Twinings Lapsang Souchong

Love it! Reminds me of camping and billy tea when I was a kid. I love the unique flavour. It is a warming and robust blend that is particularly enjoyable on a winters night, after dinner while watching the telly! Love it!

I will always remember the moment I first tried this tea. It was the day after Black Saturday, less than ten metres from where the fires had passed.

No. Wait, no it wasn't. It just tasted exactly like that. Like a bushfire decided to dump an entire states worth of smoke in my mouth, in a single sip. By all the gods, and especially Gond, that was terrible.

I think where I went wrong was when I chose to have it in a teabag instead of loose leaf. By having a paper bag in the mug I think it imparted a sort of forge taste as well. I should have gone for loose leaf which would have allowed me to bypass the forge taste, and just have pure bushfire smoke.

I love tea.
Green, white, black; earl and lady gray; Russian caravans chai... you name it, I love it.

Except this. This is the second worst thing I’ve ever had the misfortune to drink in my life. The burnt wood smell can stink out a house and the taste just builds up and up. Rather than adding a lightly smoked taste it’s more like trying to suck tea from a tea chest you set on fire and put out with a hose.

I used to drink this tea back in the 1970s. Back then I bought the loose tea and I still have the original tin. I have looked for it in the supermarket but no luck. This afternoon I found it in my local Spar supermarket. As soon as I got home I put the kettle on. It was great to taste it again.

A strong smokey flavor that reminds me of tea brewed in a billy over a campfire. (I know, proper billy tea tastes of smokey gum leaves and this tastes of smokey pine needles) This has a very strong taste so is an occasional drink rather than a regular one however it is very pleasant and relaxing. If the flavor is too strong it can be ameliorated by using one teabag of lapsang souchong to two of black tea in a teapot giving a lighter flavor.

It is hard to find. Our family members keep an eye out and stock up and share whenever we find it but it seems to be only intermittently available..

I found lapsang souchong at T2 tea shops
They stock it stores in sydney Charlestown and i think at kotara nsw

Full of smokey flavour but NOT bitter. Give it a try - you will be pleasantly surprised!
It is such a pity that Woolworths and Coles do not stock it any longer.
Can buy it online only.

I'd have bought the remaindered stock if I'd known it was going to be withdrawn! I can get versions similar to Twinings other plainer (or perfumed) teas, but Lapsang is special. I'll have to find out if it's still being sold by Rose's or other good tea purveyers.

I thought I'd just post this to let others know; I rang Twinings to see why I couldn't buy it and they said that they'd removed it due to low sales. All those customers wanting it should probably ring Twinings 1800 number and let them know

I'd rate it top of the tree for me. I've always bought it from Woolworths(nearest to me) or Coles....but in the past year or so,Woolworths stopped carrying it.....just keeping their fairly tasteless weak teas,except keeping Chai,which is quite good. however,I like the smoky flavor of Lapsang Souchong. Even today I asked the store manager to look it up,and it has a deleted from range mark on the computer listing. I'll check when I am near Coles again...not a good business move,Woolworths.
### This page just asked me to provide proof of purchase....be happy to....if I could buy the product.

This is the most divine tea on earth and not available anywhere in Australia! How is this possible? Wouid import from England (where i recently visited and bought a few boxes to tide me over being sure it would sold in Coles and Woollies as is in UK Tesco and Waitrose) but shipping is prohibitive. Whats the matter? Aussies enjoy gutsy flavourful food and beverages yet every supermarket has shelves overflowing with bland boring teas inclyding wimpy herbals yet not a Lapsang in sIght SHAME, am having withdrawals every day trying different teas but nothing compares. Managed to find an 'organic' lapsang but it is gutless and devoid of flavour. TWININGS PLEASE DO THE RIGHT THING AND BRING BACK SMOKY LAPSANG TO OZ STORES!

I love this tea.... And I am very sad as the supermarkets...IGA, Cole and Woolworths don't stock it any more...
Travelling around country NSW and Queensland I am devastated to see supermarket shelves barren of this DIVINE TEA...
And there are rarely tea house/ cafes even in regional cities....and smaller towns ( joke lol)....
So I cannot say where I could buy this from.... BUT. Count out Hervey Bay, Rockhampton , Townsville, Mackay, Moowoolambah, Narribri, Glen Innes.... And counting!!!!

I love this tea. I first started drinking it as a substitute for coffee however now enjoy it independently from my coffee addiction. If you love strong flavours like espresso coffee, a nice peaty whisky or dark chocolate this tea is worth a try. Also fun fact if you live in Australia and have a possum problem the discarded tea bags around your fence line will help keep the critters away (the tea smells like a bushfire) ;)
Strong and unique flavour

It is a little stronger than other brands.
Would only recommend if you like the smokey flavour.
it certainly has body, so itis not for the non teaholics ( I think I've just made up a new word).
My boyfriend does not like. He would rather prefer the "Irish Breakfast" in the Twinings range.
Relaxing
Is a little stronger than other brands.

This is worth tasting just once if you have never done so. But buy a small pack of 10 if you can, rather than a whole packet as this is a smokey tea, very distinctive in taste and smell. I don't like it but if you do like it, then Twinings present it as well as anyone, I would guess.
If you like lapsang souchong, then you will like this tea. I bought it as I noticed it on sale and had seen it referred to in a couple of novels. I was curious. It is certainly a distinctive tea, one of the most 'different' I have tasted.
This isn't for everyone. It isn't one I will go back and buy but that isn't the fault of twinings, it is just I find this overpowering in smell and a bit strange in taste.