I enjoy smokey teas in general, but this is something else. The smell of the leaves is a delicious sweet smoke with a subtle hint of rich tea behind it. The smokiness isn't as strong in the cup, but the tea is very well balanced.
This will be my new daily tea, highly recommend
As previous reviewers have noted, this tea (or the smoky style of tea in general) is not for everyone. That said, I have really enjoyed this for its blend of headiness and delicacy. An occasional problem with Lapsang is that the base material (i.e. the leaves) is often an inferior quality tea, with the smoke simply masking the faults. Not so here - the flavor is neither short nor harsh. There is an exotic, musky quality to the overall flavor, and the smokiness complements these attributes rather than covering them up. As a prior reviewer wrote, the second infusion loses some of the finesse of the first, but that's to be expected. This is rather unique, and I expect it will be too "busy" for some palates, but I give five stars without hesitation.
Dirk Matthews
September 2020
This is my new favorite tea. A long time drinker of Lapsang, I gave this one a try. It is far more delicate. A nice smokiness introduces you to hints of caramel and vanilla. In some ways, it’s like a nice caramel Asam combined with a Tarry Souchong, two of my favorites. More refined and nuanced, I switch between cream and no cream to have different experiences. It’s at least worth a shot, and you just might move away from a traditional Lapsang.
A lovely tea in every way. If you don't care for the heavily smoked Lapsang, try this delicate tea. Lovely leaves produce a cup that is complex with a thick mouthfeel and rich aromas of baking bread, bacon, cocoa with a lightly sweet finish. Tealyra's description is right on. Be gentle with this tea and use short multiple infusions to enjoy this tea's subtle layers.
Unbelievable, best Lapsang Souchong I ever had. Smoked for lovers but so complex and sweet in it's taste and absolutely no bitterness..
For me it's gonna be hard to go back to traditional Lapsang Souchong after this one.
This is a real smoky tea, you can smell it through the package. It kind of stinks First brew is real smoky, second brew with same leaves just taste like regular tea. This not one I would be again.
Personally, I"m not a fan of the "smokey" flavored teas. If one could "sip" the aroma of a campfire (that or burning leaves) that would be the flavor. Again, my rating is highly personal. It still deserves a 3 star because the quality of the tea was good, as usual for Tealyra.
Was my least favorite tea by far. After several weeks I got used to it, but I don't think Jin Jun Mei and Lapsang should be mixed.
Michael Dunn
November 2019
I dunno... Some seem to like this. The leaves are smoky, but there's some other weird aroma there I've never before encountered in any tea. Once brewed, it's not really smoky anymore—just that off-putting flavour remains. Not for me. Try it and see what you think...?
