# Lapsang Souchong is Vile **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 19, 2004, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lapsang-souchong-is-vile/269956 "2004-10-19T01:47:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Kel\_Varnsen\_Latex\_Division](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/aeb1de/32.png) [@Kel\_Varnsen\_Latex\_Division](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kel_Varnsen_Latex_Division)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2004, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lapsang-souchong-is-vile/269956/1 "2004-10-19T01:47:57Z")
Evil. It tastes like liquefied smoke and ash from a fireplace. You know the taste you can get in your month if a campfire blows in your face - multiple that by a million. Has anyone ever tried to make a chemical weapon out of this stuff? EVIL. DRINKABLE(maybe) EVIL. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2004, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lapsang-souchong-is-vile/269956/2 "2004-10-19T01:50:59Z")
I guess I like the taste of tar and ash then. 😛 I love Lapsang Souchong. I first tried it after a character in James Michener’s book Centennial, tried it. The somewhat peculiar taste was described in detail and I was intrigued. ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2004, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lapsang-souchong-is-vile/269956/3 "2004-10-19T01:53:20Z")
Don’t like it? So don’t drink it, unless your mother makes you. Short thread, if you ask me. ---
**Author:** ![Kel\_Varnsen\_Latex\_Division](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/aeb1de/32.png) [@Kel\_Varnsen\_Latex\_Division](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kel_Varnsen_Latex_Division)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2004, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lapsang-souchong-is-vile/269956/4 "2004-10-19T01:56:47Z")
Maybe I made it too strong, but my first and last SIP was something I won’t soon forget. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2004, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lapsang-souchong-is-vile/269956/5 "2004-10-19T02:12:32Z")
I **love** Lapsang Souchong. Of course, I’ve been castigated aplenty by fellow dopers for enjoying vegemite, marmite, and fish sauce. I’ve also professed my enjoyment of habanero jelly, birch syrup, wasabi coated peanuts, fermented sausage, worchestershire sauce straight out of the bottle, and pickled lemons. I _like_ the in-your-face flavors! And **Baker**? I first tried it after reading Michener’s Centennial too! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Emperor\_Penguin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c2a13f/32.png) [@Emperor\_Penguin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emperor_Penguin)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2004, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lapsang-souchong-is-vile/269956/6 "2004-10-19T02:14:13Z")
Fie! Fie on you, I say! I have been going insane trying to find any Lapsang Souchong in this town, and it is nowhere to be had. You don’t know how far I would go for just one cup of this glorious elixer. I go on about it, and my friends look at me like I’ve grown a third arm. Every time I hit the grocery store, I look, just on the off chance it may be there, and every time my heart is crushed. Man, some people just don’t know when they have it good… 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Kel\_Varnsen\_Latex\_Division](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/aeb1de/32.png) [@Kel\_Varnsen\_Latex\_Division](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kel_Varnsen_Latex_Division)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2004, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lapsang-souchong-is-vile/269956/7 "2004-10-19T02:22:07Z")
Do you guys think I made it too strong? I just dumped out the pot and almost threw up. I used the same amount I would to make a good pot of Longjing (green) tea. I do like black teas, too, but this was an experience. ---
**Author:** ![Kel\_Varnsen\_Latex\_Division](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/aeb1de/32.png) [@Kel\_Varnsen\_Latex\_Division](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kel_Varnsen_Latex_Division)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2004, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lapsang-souchong-is-vile/269956/8 "2004-10-19T02:25:51Z")
Emperor Penguin, here you go: [http://www.republicoftea.com/templates/detail.asp?navID=161](http://www.republicoftea.com/templates/detail.asp?navID=161) [http://shop.store.yahoo.com/goldenmoon/lapsouc.html](http://shop.store.yahoo.com/goldenmoon/lapsouc.html) [http://shop.store.yahoo.com/allteas/1241.html](http://shop.store.yahoo.com/allteas/1241.html) ---
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2004, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lapsang-souchong-is-vile/269956/9 "2004-10-19T02:27:59Z")
It’s a good tea. ---
**Author:** ![LilyoftheValley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/54ee81/32.png) [@LilyoftheValley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LilyoftheValley)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2004, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lapsang-souchong-is-vile/269956/10 "2004-10-19T02:44:26Z")
> [@Middlecase](#): > > Don’t like it? So don’t drink it, unless your mother makes you. Short thread, if you ask me. Yeah, but you still have to _smell_ it when someone else in your household is drinking it. Pit on. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2004, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lapsang-souchong-is-vile/269956/11 "2004-10-19T02:58:17Z")
I LOVE tea. I drink it most every day - I even have a tea set and bags of loose tea at work. But I dislike lapsang souchong as well. Not with vomitous hatred or anything, but I’d never buy it on a trip to the tea shop. Different strokes and all. Not a fan of green tea either, except at Asian restaurants. ---
**Author:** ![Kel\_Varnsen\_Latex\_Division](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/aeb1de/32.png) [@Kel\_Varnsen\_Latex\_Division](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kel_Varnsen_Latex_Division)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2004, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lapsang-souchong-is-vile/269956/12 "2004-10-19T02:58:52Z")
> [@](#): > > Yeah, but you still have to smell it when someone else in your household is drinking it. Pit on. The smell might be the worst part. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2004, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lapsang-souchong-is-vile/269956/13 "2004-10-19T04:24:24Z")
NAw, I love the smoky aroma. I love the distinctive flavor. What I can’t stand is that disgusting perfumey Earl Grey tea. YUCK. And yet I love jasmine tea. I haven’t been able to find gunpowder green tea around my neck of the woods, though. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Kel\_Varnsen\_Latex\_Division](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/aeb1de/32.png) [@Kel\_Varnsen\_Latex\_Division](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kel_Varnsen_Latex_Division)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2004, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lapsang-souchong-is-vile/269956/14 "2004-10-19T04:30:24Z")
I have been smelling Earl Grey just to get the scent out of my noise. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2004, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lapsang-souchong-is-vile/269956/15 "2004-10-19T04:31:51Z")
Okay, I’ll take your share of Lapsang Souchong in the world, and you take mine of Earl Grey. Deal? ---
**Author:** ![Emperor\_Penguin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c2a13f/32.png) [@Emperor\_Penguin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emperor_Penguin)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2004, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lapsang-souchong-is-vile/269956/16 "2004-10-19T04:55:54Z")
I have to agree with Eddy, Earl Grey tastes like ass, and not even high quality ass. I’m talking low, low, utility grade ass here. At any rate, thank you for the links Kel (I don’t know why I’ve always seen your name as Karl). I’m in Canada though, so I can’t really order from them without paying through the nose in shipping. I did track down a site in Toronto that I did place an order from. I’m usually hesitant due to added costs of shipping when compared to picking it up at the local store, but I broke down. You see, we got our first snowfall of thye year, and I could really use some thing warm to drink in the coming months. [sub]We got ~3-4 inches. I’m of two minds right now. Yay! Snow, and What, already? Crap.)[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Sevastopol](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cdc98d/32.png) [@Sevastopol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sevastopol)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2004, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lapsang-souchong-is-vile/269956/17 "2004-10-19T04:59:55Z")
My favourite Tea! I had 2 cups this very morning. Hmmm, although my leaves were a bit stale. Must stock up. Mind, I ward off overstaying visitors with offers of my infamous pork-scented tea at lunchtime. ---
**Author:** ![zoogirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b9bd4f/32.png) [@zoogirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoogirl)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2004, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lapsang-souchong-is-vile/269956/18 "2004-10-19T05:02:50Z")
I LOVE the stuff! I first got it in a package of assorted Twinings teas. Hey, **Emporor P.** , can’t you get the Twinings version at Safeway anymore? You must have one in town somewhere. I think they may have changed the colour of the package a while ago. zoogirl (Who is darn cold, but still watching it rain anyway ---
**Author:** ![Uvula\_Donor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e19adc/32.png) [@Uvula\_Donor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uvula_Donor)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2004, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lapsang-souchong-is-vile/269956/19 "2004-10-19T05:38:38Z")
I’m with **Qad** - strong flavors = good. Half the time, though, the only other one around here that appreciates 'em is the dog. > [@EddyTeddyFreddy](#): > > I haven’t been able to find gunpowder green tea around my neck of the woods, though. ☹ Email me with your snail addy and I’ll send you a box. ---
**Author:** ![Harborwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2004, 9:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lapsang-souchong-is-vile/269956/20 "2004-10-19T09:17:10Z")
> [@EddyTeddyFreddy](#): > > I haven’t been able to find gunpowder green tea around my neck of the woods, though. ☹ Go to the Republic of Tea site in Kels post. The gunpowder green that they have is easily worth the price. 😃 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lapsang-souchong-is-vile/269956.md?page=2)