Lapsang Souchong

Fully oxidized tea leaves for a robust cup.


Nov 4th, '09, 20:55
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Lapsang Souchong

by Brinson » Nov 4th, '09, 20:55

So I found a 4 oz tin of Twining Lapsang Souchong at Big lots for $3, so I thought I'd try it. I opened it up...and dear god it has such a distinctive smell. Drinking some now...not sure how I feel about it yet.

What do you guys think of it? Does anyone else think the smell makes it unappealing?

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Nov 4th, '09, 21:06
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Re: Lapsang Souchong

by Chip » Nov 4th, '09, 21:06

A recent topic. http://www.teachat.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=9890

Generally, they do not particularly appeal to me, though a good one in the Winter can be nice. I think the better ones are not as overpowering on the smoke. Twinings was the first one I had, it was so bad that it took almost 10 years til I tried another.

Nov 6th, '09, 17:14
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Re: Lapsang Souchong

by Zanaspus » Nov 6th, '09, 17:14

My impression is it tastes like an orange vomited on some perfectly harmless tea.

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Nov 8th, '09, 11:23
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Re: Lapsang Souchong

by brad4419 » Nov 8th, '09, 11:23

Lapsang souchong was my gateway tea and I still enjoy it now even though I wouldn't drink it everyday. The smoke reminds me of a campfire or grilling out which are 2 things I enjoy.

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Nov 8th, '09, 14:45
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Re: Lapsang Souchong

by JillDragon » Nov 8th, '09, 14:45

Not a huge fan of straight Lapsang Souchong, to me it smells/tastes like liquid BBQ. But I do enjoy milder blends that incorporated it in with other teas, like Russian Caravan.

Nov 17th, '09, 18:26
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Re: Lapsang Souchong

by Shihali » Nov 17th, '09, 18:26

I bought a tin of Twining's Lapsang Souchong and I can confirm that it's nasty. The word that comes to mind whenever I open the tin is "acrid". I like a milder no-name Lapsang Souchong from a local specialty store and rapidly increased the percentage in my personal blend from 25% to 100%. I haven't made the jump to actually good stuff yet, I think.

My friends, however, think I'm nuts to consume a liquid that smells like smoke. They won't even take offers of sips. I even turned off most of a gathering when I threw a bit of LS in a mix of whatever black teas I had on hand.

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Nov 21st, '09, 21:33
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Re: Lapsang Souchong

by FredParkerPottery » Nov 21st, '09, 21:33

A year or so ago I was brewing myself a cup of LS as my visiting 5 year-old step-grandson, a picky eater of the nth order, watched. He had never seen tea other than iced, and so was curious. As I explained he asked if he could try it. I poured him a small cup knowing full well he would have no part of it.

He took the cup, sniffed the LS then tasted. As I waited for him to wretch, he turned it up and drained it -- drank it all! (I can't even do that.)

Now it's one of his favorites. I thought he would like something a little more perfumy, like a scented white with flower petals, orange peel, ginger and the like. He really did not like that at all. I figure he'll turn into a REAL tea lover someday...

Fred

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Nov 26th, '09, 01:51
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Re: Lapsang Souchong

by entropyembrace » Nov 26th, '09, 01:51

I think Lapsang Souchong is the kind of tea that often results in strong reactions...most people seem to either love it or hate it...I'm one of the ones that love it :)

Nov 26th, '09, 10:27
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Re: Lapsang Souchong

by beecrofter » Nov 26th, '09, 10:27

It's pretty good with greasy barbecue.

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Nov 26th, '09, 11:11
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Re: Lapsang Souchong

by Selaphiel » Nov 26th, '09, 11:11

Good quality Lapsang Souchong (There is lot of bad Lapsang Souchong out there) is delicious. The lovely cozy aroma of a bonfire, but with underlying herbal and sweet notes makes it a wonderful tea to have after dinner or even paired with a mild cheese

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Nov 26th, '09, 12:36
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Re: Lapsang Souchong

by Victoria » Nov 26th, '09, 12:36

I really do enjoy the taste of the milder ones, but the aroma is usually
unappealing. I have one from the Netherlands that a friend sent me and I dearly love it, but I have to not breath as I bring it near my nose.

Nov 26th, '09, 17:51
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Re: Lapsang Souchong

by MFA » Nov 26th, '09, 17:51

Hey, buy the good stuff if you're going to drink LS - Hu Kwa from Mark T Wendell. By far the best and not too costly. Beyond the smell is a very nice tea.

Dec 12th, '09, 20:38
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Re: Lapsang Souchong

by ff1959 » Dec 12th, '09, 20:38

Wonderful stuff, dried over a pine fire.

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Dec 25th, '09, 18:21
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Re: Lapsang Souchong

by ArtofTea » Dec 25th, '09, 18:21

I absolutely love Lapsang Souchong, but it seems quite rare to find other fans who can enjoy it as much as I do! A great shame really, because it is such a wonderful tea...

In my own experience, most of the people I've offered it too have found it's smoky flavours too strong!

I was recently recommended to try a "Bohea Lapsang" from Jing, who claim that it has a much weaker flavour... I don't know if that's wise though, since I'm actually quite partial to the strong taste?! :?

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Dec 25th, '09, 20:22
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Re: Lapsang Souchong

by MarshalN » Dec 25th, '09, 20:22

Generally speaking, the better the lapsang, the less obvious the smoke. The good stuff is fantastic. The Twinings stuff is really not very good at all, and is a very poor representation of what the style can be like. I blogged about this many moons ago

http://marshaln.xanga.com/569348469/a-s ... -souchong/

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