My Recent Brew

I've talked in previous posts about learning the ways of Eastern-style tea brewing. Sometimes though, I get a hankering for the old familiar. The Westernized term for this smokey black tea is Laspsang Souchong. There are several varieties, some far more smokey than others. This one is probably one of the best I've had. I actually ended up brewing this mostly gongfu but added the milk and a bit of agave to make it a more traditional English kind of tea. I was able to get about 4 cups total from re-steeping the leaves.

Some people have indicated to me that the smokey smell is off-putting and the idea of drinking a campfire even more so. I don't know how to explain why it works, but it definitely does. I've enjoyed this tea before without the milk and sweetener, and it's just as lovely. Something about the milk creaming up the tea though, it is just magical. And what's a good tea without some tea cakes. I paired it with a lemon and snickerdoodle cakes and made for a really nice lunchtime.