March Tasting Notes: Lapsang Souchong

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If this was your first real (non-teabag) Lapsang Souchong experience, was it better or worse than you expected?

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Total votes: 11
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Mar 28th, '09, 13:54
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by Victoria » Mar 28th, '09, 13:54

I am currently enjoying Sample A. I brewed it in a 16oz glass Bodum pot, using a little under 15oz of water and 5.8 grams of tea (yes, I weighed it :shock: I know). Steeped for 3 mins at just off boil. The color is a nice deep amber and the aroma, not nearly as strong as the dry leaf.

The brewed aroma has a light smoky medicinal smell, quite unique. And this aroma carries over as one component in the taste, with a familiar medicinal smell that is driving me crazy as I just can't quite place it. But whatever it is, it is reminiscent of something from my childhood and I find that quite endearing for some reason; familiar, comforting.

The flavor, in addition to the component above, also has a nice balance of sweet spices with a dry finish. I think I am also getting a very, very slight numbing sensation, which actually is not distracting at all. Making the whole tea rather unique.

As you can tell, I rather like it! This blows Sample B completely out of the water, a huge difference.


Brent, thank you for the opportunity to try these much maligned teas!
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Mar 28th, '09, 14:05
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by scruffmcgruff » Mar 28th, '09, 14:05

I'm glad some of you like it! For the rest of you, thank you for being honest. :D

I've only tried the teaspring sample so far, and honestly I wish it had a bit more smoke. I wasn't expecting to think that! I think I like it though-- the smoke seems to hide the parts of regular hong cha that I don't like. :)
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Mar 28th, '09, 14:12
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by Victoria » Mar 28th, '09, 14:12

I think I agree with you about the TeaSpring one, it could have been more smokey. It comes across kinda thin and as I said before there seems to be a conflict of the flavors within it. Where as the Tea Gallery one seems to have a more harmonious body, all things working together. I'm interested in your opinion of the Tea Gallery one, let us know.
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Mar 29th, '09, 02:53
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by bi lew chun » Mar 29th, '09, 02:53

I tried The Tea Gallery's version using Victoria's parameters, essentially: 2g, 5oz gaiwan, off-boil, 3 min. I found it more drinkable than I thought I would, actually quite pleasant, not nauseatingly smokey like the bagged stuff.

B next.
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Mar 29th, '09, 21:18
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by TIM » Mar 29th, '09, 21:18

Image
Wesli wrote:B isn't lapsang!!!!
I kind of agreed with Wesli. I am not a black/red tea drinker, but B tasted like a good old red tea/keemum to me. Tasty and easy to work with.

A-had a classic dried longan smoke to it, which i believe it is a proper practice in Wuyi? Worst thing is, it kept me up all night....

Thanks again for hosting this unusual but classical red variety, which gave birth to India and Colonial Western style Tea.
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Mar 29th, '09, 23:44
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by joelbct » Mar 29th, '09, 23:44

These are my notes on A: The wet leaf smelled like pine/evergreen/cedar, woodey like a sauna. It quickly struck me that this is because that's probably the type of wood they used to smoke it...

The liquid was brothy, not bitter/low tannin, and notes of cedar. Not bad, but I think the lapsang I had from specialteas a few years back was better.

I'll let u know abt B soon... Thanks!
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Mar 30th, '09, 19:35
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by Mary R » Mar 30th, '09, 19:35

B = Bah. Seriously, it's almost a crime to call it a lapsang. It tasted like a bland Keemun to me. I really just didn't get any nuance out of it. In fact, after a few sips I went to the co-op kitchen and helped myself to some honey.

2.0 would call that a "fail tea." :)

A, however was really good! Seriously, once I make a larger dent in the tea stash, I will order it. Like joel, I got cedar notes from the brew and a very low tannin level. It was smoky, but not anything like the 'liquid smoke' I've had with cheaper lapsangs.

I also found it paired quite well with an evening of Marxist theory. I don't know how I would have made it through Jameson otherwise!

Thank you so much, Scruff! This was a wonderful tasting!
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Apr 1st, '09, 22:46
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by chamekke » Apr 1st, '09, 22:46

I just got mine in this afternoon's post! No chance to taste it yet, though. Maybe tonight or tomorrow.

Life is insanely busy right now. {pouts}
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by bi lew chun » Apr 2nd, '09, 03:18

Had a chance to sip on B while watching an episode of Dexter. I am shocked to watch myself type this, but it wasn't smokey enough. Seemed like run-of-the-mill hongcha with some smoke thrown in as an afterthought. Only once or twice did I catch an interesting note. Even through all the delicious smoke, A tasted more complete and intriguing.
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Apr 2nd, '09, 10:07
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by chamekke » Apr 2nd, '09, 10:07

OK, tried a bit of the A from Tea Gallery late last night. On first taste, I found it overwhelmingly smoky (I'm just not used to experiencing "smoke" in my tea). But that impression passed off, and I was able to enjoy the underlying flavour - which I liked much better than I ever expected, with its woody notes. Looking forward to trying B!

Victoria, I wonder what that medicinal smell was that you detected: camphor, possibly? Menthol? I didn't really perceive either, but I can see how it might verge on the camphoraceous to some.
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Apr 2nd, '09, 10:41
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by MarshalN » Apr 2nd, '09, 10:41

The greatest lapsangs never have smoke as the dominant flavour. Smoke should be there, but only in enough amount to let you taste it, while everything else from honey to spice should show up.

You can actually brew these things a lot longer. After 5-6 infusions just let it steep for 5-10 minutes at a time and you can get some sweet water out of it.
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Apr 2nd, '09, 11:37
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by Victoria » Apr 2nd, '09, 11:37

chamekke wrote:OK, tried a bit of the A from Tea Gallery late last night. On first taste, I found it overwhelmingly smoky (I'm just not used to experiencing "smoke" in my tea). But that impression passed off, and I was able to enjoy the underlying flavour - which I liked much better than I ever expected, with its woody notes. Looking forward to trying B!

Victoria, I wonder what that medicinal smell was that you detected: camphor, possibly? Menthol? I didn't really perceive either, but I can see how it might verge on the camphoraceous to some.
Yes, it might just be camphor, but I can't really remember using camphor in my childhhood. I really did enjoy this tea. :)
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Apr 2nd, '09, 11:51
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by TIM » Apr 2nd, '09, 11:51

Victoria wrote:
chamekke wrote:OK, tried a bit of the A from Tea Gallery late last night. On first taste, I found it overwhelmingly smoky (I'm just not used to experiencing "smoke" in my tea). But that impression passed off, and I was able to enjoy the underlying flavour - which I liked much better than I ever expected, with its woody notes. Looking forward to trying B!

Victoria, I wonder what that medicinal smell was that you detected: camphor, possibly? Menthol? I didn't really perceive either, but I can see how it might verge on the camphoraceous to some.
Yes, it might just be camphor, but I can't really remember using camphor in my childhhood. I really did enjoy this tea. :)
Have you try dried longan fruit before? It smell very similar.
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Apr 2nd, '09, 22:42
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by joelbct » Apr 2nd, '09, 22:42

Mary R wrote:B = Bah. Seriously, it's almost a crime to call it a lapsang. It tasted like a bland Keemun to me.
I concur that B tastes like a slightly smokey Keemun Hao Ya. My review is not quite so harsh as Mary's, I thought B was drinkable, but no it wasn't especially Lapsang-ey, nor hugely memorable.
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by fencerdenoctum » Apr 4th, '09, 01:22

Tried B today. Used a 100 ml gaiwan and used a little less than half the bag (precise no?). Boiling water, 1 minute steeps.

I really enjoyed this. It had a wonderful aroma of what I would call campfire (a friend said it smelled like smoke sausages). The taste was pretty mellow and it wasn't as harsh as I was prepared for.

I'm not sharing the rest of B with anyone.

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