Lapsang Souchong Tea

[Lapsang]

What are your thoughts on the wonderful aroma and taste of the Lapsang Souchong black tea. My favourite is the David's Tea Organic Lapsang Souchong Star. If you are a fan of malt whiskey and fine cigars, then this tea's heady aroma of pine wood fire will be a hit.

Your thoughts?

[Balthazar]

Love it for evenings / after dinner, but I find it increasingly hard to find satisfying lapsang. Of the one's I've tried, Jing Tea Shop's "Premium Lapsang Souchong" stand out as the best. I haven't ordered it for a while, waiting for a sale / currency appreciation against the dollar, but neither seems to be on the horizon. I'd definitely like to have some for the winter.

[ClarG]

I really enjoy it at times; but when I have introduced it to most friends and family members they found it to be gross or odd tasting.

I just get my Lapsang souchong, and Russian caravan blend that has LS in it from a local tea shop.

[Rui]

Last weekend I have heard that some people in the Wuyi region do produce unsmoked Lapsang for competition purposes. That rose my curiosity so I am looking forward to the day I try it.

[RDSam]

I tried some of the Lapsang Souchong recently and it just smelled and tasted a little too smoky for my preferences. Don't get me wrong - I loved the characteristics of the smell/taste, but it was just a bit overwhelming. I found that by doing a quick rinse of the tea leaves in cool water just before steeping, it mellowed the smokiness slightly and allowed me to enjoy it without feeling overwhelmed. Being new to tea, I realize what I have just described may sound barbaric to true tea connoisseurs, but it definitely increased my enjoyment of the tea.

[pedant]

just had some 'Lapsang Souchong Xiao Chi Gan' from hojo. it's the only unsmoked LS i've tried, and i don't have a solid impression of the range of what LSs are 'supposed' to be like, but i really like it.

[Jackattack]

Greetings folks,
(I'm new to TeaChat, and HOPE I'm doing this right…!!)
I have a friend, here in Australia, who is OBSESSED with getting a really SMOKY Lapsang Souchong tea… He is convinced that he was able to get them up until 5 or so years ago, and that since then - try as he might (…and BELIEVE me, we HAVE been trying…!!) - he can't seem to find any.
We have tried a 'Formosa Tarry Lapsang Souchong Crocodile' coming via Germany, and Seven Cups 'Strong Smoke Lapsang Souchong' via Arizona…
I have suggested he try burning his tea leaves…but he is inconsolable (and unconvinced…)
If anyone has any suggestions, we would be most GRATEFUL!!
(…The situation is so desperate, I would even offer a REWARD, if I could think of a suitable one… )
thanks heaps,
Jacky

[kuánglóng]

Greetings folks,
(I'm new to TeaChat, and HOPE I'm doing this right…!!)
I have a friend, here in Australia, who is OBSESSED with getting a really SMOKY Lapsang Souchong tea… He is convinced that he was able to get them up until 5 or so years ago, and that since then - try as he might (…and BELIEVE me, we HAVE been trying…!!) - he can't seem to find any.
We have tried a 'Formosa Tarry Lapsang Souchong Crocodile' coming via Germany, and Seven Cups 'Strong Smoke Lapsang Souchong' via Arizona…
I have suggested he try burning his tea leaves…but he is inconsolable (and unconvinced…)
If anyone has any suggestions, we would be most GRATEFUL!!
(…The situation is so desperate, I would even offer a REWARD, if I could think of a suitable one… )
thanks heaps,
Jacky

Hi there,
it's not that easy to get some decent LS these days due to environmental regulations (I've read an article somewhere; don't have the link anymore) and alternative, un-kosher methods to flavor LS but your friend might want to check out this stuff. Smokey as hell, 'organic' as well
http://taooftea.com/product/pine-smoked-black/

I like this one here too, pretty darn smokey but a little more focus on pine resins and not quite organic:
http://www.darjeelingtee.de/Schwarzer-T ... -100g.html
It's so smokey that I only use little amounts (less than ~1/6th) for my occasional crap weather blends.

PS: I'm still waiting for a LS shipment from China and can pm you with the details if that stuff is up to snuff.

[Jackattack]

Oh THANK YOU, Kuanglong!!
This information, alone, will MAKE his Christmas!!!
You are WONDERFUL!!

[alix]

Last weekend I have heard that some people in the Wuyi region do produce unsmoked Lapsang for competition purposes. That rose my curiosity so I am looking forward to the day I try it.

Rui
I know there arte Cindy of wuyi Mountain. She have from 2005 unsmoked LAPSANG.
DO you try it?
How It's the taste of this tea?

[Rui]

Last weekend I have heard that some people in the Wuyi region do produce unsmoked Lapsang for competition purposes. That rose my curiosity so I am looking forward to the day I try it.

Rui
I know there arte Cindy of wuyi Mountain. She have from 2005 unsmoked LAPSANG.
DO you try it?
How It's the taste of this tea?

Although I know Cindy so far I have never tried her teas.

One day I must try to taste the unsmoked lapsang although I very seldom drink dark coloured teas.

[whatsinaname]

Another vote for Jing's premium Lapsang. Get a big bag, it gets better with age. Mine is two years old and still improving.

Tea trekker Lapsang will be test driven soon.

[john.b]

Last weekend I have heard that some people in the Wuyi region do produce unsmoked Lapsang for competition purposes. That rose my curiosity so I am looking forward to the day I try it.

Rui
I know there arte Cindy of wuyi Mountain. She have from 2005 unsmoked LAPSANG.
DO you try it? How It's the taste of this tea?

Although I know Cindy so far I have never tried her teas. One day I must try to taste the unsmoked lapsang although I very seldom drink dark coloured teas.

I was just going to mention this, since I've reviewed Cindy's unsmoked lapsang souchong and wrote a post comparing it to her jin jun mei, of course a type of lapsang souchong as well but only made from the buds. I'll add links to the posts but will write out the short version here, and cite the description. Cindy said that they did compete in the black tea division in a local competition (the one they won for Rou Gui in), but only placed, something like 5 or 6th, and I don't remember which black tea that was for, LS or JJM.

The lapsang souchong was nice, not unlike an unsmoked version I tried last year, just a little better, with a little more to it, not just mild malt with a little more going on but some other interesting aspects. I'll cite that last post, since I went through all the tasting notes and revisions in that review process:


The Lapsang Souchong has an earthy aspect that grounds it closer to other black teas, or maybe in between earth and mineral, a complex, underlying taste range... with some dark molasses sweetness joining in to all the rest of that.

Jin Jun Mei overlaps with that set of tastes but lightens up a lot on some of the dark wood / mineral, with lots of added cocoa and malt filling in for that... Other flavor range reminds me of a nice rich cooked fruit, perhaps in between a cooked pumpkin and butternut squash,

http://teaintheancientworld.blogspot.co ... psang.html

http://teaintheancientworld.blogspot.co ... chong.html

[ethan]

I drank China Imperial Grade L.S. from Upton yesterday. Upton Tea is often found wanting on Teachat; I've been critical myself; however, I really enjoyed it.

I am taking care of my first girlfriend who broke 5 ribs & punctured a lung which collapsed. She signed herself out of a rehab center against medical advice mostly because of bad care & lousy food, but the straw that broke the camel's back was that she could not get tea made w/ water not heated in a coffee pot. She is not super fussy. Her teas are from Upton, Bigelow, & Harney & Sons.

Preparing the last bits of her 4 oz. foil bag, the dry tea seemed like it was dust & chopped leaves, but it expanded to show it was better than that. Anyway, we drank decent, acceptably tasty lapsang souchong. John B. treated me to some natural L.S. (not smoked) that is better but not world's away from this.

[jayinhk]

The only LS I've tried was from Fortnum and Mason--I'll have to see what I can find in Fujian. The smokey stuff isn't really my thing, so I'll keep an eye out for the unsmoked. I do, however, really like jin jun mei. Chinese blacks are much more to my liking than any other blacks I've ever tried, although the Jun Chiyabari tea I tried from ethan's stash when we were in Taipei seemed pretty mild and mellow. I think I wrote off blacks as a category because of the terrible stuff my mom drinks (Lipton, Tetleys, PG Tips and Indian tea dust). Every time I give my mom some Chinese black to try, she asks if she can add milk to it.