Oct 07
Review: JING Tea Organic Bohea Lapsang Supreme Black Tea
Black Tea, JING Tea, Lapsang Souchong Tea Add commentsLynn’s Teaview Snapshot
 | "The bright, light, mouth-filling flavor once again reminded me of good Scotch: smooth, biscuity, peaty, smoky in a clean not cloying way, with a touch of spice and a surprising hint of sweetness in the finish."
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9.5/10
To be honest, I requested this sample by accident. Looking over the list of offerings, I saw “lapsang” but not “souchong” in its rather long name, and assumed it was something else. You see, I loathe lapsang souchongs; the ones I’ve encountered to date (albeit fairly inexpensive ones) smell like hot tar and salty, fishy trash fires to me, and don’t taste much better. Once I’d smelled and tasted this one, however, my opinion shifted considerably for the better.The thick, twisted, fully oxidized black leaves, grown in China’s Fujian Province, have the sweet, peaty aroma of a fine Scotch whiskey, rather than the tarry, smoky stench I was braced for. According to the JING website, the tea is smoked over “cunningly banked” fires of local pine with the bark stripped off. I don't know if bark removal is common practice, but if not, perhaps that made the difference?
I steeped two teaspoons of the tea in a cup of 208F water for 5 minutes and was rewarded with a crystal clear, burnt sienna liquor with a smoky aroma, not as complex as the dry leaf. The bright, light, mouth-filling flavor once again reminded me of good Scotch: smooth, biscuity, peaty, smoky in a clean not cloying way, with a touch of spice and a surprising hint of sweetness in the finish. It was far less pungent than I expected, but the aroma and flavors continued to develop as the tea began to cool, with the smoke aroma in particular becoming stronger and more pleasant.
The following day I infused the leaves again and was rewarded with another excellent cup, complex and just smokey enough. This is a tea to drink plain and slowly, savoring the play of complexity across the tongue. And it’s organic! While this tea may be too laid back for those who prefer the extremely pungent forms, I was completely won over. Highly recommended.
— To purchase JING Tea Organic Bohea Lapsang Supreme Black Tea, or for more specific information on ingredients or the story behind this particular blend, click here to go directly to the manufacturer's web site.
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October 7th, 2009 at 7:29 am
Dang, this sounds fantastic! I’m actually a fan of Lapsang Souchong teas, but this one sounds like it trumps. Looking forward to trying some!