Organic Lapsang Souchong Black Tea

Our organic Lapsang Souchong is a smoky, aromatic tea with a smooth, crisp character. Reminiscent of woodsmoke or even expensive cigars, this classic tea has a hint of natural sweetness and is perfect to curl up with on a cool day. Like a campfire in a cup!

Cups Per Package

This tea is carefully blended and packaged by hand in a reusable tin or a resealable kraft bag. Our 3.5 oz. tin or kraft bag makes approximately 40 cups of tea. Our 7 oz. kraft bag makes approximately 80 cups.

Ingredients

Organic black tea (Origin: Fujian Province, China)

Tasting Notes

Strong, smoky, and slightly piney, with a mellow natural sweetness underneath the smoke.

How to Brew Lapsang Souchong

Use 1 level teaspoon per 6 oz. water. Heat water to boiling. Steep for 3 to 4 minutes. For best taste, do not over steep.

We recommend preparing Lapsang Souchong using a teapot, tea infuser, or tea filter. These brewing methods give the tea leaves enough room to expand as the tea steeps, resulting in a richer, more flavorful cup. Enjoy Lapsang on its own, or take it with milk and sweetener if you prefer.

Lapsang Souchong Caffeine Content

Black tea contains a moderate amount of caffeine, less than half as much as coffee per cup.

Lapsang Souchong Benefits

Black tea boosts energy, helps with focus, and is a lower-caffeine alternative to coffee.

More About Lapsang Souchong

Lapsang originated in the Wuyi Mountains of the Fujian province of China, where it is still produced today. Like all Chinese black teas, Lapsang Souchong is produced from the leaves of the camellia sinensis plant. The name “souchong” refers to the fourth and fifth leaves of the tea plant, which are farther removed from the prized flowery pekoe bud at the tip, and are considered somewhat inferior in quality. When smoked and preserved as Lapsang, Souchong, however, these leaves become prized for their unique smoky flavor, and are highly sought-after all over the world.

Unlike other black teas, which are usually withered and then steamed or fired, the leaves used to make Lapsang are smoke-dried over burning pinewood. This process imparts a distinctive flavor to the tea, with a smoky, campfire-like aroma and notes of pine and burnt sugar. While the true story of Lapsang’s origins has been lost to time, a variety of popular legends have sprung up around the tea. Some stories claim that it was created by accident during the 17th century, when the leaves were burned during a raid. Other tales suggest that war caused tea growers to abandon the usual drying process and use smoke to quickly dry the tea. Whatever the true origins of this pine smoked tea, it quickly became a popular commodity as a unique twist on a typical black tea.

Although has its origins in China, by the mid-1800s Lapsang Souchong had become popular in tea rooms across Europe, particularly in countries like Russia and England. Lapsang’s distinctive taste and flavor profile sets it apart from other black teas, and is often compared to other smoky luxury goods like fine cigars and scotch whiskey. For all its popularity in the West, however, smoked tea is not typically consumed in China. Instead, Lapsang Souchong is viewed as a valuable export, and is produced primarily for sale in Europe and America.

This unique tea is one of the primary components of a popular tea blend known as Russian Caravan. Russian Caravan is made by combining roughly equal parts of Lapsang Souchong and a classic black tea like China Keemun. Russian Caravan is typically slightly lighter and mellower than Lapsang, with the smoky notes balanced out by crisp, classic black tea. While we don’t sell Russian Caravan tea pre-blended, you’re welcome to purchase both Lapsang Souchong and another classic black tea and blend them yourself at home.

Lapsang Souchong is a bit of an acquired taste, and often inspires strong reactions among those who try it for the first time. For those who love Lapsang, however, a cup with the earthy aroma, intense smoky flavor, and hint of sweetness of Lapsang Souchong is as comforting as curling up by a warm fire on a chilly evening. If you enjoy the smokiness of Lapsang but want to experiment with a slightly milder cup, try adding a splash of milk and honey to your tea for a sweet and incredibly satisfying cup. However you like to take your Lapsang, we hope you enjoy this delightful and unique smoked tea!