★☆☆☆☆
This one is really not for me. I was overwhelmed by the smell and taste of smoke.
Blended for slow sipping, this black tea has notes of vanilla, malt, and a hint of smoke from the bourbon barrel.
Customers use these reviews to describe their experience with Kentucky Bourbon, including flavor, aroma, preparation preferences, strength, and how the tea fits into daily routines. Browse the full review history page by page to compare tasting notes, steeping tips, and favorite ways to enjoy this tea.
This one is really not for me. I was overwhelmed by the smell and taste of smoke.
This tea was delicious! It tastes like a sweet black tea with a hint of bourbon flavors. This tea reminded me of a glass of bourbon-- earthy, acidic, and slightly sweet.
I can finally day drink with this strong yet fine tea!
This one is strange. It smells just like bourbon and has a dry finish, but there is an aftertaste that I can't quite put my finger on. It's a very sweet flavor that reminds me of candy like bubblegum. I still have to try it in a toddy. That might be the best application for this blend. It's a little too sweet on it's own for my taste.
Decent tea but not for me. Great aroma though and was smooth
Kentucky Bourbon is, hands down, THE BEST TEA I HAVE EVER HAD! Unbelievable rich flavor and equally incredible malt aroma, this is the type of tea you serve at an Autumn bonfire on a crisp October evening, or sip blissfully in front of a fireplace on a snowy winter evening! This is truly one of Adagio's finest, most original tea creations, one I highly recommend!
I really like this tea but not one of my absolute favorites. It is sweet but almost a little too much for me. What makes up for this is the smokiness of the gunpowder which apparently I love.
This is . . . unusual, that's for sure, multilayered and complex overall, but not in a good way. The smoke took it over a bit too much for me, but, admittedly, I'm not a Lapsang Souchong lover, and the candied apple tastes rather artificial. I'll give it a few more tries just to be certain I don't like it. This is definitely a love-it-or-hate-it kind of tea.
I am a green tea drinker for the most part with the occasional detour to English Breakfast or herbal teas. But this tea could change all that—especially when winter sets in. It is more flavorful than EB with definite vanilla overtones. But what really caught my attention was the hint of smokiness which reminded me of a Kentucky bourbon distillery crawl. I added just a touch of sugar which really enhanced the flavors. This tea will go into my “keeper” list for sure.
Huge hit with my bourbon drinking friends but is a bit strong
I think this is my new favorite tea. It is fantastic hot or iced. It is sweet and smokey.
I liked this tea, but had hoped the flavors would be a bit stronger . It was excellent with a splash of cream, though.
This tea is amazing the smell is over-the-top the flavor is smooth rich taste like you’re drinking bourbon without the alcohol.
Bit too smoky, but smelled absolutely amazing, shame it didnt taste as good.
I'm not a huge fan of bourbon but I'm considering taking up drinking after experiencing this tea. The aroma itself is beyond what I expected but the taste is awesome. Very slightly smoky but also slightly sweet. A+!
Doesn't taste like any bourbon flavored item I have had. Smoke and apples. Not what I expected.
I like the smoky flavour - and it's not overpowering. Great on a chilly morning!
This tea is very interesting. I didn’t care for it at first, but it’s growing on me. The slight Smokey taste takes getting used to. Both my husband and father are avid bourbon drinkers, and while they both enjoyed this tea, they said it was nothing like the actual alcohol. This tea makes for a fun iced drink in the summer!
It s not a bad tea, but not one I will be repurchasing.
I purchased the sample size of this tea because it sounded interesting. I was surprised at the taste of the tea and the aroma is wonderful. On my next purchase, I will buy a larger size of of this tea to enjoy. I don't have time to brew tea, so I use my Keurig for a fast cup in the morning.
I was not prepared for this to be so good. I added milk to mine and it gave it such a perfect smoothness. Would 100% recommend it.
I actually already have a sample of this tea that I bought with reward points before it was widely available, but this review is based on the sample I got in the communiTEA. This tea is a bit of an odd duck - the smokiness is very heavy, and while it does complement the vanilla-apple-whiskey flavor well, I wish that this tea was just a bit less smoky so I could enjoy the other flavors more. It's not so much like drinking bourbon as it is like licking bourbon-flavored pipe ash. It still gets four stars because I found myself legitimately enjoying my bourbon-pipe-ash tea as I finished it.
I was hesitant about this tea, because I haven't liked blends with lapsang souchong in them in the past. However, this was surprisingly tasty. There's a hint of natural sweetness, and the smoke isn't overpowering. A unique and tasty tea!
It tastes like alcohol. True to the name, but not my cup of tea.
Pretty nice smoky tea! Once it’s cooled down to warm instead of piping hot, you can get a bit more of the caramel and the vanilla. I probably wouldn’t drink this everyday but it’s pretty good. (Also I totally thought about adding some of my mint liqueur to make it boozy but that’ll have to be another day lol)
I picked this up as a free sample when it first came out, and was delighted to find it part of the CommuniTEA! The scent threw me off at first, as it has a very caramel-appley scent, not at all like bourbon. But if you take your time, the bourbon scent does waft through. I may be biased as a scotch fan, but the lapsang souchong is in a perfect ratio here, to give just enough smokiness to give a bourbon effect, but not so much as to overpower the other flavours. A great tea rendition of bourbon. Perfect for summer nights by the campfire, or cool autumn evenings with cozy blankets.
This tea is interesting. Right off, it did smell like whiskey to me. It tasted OK but no big wow.
Tried as part of the ComminiTEA, I was not expecting to like this tea because I don't really care for Lapsang Souchong, but I was pleasantly surprised. I did add honey and some heavy cream. Not a big alcohol drinker so I can't say if the flavor compares well. I did taste the vanilla.
This tea tastes and smells very weird and artificial.
Nope! This one's too smoky and one-dimensional. Before brewing the dry leaves offered an aroma of floral and sweetness mixed into the smoke. After steeping it as instructed all I got was a mouthful of smoke. It did not improve on the second steeping.
This was my first Lapsang Souchong but it won’t be my last! Perfection on a crisp autumn day! Now I just need to get that fire going!
Vanilla, caramel, hints of smoke, and a tad bit of sweetness. Similar to a bourbon, but not quite. Tastes really good with a shot of actual bourbon and the sample pack of rock sugar.
This was just a NO for me. I love bourbon and was looking forward to trying this. It honestly tasted like day old slightly re-warmed bbq hotdogs. Bleh.
A very nice smokey flavor, I get nice apple and vanilla flavors
I was nervous about trying this tea but decided to go for it. This really really wasn't good. I tried plain, sweetened and sweetened with milk. If anything the milk addition made it worse. I can only assume it was the whiskey flavoring as I like all the other ingredients.
Not my favorite. The smell was a bit too bourbony for me. Added a splash of vanilla syrup to help sweeten it but the taste is a bit too smoky for my taste.
Tasted as part of the communiTEA: I’m not a fan of Smokey teas. This was drinkable but not my favorite.
I did not like it warm. Once I let it cool and put some cream in it, it was much more enjoyable.
Got this one in the CommuniTEA box, and I wasn't too impressed. Although I don't drink alcohol now, I used to like Bourbon quite a bit. However, it's not a flavor I'm looking for in a tea.
3mins at 212°F smells like the tire section of an auto parts store, which I imagine is the lapsang souchong in this blend. I’ve had a number of scotches that smell the same way so that feature doesn’t deter me instantly, but it’s quite the opening scent. The flavor is bbq levels of smoky with not a whole lot of sweetness. There’s cacao nibs in this blend, but I wouldn’t know it. It’s better than I expected, but not nearly as complex as the list of ingredients would have me believe.
I knew as soon as I saw Lapsang Souchong in the ingredient list that I wouldn't like this one. I've never had a tea with Lapsang Souchong in it that wasn't completely ruined by it, and this one is no exception. The brewed tea has a very distinct smoke smell, and I was only just able to convince myself to taste it by holding my breath. The inside of my mouth tastes, quite revoltingly, like a bonfire. I took a few sips and then gladly poured the rest down the drain.
Now, if you can get past the smoke smell/taste, there are some other flavors in here. The vanilla and artificial whiskey flavoring are both present. If this tea didn't have Lapsang Souchong in it, then it might have been a decent brew. (3 min, 212°F)
I just didn't care for this one. It has a bit of a fake,plasticky taste to it that no amount of dressing up could mask. Sometime else had suggested mixing it with Bonfire and that was pretty much the only way I could tolerate it.
I was not expecting to like this tea but I absolutely did. I’m not the biggest bourbon fan but this tea is definitely one I loved. I added maple syrup and it was amazing!
Not a tea I can see myself drinking regularly but was excited to have received this as part of the Communitea sample. I added a half teaspoon of honey to my cup to bring the candy apple flavor forward as this helped tone down some of the smokiness. When I drink this tea, I feel like I am sitting by the campfire with my cigar smoking husband.
While I am not sure I would run out to buy this one, I do like it. It definitely had a smoky aroma. Flavorwise, I picked up on the caramel and apple the most. I am not really a drinker and don’t know how the flavor compares to actual bourbon but it did make for a nice tea. My only regret is drinking it cold, I think I would have liked this one better hot.
Part of the September 2020 CommuniTEA box. I’m so confused by this tea! The smoke throws everything off somehow - I remember the flavor being in the Father’s Day tea, and I didn’t care for that either. I don’t think I like smoky teas, but the other flavors kept me coming back to sip on it for hours after it had cooled.
Not really a fan. I like most flavored teas, but this one just isn’t for me.
This smells like the cigar shop in Old Town (San Diego). Cigar, old barrels and leather. I love the smell there, not in my tea! Thankfully it smells much stronger than it actually tastes. Still not a winner for me.
I do not care for lapsang souchang so this tea was not good for me. Too smoky.
I think it really does a good job capturing the flavor of bourbon (without the angry burn of alcohol). I drank mine hot with a little bit of sugar.