Traditional Smoked Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong * Lapsang Souchong Black tea

Tea type
Black Tea
Ingredients
Not available
Flavors
Campfire, Lychee, Smoke, Oak, Whiskey, Astringent, Fruity, Spices, Sweet, Earth, Scotch
Sold in
Loose Leaf
Caffeine
Not available
Certification
Not available
Edit tea info Last updated by Cameron B.
Average preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 0 min, 30 sec 5 g 4 oz / 106 ml

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8 Tasting Notes View all

  • “A nice Lapsang Souchong! I got the Spring 2021 harvest of this tea from my order from YS. Medium thickness with a rich aroma, lacked a bit in taste and finish. I wished it was more complex and...” Read full tasting note
    72
  • “I commute by bicycle, often leaving before dawn, and taking fire roads over the spine of the Santa Monica range before descending down to the ocean. Over the weekend a fire erupted on the hill-side...” Read full tasting note
  • “Finally, two years later in my tea journey, I’ve returned to this tea. Brewed at 200˚F, but I think 195 or 205 would’ve worked too. I had to venture out into the world of Indian teas and British...” Read full tasting note
    75
  • “Intended to drink more puer today but left it too late. So I had this instead. My packet says “spring 2015” not “autumn 2014” but the vendor description is the same. Steeped like...” Read full tasting note

From Yunnan Sourcing

Our traditional smoky Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong, popularly known as “Lapsang Souchong” was expertly processed using pine wood smoke! The tea is a lovely Wu Yi Mountain area varietal but was roasted/dried with smoke and fire giving it a smoky, fruity, floral and peaty taste. Scotch single malt whisky aficionados who appreciate Lagavulin and Laphroaig will fall in love with this stimulating and complex tea!

About Yunnan Sourcing View company

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8 Tasting Notes

72
143 tasting notes

A nice Lapsang Souchong! I got the Spring 2021 harvest of this tea from my order from YS. Medium thickness with a rich aroma, lacked a bit in taste and finish. I wished it was more complex and potent, but nonetheless a nice drinker, especially if you like smokey stuff.

Flavors: Campfire, Lychee, Smoke

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 0 min, 30 sec 4 g 3 OZ / 100 ML

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77 tasting notes

I commute by bicycle, often leaving before dawn, and taking fire roads over the spine of the Santa Monica range before descending down to the ocean. Over the weekend a fire erupted on the hill-side just above Mandeville Canyon, consuming all the dead brush as it climbed up to Kenter/Canyonback. The fire crews were still mopping up this morning, but they ignored me as I pedaled past their staging area and over the blackened soil, still smoldering in places, smoke languidly rising to join the marine layer. Earlier, this same fog had pushed the hawks down out of the sky, one red-tail passing just 10 feet overhead before alighting on its prey immediately across the road as I climbed Mulholland Dr.

I mention these things in passing (as well as a Memorial Day weekend suffused with smoked brisket, Alasdair Fraser/Natalie Haas, and Laphroaig) as they all served to prime me for this tea:

Prepared in my Jian Shui gaiwan, and served in my porcelain tea cup via my glass cha hai. Filtered Santa Monica municipal water just off the boil throughout.

The dry leaves are pure pine smoke, but faint mineral and stone fruit aromas emerge from the wet leaves (possibly taking on some qualities from the un-glazed clay?).

Mahogany liquor; beach bonfire aromatics are more subtle than anticipated; delicately smoky flavor profile with a sweet vaguely spicy core suggesting sarsaparilla; not too drying in the finish, and free of any acrid notes, char, or heavy phenolics. Hints of peat, wood, and fruit in the periphery. Smooth and almost creamy. A well crafted hong cha, the smoke serves to elevate the best elements of the leaves rather than hide their short-comings.

A fairly brief session, forcefully punctuating the workday morning – 8 infusions ranging from 20 seconds to 2 minutes, though I would use more leaf next time if I wanted to push beyond 5 or 6 infusions.

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 0 min, 30 sec 5 g 4 OZ / 125 ML

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75
261 tasting notes

Finally, two years later in my tea journey, I’ve returned to this tea. Brewed at 200˚F, but I think 195 or 205 would’ve worked too.

I had to venture out into the world of Indian teas and British high teas to appreciate this tea: like a CTC, this NEEDS to be drunk with milk and sugar. It is robust enough to hold up to these additions, and then it becomes a lovely companion to any high tea of sandwiches and pastries. I will finally be finishing this tea and enjoying it!

Will probably purchase more Assam teas in future to fill this role, but some of my guests really love the smokiness of this tea so I’m glad I have it.

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C

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56 tasting notes

Intended to drink more puer today but left it too late. So I had this instead.

My packet says “spring 2015” not “autumn 2014” but the vendor description is the same.

Steeped like rinse/30s/1m/2m/3m/4m/4m/5m/5m. It was totally done after the 7th steep, the last one didn’t do anything.

Not much smoke in this tea, if you’re looking for tarry lapsong souchong or tea that tastes like Laphroaig, move along nothing to see here.

I’ve tried it a couple of times in a mug infuser, where it’s good for a couple of steeps. This session in a gaiwan, it lasted better than most red teas.

The dry leaf has a sort of aged scent, which surprised me. The first few steeps have a note reminiscent of aged white tea that I’ve been drinking lately. I don’t think that came out in the mug infuser. Slightly sweet, a little fruity, a little astringent. Smokey doesn’t even make the top three for me, again a bit of a surprise. Nice ethereal mouthfeel in the first few steeps. If you like gongfu hongcha give this one a try.

Flavors: Astringent, Fruity, Spices, Sweet

Preparation
Boiling 0 min, 30 sec 7 g 3 OZ / 100 ML

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57
485 tasting notes

I think the smokier Lapsang Souchongs are not for me. The wet leaf smelled unmistakeably of barbeque sauce, which was a bit of a turn-off for me. The taste wasn’t quite as unpleasant, but the smoke was intense. It kind of overpowered the fruity and earthy flavors underneath it. Also a bit of astringency, which did not mix well with the smoke in my opinion. I might try this western style or with less leaf, but if those don’t work I’ll try to find a recipe that uses this as part of a meat rub or something like that.

Flavors: Astringent, Earth, Fruity, Smoke

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 0 min, 15 sec 5 g 3 OZ / 100 ML

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80

If there was ever a tea made for winter nights this would be it. I seriously feel like I’m sipping bourbon rather than tea. The level of smoke is just right to give a bit of tongue tingles. I love that a fit of fruitiness still peaks through.

Flavors: Fruity, Scotch, Smoke

Preparation
Boiling 0 min, 30 sec 5 g 4 OZ / 120 ML

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493 tasting notes

Marzipan sent me this tea. it was a total surprise along with our joint Tao Tea Leaf order.
I love smoky teas. And i love this tea. smells pretty strong but doesnt taste too smoky/ashy to me. in fact, its quite sweet. i didnt need any maple syrup which i usually add to LS.
I really enjoy this tea during our Juno Blizzard all morning. thank you so much Marzi for sending this tea to me. im sure this 50g wont last a long time ;)

http://instagram.com/p/yXOMR-BwiR/

http://instagram.com/p/yXPe46hwkT/

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 0 min, 15 sec 5 g 3 OZ / 100 ML
DeliriumsFrogs

I saw Sil say something about putting maple syrup in LS the other day, and I had never heard of that before! I have some LS from zen tea that I can’t decide if I like or not, and I think that trying it with maple syrup would be delicious. Adding maple syrup to my grocery list….

Also, STAY WARM!! Thinking of you in that blizzard!

Stephanie

Hope you are nice and cozy in the blizzard, boychik!

boychik

Thank you Steph, im drinking tea non stop. very warm. cant wait till tomorrow when my family will go back to work and school, haha

DeliriumsFrogs

Maybe I just don’t like LS, then, if I’m wanting to drown the zen tea LS in maple syrup. haha
Your pictures are lovely, by the way. :)

Cheri

I find that most smokey LS need just a little bit of maple syrup (the real stuff) but there are some that I think need more than others. I have yet to find one that I wouldn’t add MS to.

Kirkoneill1988

i was going to order some but i decided on replacing it with fancy grade dragonwell. (i adore dragonwell). i hope my parcel arrives soon. i spent almost 200$ on it :(

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