Western 19 XI 21: Smells like shit and fermented chocolate. Cup has a metallic tinge to it, and it quite light.
Hojicha Gyokuro from Länggass
Blind Western (31 X 21): It was clear when brewing even it's hojicha. The nose is quite nice, however, dry coffee; barley and paper glue; I can't help but think of candied orange zest as a pairing. Really quite pleasant! Cup has this annoying hojicha note that I can't quite pin down, basic, unsatisfying, cellar-like. It needs some brown sugar. Quite a bold, multidimensional flavour, great for pairing. (I presume the taste is from the stalks.)
ganpu from yxhxtea (2008 chenpi old white tea) (26 IV 19): nose old and a bit muddy, tropical beach, slightly sour, a bit mushy. easy peasy, but not special, lacking zing.
Hong Cha (smoked)
traditional lapsang (w2t)
According to white2tea this is from Wuyi, Fujian, where some modern teas are sometimes smoked, but this one is not.
This is backed up by teaguardian, who explain that there's a smoked and a non-smoked variant of this tea. Xiaozhong (小種, or souchong in Fujian dialect) means small leaf, Zhengshan (正山, or lapsang) means inner mountain.
Western Tasting (28 VIII 18): Very fine, thin leaves, elegant. Cocoa and roasted coffee in the empty cup. Slight roasted carrot stew nose, but also fresh charcoal. Very elegant to drink! Moderately thick cup, no astringency at all; some woody notes and wax, but without the astringency that normally accompanies it; blackcurrant marmelade.
Western (19 VIII 20): almost no smoke, but instead some lemon confit on marble. Cup no smoke at all, quite round (and plain). Little bit of caramel. (That's because it's not smoked.)
Soonga; Assam Rauchtee Hatidubi (Schwarzenbach)
Western (21 VIII 20): slightly smoked medium quality black tea; cocoa wood nose and dried orange undercurrent. Cup acidic, metallic and flat; metallic finish and sharpness. As it chills, it becomes more cloying and tanninic. I'm offended.
Cypress Smoked Wild Leaf (Song)
Western (21 VIII 20): very refined smoked, Beaujolais vinegar; cedar and raisins. Cup sombre, a little bit of acidity, some peach vinegar, too. Woody finish; very little smoke. Quite nice, if a bit too 'pretty'.
Smoky Lapsang (Sun Time Tea)
Western (21 VIII 20): This is a nice nose, the smoke is very knackig, good pine wood and cocoa blueberries. Cup full, lacking subtlety, but a good smoke punch. As it chills, it becomes a bit plainer, woodier. Still, very good baseline.
Wild & Smoked Big Tips (2015) (Dark Tea Depot)
Western (21 VIII 20): Nose is flat, stale tomato water and maybe stale walnut oil. Cup just as plain. Really not sure, how this could happen, the material looks pretty, but it tastes of nothing.
Hunan, Anhua, Gaoma'erxi, Gaojia: Back to Origins (2015) (Dark Tea Depot)
Western (21 VIII 20): Nose quite tame, but elegant, I'm thinking faint Sauternes cellar. Taste similarly tame, just a bit old cellar. Brutally plain.
Fujian: Zhengshan Xiaozhong (2019) (ST)
Openend 19 VIII 20
Western (19 VIII 20): nose pleasant smoke, almost acidic. Behind that, I think leather? Cup quite light, light smoke, some blueberry wood. Fresher, lemon leaf tea accents, too.
Western (21 VIII 20): Nose has settled, and come together. Blueberries and medium, broad smoke. Very elegant.
Western (8 IX 20): Very round nose, body thick and substantiated.
Fruit Bomb Lapsang (2020) (w2t)
Western (7 IX 20): fuller body, honeyed, watermelon?; flower stalks, rounder.
Florist Lapsang (2020) (w2t)
Western (7 IX 20): more berries, citrus; Brenessel.
Pine Sap Lapsang (2020) (w2t)
Western (8 IX 20): Intense smoke, almost asphalt quality. Body somewhat flat, even though it tingles a bit on the tongue. Very full body, though; and smoke is nicely integrated.
Spiced Lapsang (2020) (w2t)
Western (8 IX 20): Much rounder, hardly any smoke, just black tea. Cocoa, strawberry water, dried violets. Body slightly basic, amber; slightly medicinal. As it chills, this aspect becomes stronger.
Traditional Lapsang (2020) (w2t)
Western (8 IX 20): Nose nice and sweet, strawberries indeed. Very full and round; fruity and very nicely integrated smoke.
Smoked Lapsang (2020) (w2t)
Western (8 IX 20): A bit smokier, almost a saline quality. Cup same, it tastes like drinking sand from the beach. Not in a bad way, though! Salinous, juicy, some caramel.
Strawberry Lapsang (2020) (w2t)
Western (8 IX 20): Can't detect any fruit in the nose, the cup is surprisingly bitter, and a bit flat.