I imagine it might already be on your list, but I think it is the most perfect tea, smoked over pine needles in China’s Fujian region. It’s smooth and delicious and smells like a campfire. Bellocq tea has two lovely varieties (great if you happen to be on the east coast of the US). Avoid the twinnings one, I think it might be artificially flavored (It tastes that way). Harney & sons is ok, Upton have a decent one, as do Mariage Freres.
The Smokey earl grey is a great rec too!
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This is one of my all-time favorite teas and is a great addition to your tea cupboard if you enjoy smoky flavor profiles. If you like the smokiness of oolong but want to try something different (and dare I say smokier), this is the tea for you! It is a Chinese black tea smoke-dried over pinewood. The first time I took a sip, it reminded me of camping in the woods, evoking the feeling of an early morning campfire. This is one I would recommend splurging on to make sure you get a good quality product, as I imagine the flavor difference would be pretty significant between the lowest and highest grades. I get mine from Teaism, a DC-based tea house and Asian inspired restaurant. If you’re lucky enough to reside in the DMV area and are a lover of tea, do yourself a favor and check this place out!! You can also order online if you live elsewhere like me.
Feb 2, 2025
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Fortnum & Mason's smoky earl grey is probably the best i've had for this. on the spicy front chai is prime, and i know this is sacrilege but if you leave old teabags in your mug and add new ones and new water on top it'll get more campfire smoky and you can keep some of that spice in from the old tea bags without it being too strong
Feb 27, 2025
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not hit-you-over-the-head smoky like lapsang souchong but a deep woody earthy-ness, almost like eating a warm spiced meal. Absolutely divine. I find lapsang to be too smoky for me personally but this is like a nice earthy middle ground, like a deeper mossier oolong. It undergoes microbial fermentation during aging which adds depth and layers of flavor I haven’t found in any other tea. You can also age it like wine for even more complexity! My dad brewed it in his Yixing clay teapot for my husband and I this week and my husband said it was the best cup of tea he’s ever had.
Feb 27, 2025
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I’ve been thoroughly enchanted by the warmth and fullness of sound from these KLH Model 6 speakers from the early 60s and the 1970s Pioneer SX-780 receiver. Picked both up from Facebook marketplace and it’s been a total treat for the ears. Show me yours! I can’t enough of this stuff
( I also have a raspebrry pi with a DAC running moode audio so I can also send amy music to it from my phone via airplay or Spotify connect, also sounds fantastic)
Mar 2, 2025
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Any Bill Evans Trio album, particularly LIVE AT THE VILLAGE VANGUARD.
Floating Points albums including his remarkable collaboration of Pharaoh Sanders.
Dawn of MIDI if you want something a little more angular and abstract.
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