Fireside Chat Black Tea

I love a smoky tea and was pleased that the smell and flavor live up to the fireside name. I tend to associate the flavor here with campfire; my partner leans more toward pipe tobacco. Either way, the smoke is dominant (even to the point where I don’t notice the rooibos!) and a little bit of something sweet stands out especially as it cools. I had some of this from the subscription that I just hadn’t gotten around to trying, and I’m very glad of that now.

Plum Deluxe Advent, Day 4

Another Sipdown (210)

Just ok

Tiny free sample that came with my advent order. I didn’t notice that this included lapsang, so I was very surprised at the scent, but it makes sense with the name of the tea. The strongest flavor is the lapsang, which is not a flavor I love generally, but it works well here. I’m having this with milk, and it tastes pretty cohesively desserty. I’d totally have this one again. It has just the right balance between smoke and other flavors.

I had a small sample of this one. Decided to give it a chance because it was advertised as smokey. I am no longer a big fan of chai in general because to me a lot of times the taste reminds me of colored pencils (weird, I know, but true). This is a good one, though. The pepper is strong and lightly tickles the back of the throat. Most of the spice relies on that rather than some of the other chai type spices. I didn’t sense smokiness that much, but when I first started sipping it does remind you of fires and ashes (but in a good way). This one is unique as described. Peppery, spicey, and reminds me of fireplaces outside on a brisk, chilled night. Will buy a full order later. It’s not something I would drink daily, but good for certain moods.

I got this as a free sample with the advent calendar that I ordered for my sister. It came yesterday (at last) but I was too tired to drive over to Minnesota to give it to her last night.

This tea was nice. I didn’t LOVE it, but I enjoyed the flavor a lot more as it cooled. The cinnamon was a bit drying on my tongue. I don’t think I would order any more of this one, but if a friend served it I would have no trouble drinking the cup.

This is the free sample that came with my advent order. Figured since it’s such a small package and I fear losing it I may as well just drink it up this morning. I actually weighed the tea (surprisingly, I actually weigh most of my tea rather than using imperial “teaspoons”), and it weighs 1.95g — I usually use 2.5g for a 12 oz/350ml cup of tea (up to 3g if I’m trying to use up a bit of leaf and it’s a tea that doesn’t tend to go super bitter on me). Using my favorite leaf-to-ratio calculator, OCTea [ https://octea.ndim.space/#/ ], dropping it to 8 oz/250ml seemed a safe choice. So hopefully the cuppa will balance out correctly! 205F water, 3 minute steep.

The package just said “black tea” but after brewing and smelling that distinct piney smoked aroma, they must have used Lapsang Souchong. I tend to have issues with that tea and avoid it as it is a migraine trigger; occassionally if it is used with a subtle hand with enough other flavors I’m okay (I’ve had some 52Teas blends that worked for me!) so we’ll see… It is a strong enough aroma I’m having a hard time making out any other aromas in the cup, which usually isn’t a good sign for me (it really does have to be subtle, if my head thinks there is smoke in the air, it flips the migraine switch…)

Honestly, I don’t mind the flavor; the lapsang is coming on the most strongly, but I’m getting a strong pine flavor that I really enjoy and the smoke isn’t coming off as a burnt or charred flavor like I get in some teas. But it is still such a strong flavor I’m having a hard time tasting anything else in the cup. I assume that the rooibos (though I can’t taste it) is at least cutting the intensity of the lapsang a bit which is probably why I’m able to tolerate this, and I am getting a little hint of the spices left on my tongue after the sip. But that vanila/walnut/chocolate flavor the tea is supposed to have? That is just impossible to taste against pine smoke. At least for me.

Pleasant, toned back enough that I am not inhaling smoke and going to get a headache, but not a flavor I’d care to have in my cupboard.