscatel notes are a little less pungent here, but I need to try a third infusion of that one again.

So I went for a fourth steep at 5 mins and thought surely this one will be too watered down and while it doesn’t have as much body, this one actually has a bit more smoke but still a nice sweetness.  I decided to brew a fifth infusion while cooking up bacon, eggs and potatoes. I went to polish off my mug figuring I may have to toss it since its cooled off (and cold LS are icky). I was shocked at the sweetness I tasted. Had someone slipped sugar in my cup?  No, the toddler is downstairs and it’s not a sugary taste really, but boy is it sweet!  

I poured the fifth pot, again expecting blandness, the liquor was noticeably lighter but no this tea continues to delight, the sweetness reminds me a bit of anise in a thai ice tea kind of way.  I am soooo in love! I want this to become my morning tea.  Never thought I’d get to this point, especially after so much anxiety yesterday with the Imperial but I’m going to try a sixth steep.  This cup smelled like something herbal, chamomile? And a bit of spearmint?  Similar to the fifth steep, still sweet but more subtle and very comforting.  

Seventh steep has more pepper and a hint of smoke, but my sense are being obscured by the soap on my toddler’s hands, so I’m going to end here for today. Soap smell aside, it tastes like the rinse water of the smoke process, so I think I’ll stick to six steeps, far more than I thought I would get with this tea. The third is definitely my favorite, being the most buttery.

A very enjoyable smoky aroma with a pleasant and smooth liquor. Do not be afraid, it does NOT taste as it smells, the two senses conflict for an interesting and not unpleasant experience.

Having fallen in love with Upton’s other LS (Imperial), I had high hopes for this. Perhaps I haven’t perfected the steeping process, but I found that the lovely flavour of the raw tea leafs (which was better than the Imperial) did not translate to the steeped tea. It tasted rather unfinished and lacks depth, a little metallic and not quite smoky for my taste.

I agree that this is a great Intro to LS 101 tea and especially good if you want a light LS. But those who love the SMOKE! in their LS might be disappointed. Perhaps mixing this with other, more smoky LS varieties will do the trick.

Nice, light with sweetness under the smoke. 212 × 3.5 min

Sipdown no. 10 of 2018 (no. 366 total). A sample.

This is a backlog from yesterday while the site was down. Nothing to add to my previous magnum opus on this one.

The good news is that it is a better balanced tea than many souchongs: the smokiness is not excessive and does not overpower the taste of the tea itself, which clearly comes through. The bad news is that that tea is not of a good quality and the taste is quite blah. Will not buy again.

Update: actually I changed my opinion after the second session. I guess I was conditioned by super-smokey souchongs to expect the bomb of a taste.Here you can actually taste the tea itself and the tea is not bad: large leaves, pleasant taste. The tea also has a nice lingering aftertaste. So, as a result I am increasing the rating from 63 to 78.

For me, the smokiness of Lapsang Souchong has relegated it to an afternoon or evening cup. Until now. This Black Dragon variation from Upton Tea is worthy of the first-cup position in my day! The smoky edge is simultaneously subtle and evident, and the underlying tea is smooth and flavorful.

While I might generally describe Lapsang Souchong as “perfect for a cool, blustery day,” I would be quick to define Upton’s unique variation as simply “perfect”. No caveats.

Backlog:

This tea makes me think of Doulton – I miss her.

A slightly less smoky Lapsang Souchong for those who (like me) find that many Lapsang Souchong are a bit too smoky. I prefer a little less on the smoke when it comes to Lapsang Souchong.

This has some lovely fruit notes and I enjoy how the smoke accents them. Notes of pine and sweet caramel. It’s slightly lighter in body than a typical, heavily smoked Lapsang Souchong and I appreciate that too. A very enjoyable cuppa!