Review: Twinings Lapsang Souchong
Lapsang Souchong is a little different from your run of the mill teas in that its not simply dried and/or fermented tea leaves or herbs but its actually smoked in large baskets over pine chips producing a distinctive but homely taste.
You can smell the smokey aroma as soon as you open the box and dip into to pull out a pungent tea bag, bringing back memories of bonfire night as a child. And thats what’s so captivating about this tea, becuase when you have boiled the water and begin to pour the aroma intensifies and suddenly you your transported to your past and have your very own ‘Bonfire in a Cup’ with all its memories and feelings held in the strong smell.
Lapsang Souchong can be drunk with a little milk and if absolutely necessary a little sugar but I generally prefer to drink it ‘neat’ so as to not dampen the smokey fragrance. The aroma undulates and chages as if its being blown by some unfelt wind but it never fades until totally consumed. The taste is what you’d expect from a smoked black tea although some may find the slight smokey taste a little unusual at first you soon get used to it and appreciate all it has to offer. Although this is certainly one of my favourite teas I wouldn’t say its a tea I’d drink regularly or as part of my normal tea routine. Its more of a tea you’d drink on special occassions as you’re not simply having a drink but a whole kaleidescope of emotion and memory in one cup.
A fine tea but don’t overdo it.
Used to enjoy this tea untill I find that there are no tea anymore in store where usually I bought my favored beverage.
Seems to be to exotic for croatians who mostly don’t like a smoke.
Why?
Exactly I don’t know why, but assuming because of their history full of preconceptions. (joke,joke c.c..c…)
Really thrue is that tea-drinking culture didn’t take place here, where having a cup of this nice drink mean that something is wrong with your health.
From this same reason croatians prefer his own domestically alcoholic drinks like “slivovica” and refuse to take some whisky for a change…, guess why??
Because of it’s smoky taste…
So, the result of such standpoint is that I have to keep those lapsang souchong-enjoing moments only in memories.