Drink ’em if you got ’em

Brrrrr! Autumn blew across the Great lakes last night, right behind a lovely thundershower. Suddenly my tea cabinet meditations are turning from lemongrass and greens to spicy chais and lapsang souchong. I just bought a small packet of the stuff from a shop in Chinatown. Even wrapped in paper and plastic, the smoky aroma infused my entire tea cabinet within hours. I had to lock it down in a glass jar with a rubber seal.

I do love the pine-smoked teas. Not on their own, mind you. I like to add a pinch — as Colin Hay sings — of lapsang souchong to other black teas and chais, in the fall and winter. Goes wonderfully with whiskey (Churchill allegedly loved that combo) and my father's meerschaum pipes. Goes well with shrimp, too. Does not, alas, go well with poetry.)

That said, this week I tried Mighty Leaf's Bleu Peacock oolong, and its smoky flavor was way too much. Frankly, I found it like drinking the run-off from a fireman's hose.

Hmmm. Speaking of smoke, guess we'd better place an order for firewood before the real rush begins. My favorite season!