Lapsang Souchong Wild Black Tea (Ye Sheng Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong)

Tea type
Black Tea
Ingredients
Black Tea Leaves
Flavors
Almond, Amaretto, Caramel, Cocoa, Malt, Roasty, Stevia, Sweet, Sweet Potatoes, Caramelized Sugar, Wet Dog, Wet Earth, Mineral, Smooth, Orange Zest, Tangy, Autumn Leaf Pile, Bread, Brown Sugar, Cherry, Cinnamon, Cream, Creamy, Dried Fruit, Honey, Meat, Molasses, Tart, Thick, Fruity, Orange, Spices, Umami, Candy, Yams, Winter Honey, Yeast, Chocolate, Maple Syrup, Raisins, Tea, Black Currant, Blackberry, Raspberry, Berries, Dark Chocolate, Rose
Sold in
Bulk
Caffeine
Medium
Certification
Not available
Edit tea info Last updated by Shae
Average preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 3 min, 0 sec 4 g 17 oz / 488 ml

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46 Tasting Notes View all

From Teavivre

Strong honey and caramel flavor

Lapsang Souchong Wild Black Tea is known as Cai Cha Lapsang Souchong by the local people. You might assume that all lapsang souchong teas have a bitter, smoky taste, as long as you have some knowledge of the traditional pine-tree drying process used to make it; this time, however, since this is both a high-quality and semi-wild tea, this particular type has amazing unique characters and no hint of bitterness in its flavor.

Unlike other wild teas, TeaVivre’s wild lapsang souchong gives off a strong dried longan aroma, with a smooth drinking feeling without any astringency. The unusual wild undertone, mellow taste, and reddish liquid brought out by the traditional rolling process all contribute to its exotic and unique flavor. Once you drink this tea, you will never forget about it.

Recommend Brewing Method

Cup Method
Teacup: 12oz / 355ml
194℉ / 90℃
2 Teaspoons / 3g Tea
Brewing time: 3 – 5 mins

Chinese Gongfu Method
Gaiwan: 3.8oz / 110ml
194℉ / 90℃
5g Tea
5 steeps: rinse, 5s, 5s, 10s, 15s, 30s
Rinse time is around 5 seconds

Origin:
Wuyi Mountain, Fujian Province, China

Season:
Spring Tea

Dry Leaf:
Leaves are thick, robust, tightly rolled strips

Aroma:
Smelling of pleasant Longan aroma

Liquor:
Bright and clear reddish orange

Taste:
Strong flavor of honey & caramel aroma, smooth and rich mouthfeel, leaving an impression of sweet potato taste

Tea Bush:
Wild Caicha

Tea Garden:
Tongmu Tea Garden in Tongmu Village, located north of the Wuyi Mountain National Nature Reserve, is the source of the Jiuqu Stream scenic spot of the Wuyi Mountain, and also the hometown of Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong – the Chinese name for lapsang souchong. The four seasons here are clear, and this region experiences an annual total rainfall of greater than 2300mm on average. The tea here is grown in a semi-wild environment, lush with mountain forests spanning about 315,000mu, and at an altitude between 1000 and 1500 meters. The sea of clouds, rich vegetation, and crystal mountain springs come together to establish the marvelous scenery here, and make this land especially suitable for tea cultivation. Along with tea, bamboo is also an important industry in Tongmu.

Caffeine:
Less than 40% of a cup of coffee

Storage:
Store in airtight, opaque packaging; in cool, dry place

Shelf Life:
36 Months

https://www.teavivre.com/lapsang-souchong-wild-black-tea.html

About Teavivre View company

Company description not available.

46 Tasting Notes

85
391 tasting notes

I had a good chuckle when I checked to see what this Teavivre sample was, and saw it was the unsmoked Lapsang that ashmanra and LuckyMe recommended to me a few days ago. Didn’t remember I’d grabbed it… oy vey.

Anyway — yes, this is nice. It’s so sweet — reminds me a little of LP’s Shui Xian Hongcha that leaned toward stevia. I get some almond meat/amaretto, roastiness, sweet potato, malt, cocoa dancing in the background. Caramel in the bottom of the cup.

Flavors: Almond, Amaretto, Caramel, Cocoa, Malt, Roasty, Stevia, Sweet, Sweet Potatoes

ashmanra

One of my favorite black teas!

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95
316 tasting notes

Ashmanra’s Sipdown Challenge | May 2023 | National Eat What You Want Day: Drink what you really want!

I’m a day late with this prompt, but oh well!

This is barely a sipdown because the sample I grabbed from the TTB last year had just two small servings in it. But I’ve been saving that final tiny serving!

As I was rooting around in my box of caffeinated teas this morning, I couldn’t decide what I wanted. Nothing appealed. And then, suddenly, I knew exactly what I wanted! It took me a moment to find where I’d stashed this packet, but now I am drinking this tea at my desk with the window open, listening to the birds chirping and singing loudly right outside. The tea is just as good as I remember it.

I just saw a goldfinch, the first of the season! It’s sunny and warm and it feels like spring. I’m happy right now.

2023 sipdown count: 34

Flavors: Mineral, Smooth, Sweet Potatoes, Wet Earth

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85
140 tasting notes

Quite nice tea on a Saturday night. Most unique black tea I’ve tried so far.

Dry leaf: orange zest.
Wet leaf: wet earth, malt.
Taste: tangy, orange.

Flavors: Malt, Orange Zest, Tangy, Wet Earth

derk

One of my personal favorite styles of black tea!

Marshall Weber

I love it too! Can’t wait to have some more.

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92
806 tasting notes

There’s just something about a tea when you know Sir Patrick Stewart wanted it on Star Trek instead of Earl Grey that adds an extra bit of Geekiness to the whole affair. Seriously this is some great tea.

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 5 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML
Shae

I just ordered some of this one! Glad to hear it’s so beloved. :)

ashmanra

I loooooooove this tea.

Cameron B.

To be fair, I would guess he meant the more common smoked version. ;)

Autistic Goblin

I have the smoked version as well but I can only drink one tea at a time. I ordered a bunch from Teavivre so it’s only a matter of time before I get to them all.

Cameron B.

I know just what you mean! I’m still working through some Teavivre samples that I ordered years ago… XD

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100
1789 tasting notes

I ended up buying 100g of this because I loved the sample so much. This tea is just so delicious. I’ve realized this is really my ultimate black tea- sweet potato, brown sugar, and a hint of white floral. As such, I’ve raised my rating to 100. I could drink this tea everyday without getting sick of it, with is pretty rare.

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88
3986 tasting notes

Sipdown! (23 | 96)

I’ve been neglecting my straight black tea samples. Well no more!

This is very yummy. It has a rich malty, bready flavor and a thick body. There’s a little touch of savory that reminds me of smoked meat or something similar. But also here is a creamy, starchy honeyed sweet potato sprinkled with dark muscovado sugar, and a tart yet deep syrupy dried cherry note.

Such an interesting combination of flavors! It’s a highly satisfying tea that makes me feel as if I’ve just eaten a small meal. And the sweet potato with the dried fruit and deep sugar tastes like autumn in a cup!

Flavors: Autumn Leaf Pile, Bread, Brown Sugar, Cherry, Cinnamon, Cream, Creamy, Dried Fruit, Honey, Malt, Meat, Molasses, Smooth, Sweet, Sweet Potatoes, Tart, Thick

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 3 min, 0 sec 5 g 16 OZ / 473 ML
Mastress Alita

I love this one! I always taste something that reminds me of BBQ meat marinade or sweet n sour sauce from the combined smoke/honey/orange flavors in Chinese blacks!

Cameron B.

I’m glad I’m not the only one with meat connotations, lol!

derk

GUH wild lapsang

LuckyMe

I don’t drink black tea often but this one is memorable. Best unsmoked lapsang I’ve ever had.

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99
1214 tasting notes

Happy National Compliment Day! Unsmoked Lapsang Souchong is one of my very favorite teas!

I’ve technically reviewed this before, under the listing for Dazzle Deer (as I hadn’t realized at the time they wholesaled from Teavivre), though I’m fairly certain that was a 2017 harvest (review is here: https://steepster.com/mastressalita/posts/379074 ). This is an April 2018 harvest of the same tea, which I bought from Path of Cha, which, like Dazzle Deer, also wholesales a small selection of Teavivre items, so you don’t have to buy freaking 100g at a time (which I refuse to do).

Used 2.5g of tea for 350ml 195F water, steeped for 3 minutes. The aroma of the steeped tea is warm spices, honeyed oranges, and a slight smokiness that, when combined with the sweet citrusy scent, reminds me of BBQ sauce.

The flavor is warm and inviting. It’s a bit malty/bready, with a lovely light smokiness, and some notes of sweet potatoes, honey, orange peel, and a very subtle hint of cocoa. It has such a lovely, smooth liquor.

While I don’t like this unsmoked lapsang as much as the sample I had from Whispering Pines once (that particular one had this amazing rose note to it), this is still a staple Chinese black for me.

Flavors: Bread, Cocoa, Fruity, Honey, Malt, Orange, Orange Zest, Smooth, Spices, Sweet Potatoes, Umami

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 3 min, 0 sec 2 g 12 OZ / 350 ML
Daylon R Thomas

I didn’t know they sold one! Funny enough, I ordered some from the Trident Cafe in Colorado and What-Cha. They’re probably hands down my top black teas with Taiwanese ones.

Leafhopper

Mastress Alita, I saw it on Teavivre’s website, but like you, I didn’t want to order 100 g of an unfamiliar tea. Maybe I’ll get a sample in my next order. I also ordered some from What-Cha, and based on the smell, it’ll be good. Yunnan Sourcing has some nice unsmoked lapsangs as well.

ashmanra

I adore this tea!

Mastress Alita

I haven’t tried any others besides the Teavivre and a (long ago) Whispering Pines offering, but I would always be down to try more unsmoked/wild lapsangs!

@Leafhopper: At the very least, 25g and 50g sizes of several of Teavivre’s offerings (though nowhere near their whole catalog) can be obtained from Path of Cha, which is what I did. I just can’t go through the giant bags they sell to order direct. (I really wish more tea sites would stop making 100g/4oz minimum purchase sizes…)

Inkling

Pretty sure this was the first unsmoked lapsang I ever tried and it was so tasty!

Leafhopper

Mastress Alita, Path of Cha charges $20 for international shipping, so it’s not really an option for me. Teavivre may give me too much tea, but at least the shipping is usually free! I agree with you that 100 g is just way too much leaf unless you’re drinking it regularly, so I usually order their premium teas, which come in a more manageable 50 g size.

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1440 tasting notes

This one is tasty! I’ve always steered clear of Lapsang Souchong due to the smokiness, but when this one was clearly marked unsmoked, I had to pick up a sample.

The flavours here are malty cut through with hints of a coppery-ness, or perhaps brightened honey.

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 3 min, 0 sec 3 g 14 OZ / 414 ML
LuckyMe

I’m not a huge black tea fan but this is one of the more memorable blacks I’ve had. Wish I had bought more than just a sample.

Courtney

I only have a wee sample left, maybe 2-cups worth, but I’m not in love with it sadly. But I have many black teas I do love, so it seems we’re the opposite!

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82
6444 tasting notes

DIY Advent Calendar – Day 22

Sipdown (320)

Thank you for sharing this one with me Sil. I noticed the smell of it was not overly smokey but instead it had almost a malty cocoa smell. That took me by surprise. And when it continued through the taste I was even more surprised. So surprised that I even checked the package to make sure it was the right tea. This is my surprise favorite of the day! It’s just so cocoa-y and bready. If someone brewed this for me and didn’t tell me what it was, I would never guess it’s a lapsang. There is hardly any smoke at all. Plus, it’s reminding me a lot of Jiri Horse by teabento. Yum!

Courtney

Ooh love this! I’ve not ever looked up Lapsang, but just assumed all are smoky and avoid at all costs haha! I’ll have to look closer from now on.

ashmanra

Courtney – unsmoked lapsang is one of the dreamiest black teas ever!

Courtney

ashmanra Now I have to find some! Did you have any suggestions?

ashmanra

https://www.teavivre.com/lapsang-souchong-wild-black-tea.html
This one, same as this review! It looks like they don’t have it in the US warehouse right now, but it is worth the wait.

Leafhopper

Yunnan Sourcing has some nice unsmoked Lapsangs with floral, sweet potato, and cocoa notes. My favourite unsmoked Lapsang comes from TheTea.pl, and is full of citrus, flowers, and jammy red fruit. It singlehandedly turned me on to Fujian black teas.

VariaTEA

Courtney, I second @ashmanra that this tea is worth the wait

Mastress Alita

Unsmoked Lapsang is my favorite kind of tea, while I can’t even tolerate the smoked kind as it is a migraine trigger for me!

Courtney

Thanks everyone! I’ll favourite these to look at! ashmanra and VariaTEA, of course I just placed a Teavivre order haha, but it sounds perfect since it’s not in stock yet!

Leafhopper sweet potato and cocoa notes are some of my favourites!

Mastress Alita That’s great! I can’t handle any smokiness at all either, and often find it in things nobody else seems too!

Martin Bednář

Unsmoked Lapsang… I had from White2Tea as a sample with my order two and something years ago.

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82
533 tasting notes

Backlog – sipdown actually 6/16
unsmoked version of this tea
small twisty leaves that smell of chocolate
2min, 205F
chocolate

dry smells – bready, yam, cocoa
1. 3min 212F – yam, cocoa, fruit
2. 3 min 200F – fruit, sweet, coating as it cools
3. 4 min 200F – candy sweetness, fruit, juicy, small sour note in background.

It’s a better at a little lower temperature. But this tea is pretty old now and a lot of the flavor has been lost. Still I wonder, why would you smoke this tea? I might order some more to try.

Flavors: Candy, Cocoa, Fruity, Sweet, Yams

ashmanra

I love this tea. It is really great unsmoked.

hawkband1

I was surprised at how much I liked this. The smoked Lapsang seems like a waste. I have some and I’ll never drink it. Way too strong :(

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