Harney & Sons Loose Leaf Black Tea, Lapsang Souchong, 3 Ounce

This Lapsang Souchong loose leaf tea is absolutely phenomenal. The smoky aroma is rich and distinctive without being overpowering, and the flavor is deep, smooth, and incredibly comforting. Every cup feels warm, complex, and almost campfire-like in the best possible way. The quality of the leaves is excellent, and you can immediately tell this is a premium tea. It brews beautifully with a bold character that stays balanced and refined instead of harsh or bitter. If you enjoy smoky teas, this one is on another level. I’ve tried several Lapsang Souchongs over the years, and this is easily one of the best I’ve had. Perfect for relaxing evenings or cold mornings. Highly recommended for tea lovers looking for something unique and memorable.

Smoky, piney, nuanced, delicious. I drink this tea exclusively in the winter, and after trying a few brands, this is my favorite one. I’ve gifted 5 of these so far, and people keep asking about it.

This is not for everyone. I like it. It's a very unique and very pronounced flavor. It is fresh, strong and bold. This mixes well with Black Currant Tea, with 80/20 ration. Smoke is heavy, so in pure form you need to be careful, you might hate it. I believe mixing with other flavored black teas is the idea, and it does well just that. Must try, for me it is an interesting tea with lots of ambition.

I was introduced to Lapsang souchong tea at, oddly enough, the Boston Tea Party museum. Harney & Sons is not the same company as my first experience, but they do produce and nice deep flavored tea with a delicious smoke that was comparable to the Oliver & Pluff brand from Boston. The leaves were extremely fresh with a deep aroma. For those that are unfamiliar, the production of lapsang souchong includes drying by pinewood smoke, thus giving it a very, very smoky aroma and taste. This may turn a lot of people off. I feel it enriches the tea for a deeper flavor and stronger profile as far as black teas go. I am not a fan of cigarettes at all, to me this is more like a campfire smell and might be better appreciated during the winter months. I really like the flavor and feel it provides a hearty cup of tea.

You cannot, really, go wrong with Harney & Sons, this tea is no exception. It gets five-stars from me because I am on my third tin and have no intention of changing. This is an all-day sipping tea for me. It is smooth, no sugar needed, and deeply nuanced. It tastes roasted without being too smokey and ranks up there for me with a good Pu'er. If you are looknig for restrained and refined while also having a robust personality this may be perfect for you.

A bit of a backstory on Lapsang Souchong tea for me. The first time I had this tea was at my husband's aunt's apartment in Paris. And for 13 years with each visit we made, it was the only tea she drank and I learned to not only love the smokey taste but also the scent. It's now brings reminders of those wonderful times spent especially since she passed. Which brings me to this--I always have Lapsang Souchong loose tea at home. And I usually get into the car, drive to the mall and purchase it from a well-known tea store chain. But I got lazy due to a head cold and decided to peruse through Amazon when I spotted this Hwrney & Sons tea. I read the reviews and figured for the six bucks and change I would order it anyway despite the reviews that stated it was weak. It isn't weak. It depends how you steep it. I fill a tea ball with the loose tea and steep it in a cup with water that has boiled. I steep it for exactly five minutes with a plate over the cup to keep the water hot. The flavor is excellent and it has that smokey back taste that lasts for a while after drinking it. The scent is magnificent. Overall, this is a great tea and I will be reordering--and quite possibly sooner than later because my tea-drinking family will be over during Christmas. Honestly, this tea is a great deal for the price and the delivery was quick!!!

Update: I’ve gotten used to it. Still not my fave but I admit it has a certain charm. It's fine, I guess. If you like the taste of beef jerky and smoked meats. I get that it is "piney" but dang... it smells like my hair after sitting around a campfire. The taste is ok, it's less full bodied than you'd think with the smell. I wouldn't repurchase and this will probably not be used much.

I love this tea. A random youtuber turned me onto it. As weird as it may sound, it tastes like a warm smokey campire (in a good way). I love it on autumn and winter evenings.

Al principio me desagradó el fuerte olor; sin embargo, lo probé y me dio una gran sorpresa. No es para cualquiera, dale una oportunidad.

Edited to reflect a 2nd order: Rich, smokey aroma, subtle flavour...fab on a winter's day, on a rainy day, when camping - everything that evokes something special! I put a splash of 35% cream in... perfection!

mild smoky aroma and subtle flavour, very enjoyable cup of tea. like very much the tea-tin which i shall keep and reuse. classic

good tea. pricey.

Spent my first 43 years of life in vain without this tea! It's massing and eye-opening, in all sense. The single malt of black teas -- oaky, leathery, smoky.