Kaneroku Matsumoto Tea Garden: Smoked Black Tea

Very unique tea. I have had other smokey teas, notably Lapsang Souchong, which I didn’t like due to the strength. This one had me worried, because the dry leaf smelled like ridiculously intense campfire. Crazy level stuff. I did Western style with 4g in a 300mL Kyusu and 195 degree water. Steeps of 2m and 2.5m.

It certainly was smokey, but I didn’t find it to be particularly distasteful. It was a very sweet smokiness. In fact, this tea tasted like some sweet bbq sauce to me – like Sweet Baby Ray’s lol. When I think about that flavor in a tea, it sounds revolting, but it worked at least well enough for me here. Not sure I would have been a fan of it all by itself, but a good enough complement with the cheese/fruit platter I was enjoying – Gouda, 2-year aged cheddar, and Balsamic Bella Vitoni with strawberries and Golden Berries. Not complex in flavor, just got that sweet smoky bbq flavor for the most part.

This was bought because the owl mentioned it and I was like: What an awesome thing to include in the mystery buy!
A Japanese black tea smoked with whiskey barrel wood? That should have been reason enough, but I didn’t know about it so thanks owl :)

So I approached this like I do with all five of the black Japanese; just brewed it as if it was a roasted oolong. Here’s why I do that: I believe Japanese tea is the most delicate and pure of all the types I’ve had, tasted, ripped apart, ate, and overall evaluated as I drink all the teas possible. I’m quite thankful that I did that with this because the leaf when brewed looks like that of a first flush Darjeeling; you know, that dark seaweed olive color.

90c for 150 second in the large kyusu (western stylin’)

This is among the top 10 most unique teas that I’ve had from the first few sips. When I think of smoked tea I think of lapsang smoke… like, campfire in my mouth smoke. This is something completely different. Immediately I’m reminded of bbq by the aroma; how did I not think of bbq smoke vs campfire smoke vs ashtray smoke as possible for teas? There really is this odd taste which comes somewhat from the aroma of a woodsy roastish liquid… with this underlying cooked vegetable taste. Unfortunately I cannot decipher if this is a roasted or smoked vegetable taste underneath, it’s just too frickin’ weird.

After drinking a decent amount of this I realize it reminds me most of wood chips that were left to the side so you pick it up and get that smoked wood smell on your finger and sneak a smell in every once in awhile because it brings back a good memory of some awesome bbq.

This is pretty good, but it’s just hard to explain because I feel as if it is an experience type of tea and not a taste type of tea… what a unique thing. Maybe I’ll try smoking tea with my barrel one day when it retires :P

Glad that this is in the mystery buy as I know I will thoroughly enjoy reading the thoughts of others :)