Premium Formosa Lapsang Souchong (TT70)

What can I say? I was curious. This one has actually been in my cupboard a long time, but it does not call out to me very often. It is quite smoky, and the first time you open the bag is a real shocker. For most people, it is a love it or hate it affair. I, however, can tolerate it on occasion, but rarely crave it. After all, there are so many teas that I deeply enjoy. So, why bother with something that is only OK?

The dry leaf smells like a campfire—no surprises here. The liquor has a nice smokiness which easily impresses my friends, but it’s hard to detect other aromas more inherent to the leaf. There’s notes of grape must/basalmic (but the acidity is subtle), and a vague woody incense (sandalwood?). After the last sip there’s a honeyed date aroma which lingers in the cup. No matter what I do, the overall taste is a bit thin for a black tea, and the astringency is comparatively overwhelming and disruptive. It makes my tongue feel like a sandpaper-skinned slug. This is the only lapsang souchong I have tried, so I can’t compare it to any other tea, really, but I do plan on exploring this genre further.

First things first. I really like LS. I like most, if not all, varieties of LS.
This was my first venture into the Formosan variety. It turns out there was a reason LS did not originate from the Formosan region. Tastes cheap whether steeped short or long. Will try another Formosan variety (TT72) to see if it’s just my palate – that is averse to Formosa teas or TT70 is really bad.