Oak and Tea Leaves?

[Photonic]

I've been trying to replicate a smokey taste to my product and the nearest that I've come to what I'm after is ageing with shavings of charred oak. That seems to give it a light smokey taste, but it still seems pretty thin.

Then it occurred to me that a tea - Lapsang Souchong, has a deep smokey taste to it, so I wondered about adding some to the jar while it was oaking.

I've got an experimental jar on the go at the moment - just a litre.

Has anyone else had a go with tea, and if you did, what was it like?
Any other thoughts as to how I can give my product a smokey taste like Ardbeg?

I'll give an update in a few weeks if anyone is interested.

[olddog]

There's a fair bit of tannins in tea, I'm not sure how that would taste in your spirit.

[Photonic]

Thanks Olddog.

I wondered about the tannins - I've only ever used tea for winemaking, to add tannin and have no idea about how it would affect the spirit.
I ended up going with 5 lapsang souchong teabags for a litre jar along with my usual amount of charred oak shavings (about a handful).
I hope it doesn't end up being teeth scratchingly bad!

[LWTCS]

Maybe not the,,,,,,,same "cup-o-tea", but dunder posted an old peach brandy recipe a while back that called for black tea.

So yeah, it would seem that tea is worth a go.

Tea is on my to do list. Steeping and within the vapor path.

[Fastill]

There's a fair bit of tannins in tea, I'm not sure how that would taste in your spirit.

On the parent site, there was a link about chemicals in oak and when they discussed tannins it seemed that they have a favorable effect in that they help the spirits Oxigenate, aiding in the flavor profile. I don't think tea has as strong or bitter tannins as oak has, and might give more complex flavors than just oak.
I just hate that everytime we want to try something different we have to wait so long for the results, I think there will be a 5th sitting with tea in my shed just to see how it works. Only time will tell.

[olddog]

Look forward to hearing your result. It's always a bit of a risk experimenting, as if it dosn't work out its wasted spirit.

OD

[Photonic]

Well...

The tea added a great colour to the spirit AND a lovely smell, but even after a day (yes, I caved in and tasted some after just a day) the taste was like sucking a tea-bag!

I assumed that I ignored the rule "less is more" and went overboard with the number of tea-bags, so next time I'd use less and leave it longer.

BUT... after pouring my jar through a coffee filter (and a ball of cotton wool in the neck of the funnel), the harsh tannin taste went leaving the great colour and the smokey smell. Definitely something worth repeating.

I'm leaving it to mellow for a couple of weeks and then tasting again.

[MuleKicker]

Well...

the taste was like sucking a tea-bag!

you might want to be careful who you say that to..

[blind drunk]

[LWTCS]

I have been pretty pleased with my addition of tea influence.

I have only used a "liberal pinch" in addition to some other ingredients for a 3 liter (or so) vessel's content.
I have hijacked the black tea in the pantry
I have yet to place any within the vapor path but thats comming,,,,,,,,soon as I finish this still.

[Dnderhead]

some of the flavored teas mite go good but you whould need to mach the flavor to the drink. maybe spiced or orange in rum.

[Photonic]

Well...

the taste was like sucking a tea-bag!

you might want to be careful who you say that to..

Oops.

[anuran]

Why not just add a little bit of liquid smoke? Seriously, it's just a solution of smoke particles.