Lapsang Souchong

Simply put, this is the most deeply smoked tea I’ve tried.

Lapsang Souchong originated in the Wuyi area of China. Lapsang was a bit of an accident. The movement of armies through the tea region delayed the drying of the years tea leaves and in order to make up for lost time, they used pine fires to speed up the drying process. The flavor and depth of the tea was remarkable, and became highly sought after. The best Lapsang still comes from Wuyi.

Appearance: Deep black and reddish leaves with a moderate amount of stem.

Wet Leaf aroma: Menthol, smoke, pine, tar, clove, seawater, taffy, smoked kippers, bacon

4 grams of tea, 5oz water at 208F, brewed in a gaiwan.
. 1st steep: 3 minutes, 2nd steep: 2 minutes , 3rd steep: 2:30

First steep
The first thing I noticed was a deep aroma of menthol. Lapsang Souchong is fired over pine, and the pine came through as strong as I’ve ever tasted. Deep notes of clove, pine tar, smoked bacon and an oily finish dominated. The flavor of the actual tea leaves was quite mellow in comparison to the smoke. I didn’t mind, but some may find it a bit unbalanced.

Second Steep:
A bit more gentle, but still full on smoke. If you enjoy Islay Scotch, go for this one, as it shares qualities with these scotch’s: Lagavulin, Laphroaig, Talisker and Ardbeg.
The color of the liquor was still a vibrant deep copper.

Third Steep:
A noticeable drop off in flavor in the third steep. No bother though, its all about the first steep! If you can find this tea, BUY IT. I loved it.