Solstice Lapsang Souchong Loose Leaf Tea (12 ounces), Traditional Chinese Pine-Smoked Black Tea Leaves Makes 130+ Cups of Tea

Updated review 8/20/2020: I decided to give it another try, and I’m glad I did! It tastes exactly like what the description leads you expect: a mild smokiness, and a balanced flavor between bold (assam) and light (oolong). What I really like about this blend (this batch, at least) that I didn’t expect, is a nice, cozy malty layer. I used 2.6 grams (a little less than a tablespoon) with full-boiling water steeped 5 minutes. That’s about the amount in a typical tea bag, but the fuller the leaf, it will need to be brewed a little longer because it has less surface area. This bag contains plenty of full leaf tea, at least at the top (naturally, if you ship it in a bag, there will be more broken pieces that settle). I might suggest the manufacturer inflate the bag with some nitrogen to cushion it during shipping, but for the price, I don’t mind if some gets a little crushed. Prior review, January 2020: I think I got the dregs. (See update!) My favorite way to drink Russian Caravan is sweetened, with a good amount of milk or cream, and a pinch of salt! The milk and salt give it a buttery flavor, and along with the smoke, it brings me old memories of my mornings sipping yak butter tea in the hills of Dharamsala. If the salt sounds weird to you, think of the little bit of salt in hot chocolate. Give it a try sometime! I was so excited at first to find an affordable replacement for my beloved Choice brand Russian Caravan tea. Unfortunately, I was disappointed with this purchase. The smoke was very light, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, depending on your preference, but too light for my liking. The remaining tea flavor seems very thin to me, even using a generous portion, 2 grams (about two teaspoons) for a mug of tea. Not the bold, hearty brew I’m accustomed to in black tea. Maybe the Choice brand I was used to had more assam and less oolong. The bag I received had an awful lot of crushed leaves, a lot more than I expected from my experience with other loose teas. The particles are not so small that a lot escapes the infuser. It was shipped in a padded envelope, which was probably not adequate protection (fulfilled by Amazon). I noticed that this item has gone out of stock. The Lapsang Souchong by the same company seems to have consistently good reviews, so maybe I just got a bad batch that had been sitting around too long. Update June 2020: The seller, Soulstice Trader, replied immediately to my enquiry and cheerfully refunded my purchase. Great customer service! I am trying to decide whether to take a chance on the Russian Caravan again, or go to the even smokier Lapsang Souchong.

Let me start with this- you're either going to love it, or you're going to hate it. I personally like the smell of wood smoke and smoked foods. If you sharkey tastes you will probably enjoy this. When you open the bag the scent is clearly of wood smoke. In fact the smoke scent overpowers the tea scent. To be clear this isn't the smell of hickory or mesquite that you might be used to. It is the scent of a campfire the next morning after it has burnt out. I suspect that whether or not you're someone who has had fond memories of camping or sitting around a firepit (or fireplace) will affect how much you like this tea. They say scent is a trigger for memories and this tea is an example. The scent of this tea will fill a room. It's not overpowering, but you will definitely notice it. As far as taste goes it will depend on how long you step the tea. I use 1 teaspoon for 2 cups of water and let it steep for 15 minutes. This produces a dark tea with a strong smoky scent. These is definitely a bitterness to the tea that comes from the smoke. You will want to experiment with how long to step it because 15 minutes will be way to long for you. The taste is predominantly smokey up front with the tea flavor slowly coming though. The flavor lingers for quite a while. In conclusion for me personally this is a very enjoyable tea, but it won't be for everyone. Take the caveats into consideration. I wrote with the hope of informing you of what to expect from this unusual tea. If you found my review helpful I would be grateful if you take just a moment to click that helpful button. Have a great day.

For me this Solstice Tea checks all the boxes. Quantity is plentiful, Taste is as described and caffeine buzz is however you want it to be. Tested other companies teas and just wasn't as impressed as I am with Solstice Tea's. I also like the packaging because it's sturdy and easy to open and close. It's just plain good!!! I was new to tea and had to learn the way I like my tea. I’d like to give all new tea drinkers a starting point and “know it all’s”, I mean experts, something new to try. My favorite recipe: 1. I use Sivaphe Travel Tea Tumbler / Tea Infuser Bottle https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08DG2NP14?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1 2. Put 6 teaspoons of Solstice tea, 2 teaspoons of Spearmint Tea Leaves, and 2 teaspoons of Yellow Mountain Tea House Sweet Tea Leaves (don’t need sugar or artificial sweeteners) into the infuser. 3. Boil 25 ounces of water and put it into the tea infuser bottle. I know it says capacity is 12 oz and 17 oz on the site but it all fits. 4. Pour boiled water into the infuser and use two fingers to thread top (make sure pop-up is closed) because its plastic to steel, then tighten. 5. I then let it infuse for about an hour (don’t care what others think). Tea will still be too hot to drink. Open and remove the infuser and enjoy. This lasts about 5 to 6 hours, stay warm and is strong, strong, strong. You will feel the first couple of small sips. I usually wait a little bit between sips for full flavor per sip.