★★☆☆☆
nope. wayyyyy too smokey for me! too hard for me to pick out any flavors aside from smoke. i dont like lapsang souchong, but if you do perhaps this is a good option
Honeybush hazelnut and cocoa nibs relax and ground you, while a spice blend of aniseed, cinnamon, clove, and orange peel offer cozy comfort.
Customers use these reviews to describe their experience with Bonfire, 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.
nope. wayyyyy too smokey for me! too hard for me to pick out any flavors aside from smoke. i dont like lapsang souchong, but if you do perhaps this is a good option
I'm not a fan of smoky tea or anything for that matter. Was a nice blend of flavors, I liked it a lot more once it cooled a bit, smokiness calmed down and you could taste the other flavors.
The description is entirely accurate. It smells and tastes like a campfire, with a strong smoky flavor and a zing of spice. It’s just really not for me. I think the smokiness is too overwhelming and the other flavors get drowned.
I steeped this tea for five minutes at 190°F. I’m usually a big fan of smoky tees, but I found this one to be a bit… unusual. I am not sure how I feel about the fruity sweetness with a smoky aftertaste. It wasn’t bad; it just was a bit unusual. I think I would have liked it better if it was more grassy or woody.
This blend smelled like a barbecue and tasted like inhaling the smoke from one. The lapsang souchong was too overpowering to be able to really taste anything else in it, which was unfortunate as it otherwise sounded delicious.
I enjoyed this smoky sweet tea. I couldn’t tease out all the flavors but I enjoyed the overall vibe.
'Tastes like burning'. #Simpsons
This tea blend smells like burning leaves and not in a good or subtle way. It's overpowering. If you ever wanted to know what a fire pit tastes like- then this brew is for you. I dumped this out instantly.
CommuniTEA portion: 195 for 5 minutes. So 'love' is a strong term, but I certainly didn't hate this. I was full expecting overpowering smoke notes with the aroma as it was brewing. But it was truly a nice balance of smoke, pepper, and some fruit? Maybe the honeybush calmed it down. Full disclosure it had cooled a little by the time I partook, but it was quite interesting. And something to consider sitting next to a fall bonfire! :-)
Far too smokey for me, especially the scent. The flavor seemed fine, but trying to drink a tea without also smelling it can be a challenge, lol. 5 mins @ 212°F
Love this one. The smell alone has me hooked. Smoked brown sugar and candied apples with light cinnamon. Lots of lapsong teas are usually a bit stronger and whiskey like tasting. While I like those they can be a bit more in your face tasting. The sweetness--honeybush?--here has me hooked. It has been a long while since I have had a tea that I cannot remember having as totally unique a taste as this.
If you're a lover of lapsang souchong, then this tea is for you. I could just about taste hints of apple and orange, but not much else. This tea improved as is cooled and did have a smooth mouth feel. Not one of my favorites though.
I was excited to try this tea but the smokiness was overwhelming. I couldn't get any of the other flavors but it seems like a great idea.
I'm going to have to give Bonfire a middle-of-the-road review. I don't hate it, but I don't love it either. I like Lapsang Souchong. I think the aniseed is the taste that is throwing this blend off a bit for me. I may have had more in my packet than normal, so I'm keeping that in mind. I am not tasting cinnamon or orange. I don't think I will be buying any of this tea, but I didn't throw it down the drain either.
Smokey teas are not for me. All I tasted was the smoke.
As a fan of lapsang, I was looking forward to this one, and it did not disappoint. The smokiness is subtle but clear, and the spice and honeybush temper it perfectly. I would definitely drink this again.
This tea has a subtle smokey sweetness. It definitely lives up to its name with the blend of lapsang soushong and honeybush. Reminded me of toasting marshmallows around the campfire. :) The taste was a bit too light for me...but then I paired it with Irish Breakfast tea to give it that black tea flavor boost and I backed a minute off the steep time to level off the lapsang smokiness. Lovely taste! :)
10/6/2021 - I gave this tea the final star it needed on this update. I've gotten more skilled at tea brewing since 2018 :) I brewed my cup at 200F, 3 minutes, sweetened with just a touch of stevia. The smoky Lapsang mixes so nicely with the peppercorn. I don't mind a smoky tea if the flavors blend nicely. For me, this one is not great cold...it's bitter when cold. But hot -- love it! This seems to be a tea that people either love, or hate. I like the sweet combined with the peppery spice. This blend is great when I have a cold...very soothing and warm. Or anytime when it's a bit cold out. Love it!
9/27/2022 - I still love this tea! When the air outside turns crisp and it's getting to Fall, for me there is nothing better than a little sweet honeybush with smoky lapsang and a touch of peppery spice! This is a bit of a polarizing tea though...smoky and spicy isn't for everyone. Definitely one of my favs though! Brewing another cup!
2022-09-27 Update:
A curious smoky hazelnut aroma greeted me as I opened the packet. A steep at 212°F for 5 minutes produced a nice light orange colored brew.
Mild campfire smoke aromas mingled with nutty hazelnut, and a smooth honeybush base. Just as good as last time!
2021-10-06 CommuniTEA Review:
Campfire, hazelnut, and fruity aromas billowed out of today's CommuniTEA sample. Perhaps it's from those red embers in the packet... oh wait, it's just the red peppercorns! 🔴 The packet contained some red peppercorns, lots of aniseed, hazelnut honeybush, apple pieces, a lone orange peel, and some Lapsang Souchong leaves nestled amidst the other kindling. 🔥 A full 5 minute steep at 212°F was made quick and simple by the black tea button on the kettle.
The tea poured out into the cup as a rather light orange and brown tinged tea. Mild smoky scents made their way upwards alongside the steam. Plenty of hazelnut flavors were backed up by the bold and smoky Lapsang tea. The cinnamon, orange, and cloves seemed a bit pushed towards the background while aniseed and apple added their natural sweetness. Mild peppercorn zings hit the back of the palate after a few sips.
All in all, my sample turned out to be a pretty well balanced and layered tea. As Lapsang tea played a major part in the flavor profile, and it's a bit of an acquired taste, it may not be everyone's cup of tea. As a Lapsang and smoky tea lover, it reminded me of sitting around the campfire in the mountains. This blend actually doesn't have too much smoke, relatively speaking. I added a pinch of fresh Lapsang Souchong leaves to spruce up the second steeping. The flavor profile of the blend got a little stronger, and was still very enjoyable either way. So, this one gets a big thumbs up from me! 👍
I'm not always a fan of lapsang souchong, but I agree with other reviewers that adding sweetener and milk/cream helps a lot with the flavor. There's definitely flavors of smoke and leather which is a little weird (almost too weird). I find myself continuing to drink it despite the weirdness though; I don't hate it, but I don't think I'd choose to drink it again myself either.
This one sounds yummy. I was so excited about the ingredients... till I got the safflower. Have a brutal allergy to safflower and am always disappointed when I find it as an ingredient in flavored teas.
Smoky, mesquite flavor overwhelms this sip, with just a hint of hazelnut sweetness and no other flavors to speak of. I can understand the appeal of the lapsang-hazelnut combo, but it's not for me.
I just do not like the lapsang tea. I do think it feel like a bonfire but that’s not exactly what I’m hoping to drink
9-2022: 3 star, My sample was better this time, way less fennel. Still not my favorite blend due to the fennel.
9-2021:1 star, The smell is horrible and it tastes like leather, spice, and some sort of cleaner.
Smoky Lapsang Souchong and fall fruit and spices in my cup make for a lovely tea.
The CommuniTea sample really provided quite the blend of flavors today. Yes, the smokiness is there but then there is a hint of peppercorn and that sip tasted fruity. What was in that sip? I can't even tell as the flavors merge and blend. An odd cup of tea that I like one moment then not the next. A definite tasting experience but not something I would like to experience very often.
I do like a little lapsang souchong tea from time to time, but this one does seem to have a lot of ingredients, and suffers for it in my opinion. I like anise seed and peppercorns. I couldn’t taste any cinnamon or hazelnut - they would have been welcome! Maybe it’s the licorice flavor that detracts from everything else, I don’t know. At any rate I enjoy trying new teas and this one is alright for a change. I steeped at 200 degrees for 5 minutes and added some raw honey.
Liquid smoke in a mug - it really is like drinking a campfire. It's cozy and makes me want to snuggle up in a blanket with my mug and not move. It's definitely intense on the smokiness (steeped 5 min at 200º) and I wonder if a shorter steep would have been better. But I do enjoy it and wouldn't mind another cuppa.
Haiku Review:
Smoke in your eyes stings
The wind blows it towards me
When at campfires
This one's not for me
Way too much smoke in it's taste
Like beef jerky sticks
Almost good, but nope
I almost liked it, almost
That smoke in the eye...
Old review: This is one of those polarizing teas. For me it is a no, with a beef jerky aftertaste. For others it will be amazing. Do you like smoke flavoring, are you a maple syrup bacon ice cream kinda person, or a pipe smoker who slowly sips a bourbon or whiskey, then give it a go!
This tastes exactly as described. Very Smokey. Not something I would drink often, but nice for once in a while. After trying this again it was not as Smokey as the first time and I really enjoyed it.
Recommended steeped; 5 minutes at 212°F. I steeped for 4 minutes at 190°F as per one reviewer on Adagio in order to mitigate potential unpalatable flavors, in 11oz of water with 1.5 tsp of tea/rock sugar.
Full disclosure: I don’t like smokey teas, but based on the fact that I’ve been surprised by Adagio in the past, I resolved to try to keep an open mind. Upon opening the package a moderate fruity/smoky aroma made itself known...more fruity than smoky, which was encouraging.
All the ingredients appeared to be present in my packet.
Once the tea began steeping, the smokiness became more pronounced. Not a good sign, but I went ahead and took my first sip. It’s saying a lot that I did not immediately toss it out. There is enough going on in this blend to keep me wanting to sip, although I felt that could change as the smokiness seemed to be getting more pronounced as the tea cooled.
Surprisingly, I finished the cup and it was much better that I thought it would be. It has a rather mild, but pleasantly smoky/fruity aftertaste. I would not necessarily pick this blend out for myself, but I wouldn’t refuse it if it were offered to me either. I think fans of smoky teas will really enjoy this. 3 stars from me.
The smell before steeping was very interesting as i detected a bubblegum-ish smell with the smokiness.
It definitely encapsulated the smokey nature of a bonfire - warm and smokey
When I opened my packet it actually did smell like a bonfire. It had a nice fall flavor - earthy with a hint of smoke. Very good tea.
This is my favorite tea of all time. So smokey and complex with a bountiful array of flavors.
This tea is weird but also pretty tasty. There’s a lot going on, but the taste perfectly fits the name. Just the right amount of smoke from the lapsang.
(2 tsps sugar)
UPDATE 2022-09-25: After steeping for 3.5 minutes at 212 degrees, the smokiness was less overpowering but still present, and was quite nice.
Even with the sugar I had added to the mug I made, the main thing I could taste was the smoke flavor. However, I did get some notes of cinnamon and pepper, but the main thing that overpowered the mug was the smoke.
Not to my taste, but I am not a huge fan of peaty scotch either.
Very cinnamon and anise forward. It would be great as a hot tea. Not so much as an iced tea.
I wasn’t sure how I was going to like this one especially when I first smelled it. To my surprise I thoroughly enjoyed this. Perfect for fall and winter.
I love this tea by itself or added to black tea or rooibos! It brings a nice spice to a cup.
This tea always reminds of the fall and is the perfect cozy cup any time of the day!
I don't know what I was expecting, but this tastes just like straight smoke from a camp fire.
This is exactly what's on the tin: a warm, smoky aroma and taste that make me feel like I'm at a late-autumn bonfire. I drink this on cold days when I want to be reminded of friends and family gathered together for no other reason than to enjoy each other's company.
Wow. Honestly, I expected to be disappointed by this tea. Based on the ingredients I thought it was going to have too much going on. But this, this is autumn in a cup. Just the right amounts of spice and smoke. Delicious hot or iced. If you are tired of all the pumpkin spice EVERYTHING, give this tea a try.
My favorite thing about Bonfire is the smell - it really does smell exactly like a campfire. However, the flavor is incredibly mild; I was expecting more of the spices to come through.
Very nice smokey flavor! One of my favorite teas from here!
Love this blend! It has become a staple for my tea collection. If you are a bourbon/whiskey drinker, it has been recommended to make a strong steeping of this tea to freeze as ice cubes and later add to your drink! It is really great on its own, too, with many different zesty and comforting spices. @adagioteas
Yum! I love the red peppercorn in this. It's a bold, spicy one and tastes like an evening around a campfire.
I loved the smokiness in this tea! A lovely warm and spiced cup for a cool day.
True to its name, it really does echo the notes of a bonfire. I'm still up in the air about how I feel sipping on a smokey flavored tea. I ordered a small amount since it was my first go at it. I'm rarely in the mood for it, but when I am it hits the spot.
This is one of my favorite seasonal teas. It is perfect served hot on a cold night with just a touch of cream and sweetener. Yum! Writing this review makes me realize that I need to go steep a cup right now!