This tea is a remarkable example of the traditional pine-smoked Lapsang Souchong, also known as Zhengshan Xiaozhong. It originates from the very birthplace of this renowned tea, a small village within the Tongmu Nature Reserve in Fujian, China.
The tea maker, Beibei Zhang is a 5th generation tea farmer studying the traditional black tea smoking process which originated in Tongmuguan. Her and the whole Zhang family carry on the long-standing tradition of smoking their tea with local pinewood in a traditional wooden Qinglou. This practice imparts the Lapsang Souchong with its characteristic smoky flavor.
While the smoke aroma isn’t subtle, it is very elegant and savoury and lingers on top of the brew, leaving space for you to enjoy the infused leaves minerality and spice. The combination of the fine smoking of such high quality leaves, brings a deep sweetness reminiscent of longan fruit and creamy taste notes.
The finish is long-lasting, leaving a lingering smoky sweetness in your mouth. The texture is smooth and even though it carries a complexity of flavours, this tea is easy to drink, adding to the overall satisfaction of getting to know this sophisticated version of such a famous tea.
Flavour profile: pine-smoke, spicy, longan fruit, cream, long lasting sweetness
50g
location Tongmuguan, Fujian, China (1260m above sea level)
cultivar Xiaozhong
harvest May 2022
multiple-steeping
water 95°/150ml
tea 5g
time 60s/15s/60s/90s/+
single-steeping
water 95°/450ml
tea 8g
time 3m
