Taylors of Harrogate Lapsang Souchong, Black Tea, Pillow Tea Bags, 50 Count (Pack of 1), Smoky, Rich and Strong, Caffeinated, Enjoy Hot or Iced, 50 Teabags

This is one of the most unique teas I’ve tried. The easiest comparison I can make is that it’s kind of the scotch whisky of tea. Not because it tastes exactly like whisky, but because it has that same “you either get it or you don’t” quality. If you enjoy bold, smoky, earthy flavors, this tea is fantastic. If you’re expecting a normal black tea, this probably is not the place to start. The smokiness is strong and very campfire-forward. Not sweet BBQ smoke and not quite the peaty medicinal smoke some scotches have either — more like standing near a real wood fire on a cold morning. It cuts through other flavors extremely well, which is actually why I bought it in the first place. I originally purchased it for mocktails, especially whiskey-inspired nonalcoholic drinks where most ingredients tend to lean overly fruity or sweet. This tea adds bitterness, earthiness, and complexity that balances those drinks really well when served cold. It gives mocktails a backbone they often lack. What surprised me though was how much I ended up enjoying it simply as a hot tea on its own. On cooler mornings especially, a cup of this with a little honey really hits the spot. I personally preferred it with manuka honey because the more subtle flavor worked better with the smoke than stronger wildflower honey tends to. I’m definitely more of a casual tea drinker than a tea expert, but the product itself seems high quality. The tea bags felt in line with other premium bagged teas I’ve bought, and the brewing process didn’t seem overly finicky. I just used water slightly below boiling and steeped for several minutes without issue. It stayed smooth and drinkable rather than turning harsh or bitter. It does contain caffeine, though I wouldn’t call it extremely strong. I still keep it as an early-day tea only, which is honestly a little unfortunate because the smoky warmth would make an excellent evening drink if it were caffeine free. This is definitely not going to appeal to everyone, and I think that’s part of the charm. But if you’re adventurous with tea, enjoy smoky whisky, campfire flavors, or want something dramatically different from standard black tea, this is absolutely worth trying.

This is very strong tea. It is strong in terms of aroma, strength of flavor, and oh may I stress again the key factor here of aroma. The smell of this tea will be overwhelming to some people, and amazing to others. "Smoky" is the word used on the box and frankly, that's good enough a descriptor for me. It conjures up memories or likenings of just about anything involving fire, or fireplaces, or camp fires, or even just the general season of autumn as these things will all involve the smell of smoke. I could picture this tea really hitting the right mark if consumed after spending a long day outdoors in the cold weather. It's a well-made tea. The flavor comes through, the sediment is quite low, the aftertaste is small -- it's a top-shelf product. Just know what you are getting. If you ordinarily drink Darjeeling or Earl Grey and you cannot imagine anything being stronger, then this tea will knock your socks off. Or if you have a hypersensitive sense of smell and are bothered by anything rising above the presence of crackers and bread, then you will probably be overwhelmed by this. Or perhaps you're like me, and you've consumed enough tea to float a battleship. And you've come to a point where you would like to try something new from time to time because, well, life is short. In that case, I'd say give this a try. It is different and it is unique, but it is also well-made and coherent -- there is a method to the madness, as they say. Good luck to you, my fellow tea drinker.

Tastes like a campfire smells! Yummy!

Good tea. Reminds me of herbal tea. Kind of weak for my taste but I like very strong tea so… If there’s some stronger brand out there this one might be a good entry level lapsang souchong.

I evaluate products based on technical utility and objective suitability. While this 50-count pack of Lapsang Souchong was too 'green' and herbaceous for my personal palate, it is an asset for historical diorama builds. Variety and Size: This 50-count pack of pillow tea bags provides a significant volume of material for large-scale hobby projects. The bags are structurally sound, ensuring the contents remain fresh until they are deployed for the build. Museum-Grade Application: I am utilizing this as ground cover for a museum-style diorama depicting people at a campfire. The variety of textures in the loose leaf provides a realistic forest floor at 32mm scale. The Sensate Advantage: Even after a clearcoat is applied to the diorama, the terpene-heavy, smoky energy of this tea permeates the scene. It acts as a mechanical 'sensate'—providing an authentic campfire scent that enhances the visual display without the need for artificial aromatics. Auditor’s Value: For those seeking a beverage, it’s a fresh, high-quality, intense smoke profile. For the hobbyist, it is a dual-purpose material that solves both visual and olfactory requirements for high-fidelity historical recreations. This product doesn't hedge around its smoky claims; it delivers a nuclear-level atmosphere that holds up even under hobby-grade sealants."

This is smooth tea that is extremely smoky. The tea isn't as strong/brisk as I would prefer. It is a lot smokier than I expected. This isn't a bad tea. Personally, I think the taste would be a better choice for a dreary winter day instead of the summer. Be warned. My cat thought the box was cat treats at first and one of my (adult) kids thought I'd bought some beef jerky. Both were extremely disappointed! Even though I enjoyed this tea, I probably won't order it again. Ever since I started drinking this in the morning, I've been inundated with afternoon ocular migraines. I cannot be certain that this tea contributed to this sudden flare up. However, it is the only new thing I've recently added to my daily routine. I love Taylors of Harrogate Assam and thought I'd give this a try.

Taylors of Harrogate blend some splendid teas and their Lapsang Souchong is another well-balanced and consistent entry in the line. As a result of the smoking process this tea doesn't get bitter nor does it have any overly tannic aftertaste: even in bags it provides a smooth and flavorful cup of tea sturdy enough to stand up to having milk added, if you like. This is a "love it or hate it" tea: the flavor is strong and folks usually react strongly to it. I love it! Allegedly Winston Churchill's favorite brew, Lapsang Souchong has a dominant flavor of smoke and is almost peaty in nature (it is smoked in bamboo baskets over pine wood, resulting in the distinctive 'longan' aroma.) If you enjoy smoky tastes such as single-malt Island Scotches like Laphroaig or smoked foods, or you just like to stand downwind of a campfire once in a while you should find this a satisfying brew. If you don't like any of those things you probably won't like this tea either. For me this is a cool, wet weather or very early morning tea and not one I'd reach for in the middle of a hot summer's day. This set of 50 sachets (European style with no tags, strings or staples like US tea bags) comes in an attractive cardboard box but after opening be ready to transfer the sachets to a well-sealed tin or other container unless you want your entire pantry smelling like smoke. It is a VERY fragrant tea! In addition to providing finely blended teas Taylors as a company is also committed to purchasing fairly traded teas which benefits working conditions for tea workers; Taylors was also recently listed as one of the top 100 companies to work for in the UK. I'd rather give my money to smaller companies that have proved themselves good corporate citizens, and Taylors is one of the good guys. Basically: good tea, good price, good company!

I really struggle with how to rate this tea because, on the one hand, it is absolutely the worst, most sickening thing I've ever tasted, and I say that as an extremely adventurous foodie and an avid tea aficionado. I love exotic teas, and I'm very open to all sorts of new flavors and complex flavor combinations. But this? This was awful: the smoke literally tastes like someone steeped a bunch of cigarette butts and made a tea out of it. I mean, not quite THAT bad but close, and literally sickening--it felt like I had been around a bunch of 2nd-hand smoke after even just opening the box, and especially after consuming half a mug of this tea--I had to throw the rest of the mug out, and I gave my box away to the person who recommended it to me. So I gave this one star, because, again, it is the single most sickening thing I've ever consumed (food or drink). Yet, while I share that with you to warn you, in case you might have the same experience upon trying it, I also feel compelled to add, in fairness, that it seems to be a high quality tea--the ingredients are just "black tea" (which seems to be fine black tea) and "smoke". It's that latter ingredient where the AWFULNESS comes in, yet apparently it is made with a high quality smoke, if you will, from pine wood and bamboo (mainly the pine is what the smoke is from--they place the tea leaves on bamboo and then smoke it with pine). So this tea is what it is supposed to be: a pure lapsang souchong tea. It just turns out that I can't stand lapsang souchong tea! So there you have that review: I think this product is a high-quality brand of what it is supposed to be, yet what it is supposed to be, to me, is HORRENDOUS and I would NOT get this again. Gave mine away, like I said.

I've tried several other brands this tea and none of them are as smokey as this one. Definitely my favorite brand for Lapsong Souchong up to this point in time.

When my usual brand of Lapsang Souchong became unavailable, I reluctantly ordered this brand and have been pleasantly surprised. It has a good, rich flavour and each tea bag is individually wrapped. Although this is not good for the environment, it is beneficial in maintaining freshness. I actually like it better than my original choice and hope it remains available. I find it somewhat overpriced, although the last lot was a bit more reasonable. I use it daily and love it.

Great tasting tea, delivered very promptly, I will be back

With these being bags filled with tea powder instead of a true loose leaf tea to unfurl I was extremely pleased at the full and rich authentic flavour and smell of this tea. This is definitely my vote for an in a hurry or pack for an away from home excursion

Makes a fine pot of tea.