A very good tea from Harney & Sons. I’m a recent convert to Lapsang, so was excited to see the description of this one blended with that tea for a smoother version.

It is smoky but slightly, and all the teas blend together to make a smooth, smooth tea that has no bitterness, no astringency, and a subtle but very there flavor that’s not artificial at all.

When I’m drinking this I find myself hoping for a little spice or something – it feels like that’s missing here, even though it wasn’t really supposed to be spicy. The smell is great and pops as soon as I put the tea in the water.

It’s a good blend that’s a breakfast tea but not really for strong Lapsang fans looking for that kick by itself. For some reason this also has a slight fishy taste to me in every sip. Not sure if it’s just this batch or what, I don’t see that as a note for anyone else but it’s definitely there for me.

Next brew I’ll experiment with a stronger steep. A nice wakeup feel from this one!

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Comments:

Alex Zorach wrote: on January 12th, 2015

I definitely like the blends of the really smoky Lapsang Souchong teas with other, less smoky black teas, more than I like the straight Lapsang Souchong, although I have also recently discovered the traditional Chinese versions of Lapsang Souchong, which have a much more subtle smokiness, and more cocoa / bitter chocolate notes, and I also like them pure.

Another thing I like about these blends is that I find pure Lapsang Souchong doesn't have as much of that pick-me-up quality that I want in a breakfast tea, and as intense as the smoky aroma gets, it doesn't always satisfy me in terms of the body and flavor.

I see they included a bit of oolong too in this blend, along with Assam, Ceylon, and Keemun...that seems surprising and seems somewhat unusual.

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