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.
This is one of those teas that I’m not sure if I want to try or not… I tend to like smoky teas, but never had Lapsang Souchong, and lots of my friends kinda scared me on the extreme smokiness of this tea. One of these days I’ll get a chance, I guess.
I like this tea straight and I find it smoky and very tasty. Find yourself a nice Keemun tea and start mixing. A little a first and add gradually until you get the taste you want.