Some like it smokey - Lapsang Souchong by Harney & Sons

I don't seem to have a lot of black teas in my cupboard. That's not necessarily on purpose. I just haven't tried that many black teas yet. I saw this Harney & Sons Lapsang Souchong on Amazon and threw it in my cart one day, and then completely forgot that I had done that. The 3oz tin is an add on item, and the purchase I had made that day was not enough to get my add on item added. So when I placed an order again a few days later, this was added. I was in a hurry and didn't even notice. I got a nice surprise when I opened the package!

I already drank half before I
remembered to take a picture

This is my second time drinking this tea.

I figured that I would try it that day I added it to my cart because of the description. It's smokey, which is how I love my scotch. When I open the tin, it is definitely smoked. Very smokey. Boiling water, and 5 more minutes, I have a steaming mug waiting for me.

The color is beautiful. Not too dark, but deep nonetheless. It's still quite smokey on the nose, but not as strong as the leaf was. A sip. The smoke is still there, but much more gentle than one might expect from how strong it is when opening the tin. (I don't think I'll be able to use that tin again, to be honest, that's how smokey it is.)

Today, I followed the suggestion from someone on Steepster to add maple syrup. That is where it's at, let me tell you. I normally don't drink my teas sweetened or lightened. I added just a touch of maple syrup from a local company, and everything just popped! What as a nice tea turned into a delicious tea. The addition of the syrup made the smokiness dance around my mouth. The black base of the tea even stepped forward more.

If you try this tea, I recommend drinking half of it without syrup, and then the last half with syrup, to experience the difference. Then you can decide for yourself how you want to enjoy it the next time. And remember to go easy on the syrup. The mug in this picture is 15oz. and I put in maybe a quarter of a teaspoon of real maple syrup for the whole thing. (And please, do not use fake maple syrup. Use the real thing. It is worth the money.)