My Overall Impression (Score of 84.5%)

We are moving into February and more snow in the coming months living in Michigan.  Of all things, now is the time that I’m looking to purchase a new pellet smoker.  Why?  The older models go on sale now as the new models come in.  This may sound crazy but as I search for the next addition to my culinary collection, I was craving a deep rich tea.  So why not try a Lapsang Souchong from ITeaworld.

Since I received the sample packages in waxed paper, the tea seemed a bit muted on the nose before brewing.  Anytime you receive tea packaged this way, I would store it in airtight containers to maintain its freshness (which I had done).  Once brewed, it did bloom nicely with strong smoky aromas showing depth.  It’s a big one for flavor and punch with a hint of a dusty texture.  I may not have this one everyday but with grilled or smoked food pairings, it will be amazing.

The price when purchased was $14.99 for 100 grams on 1/31/24.

Broken down:

• 100 gm / 3 gm for steeping = 33 cups
• 33 cups from package = 45 cents per cup

Typically, I double steep all my teas (use the tea twice) so I can get 66 cups or approximately 23 cents per cup.  I know this is a great price for the quality.

Aromas

• When I opened the bag, it was very muted. I could not tell if this was due to the storage bag (waxed paper) or a trait of this brand.  Other teas similar to this were much stronger.
• However, in its faint aroma, there were good notes of smoky malt, tar, very dark toast, and small notes of dark cocoa.
• Once brewed, the tea bloomed and showed its true notes. It had lots of creamy toast(like it was buttered), lovely smoke and tobacco notes. 
• The toasted malt had a molasses sweetness to it. At the beginning of the examination, you can catch a hint of sweet floral/citrus reminding me of honeysuckle.  It disappears quickly as the strong smoky malt takes over.

Flavors

• This is a big brew with bold structure that’s full bodied with high acidity and tannins. It’s also very dry even though you will find the essence of golden syrup on the flavor palate.
• This is large smoky malt driven and reminded me of smoking a cigar and chewing on the cigar end.
• The texture is a bit dusty in the brew (very pleasant). It reminded me of overtoasted malt powder (and a touch of Ovaltine).

Scores

• Aromas (4.0/5)
• Flavors (8.4/10)
• Overall impression (4.5/5)
  • Total score = 84.5 percent (16.9/20)

Foods to Pair and Why

• To me, I equate this to drinking a Barolo. It’s a big tea with great notes and you have to be ready for it.  Anything that you could pair a Barolo with should work here.
• Along that thought process, my mind immediately went to smoked meats such as brisket burnt ends to dry rubbed beef ribs.
• Another thought that came to mind was wood fired pizzas such as a meat lovers with the beautiful charred smoky crust (almost burnt).
• I’m not sure if this tea would overpower this, but I had a craving for brownies especially with the charred edges.
• For cheese options, I’m thinking a good blue cheese such as a Clemson Blue to Stilton to Gorgonzola (actually, make the wood fired pizza a meat lovers with gorgonzola 😊).