Indigo Smoke
Arquiste (2022)

Lapsang Souchong has long been one of my favorite teas since I used to drink the Twinings way back in college. I am very familiar with its scent and flavor profile, and I must be frank: this just does not possess its aroma in any recognizable manner, to my nose at least. It surely has a tea scent, and maybe I would hazard to say it's vaguely reminiscent of Russian Caravan, which is a blend of Lapsang Souchong with another black tea, like a Keemun tea or an oolong, sort of a lighter smokiness. I wish the pine tar was dialed up more to bring it closer to resembling Lapsang.

That said, this is a pleasant wear, competently "tea" at least for the first half hour so, before it takes a detour into apricot scented incense which quickly transitions to an unremarkable smoky woodiness. It's rather anticlimactic. I feel like this release was hyped up so much that I felt I was destined to be let down—and I was. Masque Milano Russian Tea is far more gratifying when it comes to this theme.

Okay, I love this one. It reminds me of a vintage, beloved incense stick I used to get a coupla decades back. Soft powdered woods (not powdery) like ground incense woods, a feel like fruit and vanilla without actually having any notes that answer to that, a crisp citrus to keep it all elevated and light...this is just lovely. If I imagine powdered teas with some apricot mixed in, I can totally get that, but to me it is a remarkable duplicate of that incense from India (Vinasons Green Patchouli, which was surprisingly lacking in patchouli smell.)