Lapsang Souchong

Tea type
Black Tea
Ingredients
Black Tea
Flavors
Earth, Pine, Smoke, Sweet, Burnt, Dark Wood, Mushrooms, Wet Earth, Camphor, Menthol, Smooth, Ash, Char, Caramel, Cedar, Malt, Spicy, Tar, Toast, Vanilla, Wood, Campfire, Metallic, Leather, Meat, Fireplace, Smoked
Sold in
Bulk, Loose Leaf, Tea Bag
Caffeine
High
Certification
Not available
Edit tea info Last updated by JulieWyant
Average preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 4 min, 0 sec 3 g 9 oz / 264 ml

From Our Community

1 Image

9 Want it Want it

91 Own it Own it

  • +76

75 Tasting Notes View all

  • “EDIT: I think that Adagio has done something very WRONG with their Lapsang Souchongs in the past year—or else my taste has evolved. I would not order from them again. It’s weak and...” Read full tasting note
    15
  • “Le sigh… I realized that I haven’t had this tea in about 2 months due to my overflowing tea cupboard (and bookcases). I actually picked up some decorative picture album boxes this weekend to use...” Read full tasting note
    86
  • “Cold, rainy weather…check. Long, rough day at work…check. Strong desire to get new samples of tea…check. All of these things mean it is time for some comfort, coming tonite in the form of tomato...” Read full tasting note
    86
  • “i got a small sample bag of this so i could keep tinkering with my personal sherlock blend. but i put one scoop aside so i could try it straight. not the best lapsang i’ve had. but still smokey and...” Read full tasting note

From Adagio Teas

Lapsang Souchong is a black tea from the Fujian province of China, famous for its smoky aroma and flavor. To create this, the finished tea is given some extra drying over a smoking pine fire, imparting a sweet, clean smoky flavor to the tea. Lapsang Souchong sometimes gets a bad rep for being brashly smoky, but really fine examples aren’t like that at all. Our Lapsang Souchong is very approachable: clean and slightly cool smokiness in the aroma, like menthol. Sweet, refreshing smoky flavor, crisp and edgy. Golden-coppery color in the cup; the mark of a Lapsang that hasn’t been smoked to a jerky. Sweet pine flavor, lightly evaporating finish. It’s amazing all the dimensions of ‘smoky’ you can experience in one, very well made cup of fine Lapsang Souchong.

Famously soft-spoken American painter Bob Ross is famous for his quote, “We don’t make mistakes, just happy little accidents.” And throughout the history of the world, this has proven to be the case. Penicillin, the world’s first antibiotic, is one example. Post-its are another. But did you know that Lapsang Souchong, perhaps the world’s oldest black tea, was also created by mistake? While there are several competing theories as to its creation, most involving soldiers, bandits, and a major production backup, one thing we’re sure of, we’re glad it happened.

Black Tea | High caffeine | Steep at 212° for 3-5 minutes.

About Adagio Teas View company

Adagio Teas has become one of the most popular destinations for tea online. Its products are available online at www.adagio.com and in many gourmet and health food stores.

75 Tasting Notes

85
10 tasting notes

Followed some advice, lower temperature (just under rolling), more tea (three spoons for 2 cups), shorter brew time (3 minutes) and it has worked wonders on my Lapsong. The dark amber of the two was in full swing by 3 minutes, almost looking like rooibos. It was smokey but no bitterness in the end. In fact the end tasted like water, perhaps too thin?
The second steeping (3 minutes), this time no sugar, tasted of green tea, wondrous, and the smoke has settled to a low ember, not burning at all- excellent to the palate.

Preparation
175 °F / 79 °C 3 min, 0 sec

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

65
49 tasting notes

Smokey! It tastes like the bottom of a campfire pit. Strangely addicting though. I hope the smoke has not introduced carcinogens into the tea. Caveat emptor!

Preparation
Boiling 3 min, 0 sec

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

75
183 tasting notes

I’ve been looking forward to trying this one.
Smells like: campfire, bbq smokehouse.
Taste reminds me of: pine, smoked bbq, and a little bit of a grassy taste. I was expecting strong flavors after smelling it, but it was actually kind of on the mild side.
I’m tempted to try this in some kind of marinade.

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 4 min, 30 sec

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

89
41 tasting notes

Reading over the past tasting notes, it seems like you either love or hate this particular tea.

I love the woodsy and warm taste of this tea. Totally a morning or early afternoon drink. It reminds me of the bonfire we had every year at a Masquerade function I always went to. Good times.

It’s not as good as the Spice and Tea Exchange Lapsang Souchong, in my opinion, a three minute steeping time left a weaker and more astringent taste. I plan to perhaps use slightly more tea and a two minute steep time next time I make a pot of this.

Preparation
Boiling 3 min, 0 sec

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

55
1 tasting notes

Just the sort of warm smoky cup I was looking for on this chilly, damp night!

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

54
9 tasting notes

A few years ago I went to Australia with a friend of mine.
We were on the plane and they had brought us some bread, butter and Vegemite. My friend obviously hadn’t had it before, and started to spread it directly on the bread in much the same manner and thickness that you would with peanut butter, or jam. Being a good friend, I of course said absolutely nothing.

The reason I bring this up now is I imagine my face did exactly what his did when tasting this tea for the first time. I was expecting smokey, and got a mouthful of campfire.

I’ll try it again soon with a shortened brew time, and perhaps after rinsing the leaves first. I enjoy smokey, just evidently not enough.

Preparation
Boiling 4 min, 0 sec

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

3
30 tasting notes

I really like smoky flavors and was excited to receive this but it was not at all what I was expecting. The smoky/pine flavor was very faint and almost unnoticeable. The predominant flavor was a harmony of pork chops, barbecue sauce and iodine. While some teas have failed to impress me, this is the very first time I thoroughly dislike one. I can’t even finish what I have and some co workers who drink tea don’t want it, after taking a whiff at the pouch they say “no thanks.”

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

46
21 tasting notes

For me, Adagio’s LS lacks character. The tea behind all the hoola boola (i.e., the lovely smell of smoky pines) is bland, bland, bland. I have tasted many fine LS’s from other companies and unfortunately this LS has failed in my book.

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 5 min, 0 sec

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

59
57 tasting notes

I had a cup of this for breakfast. This was the strong smoke taste I was looking for. The tea was bold but not overpowering in any way.

Preparation
5 min, 0 sec

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

92
33 tasting notes

This traditional Lapsang Souchong is made from an Oolong tea — what must be a very good Oolong tea, because its flavor is still distinct and complex despite shining through a veil of smoke. The smokiness is intense, but not quite overwhelming. Think of a campfire made from pine branches. For those who like a real Lapsang Sounchong with a strongly smoky flavor, this tea is very good. But some will prefer a Lapsang Souchong that is not this smoky.

Preparation
Boiling 2 min, 30 sec

Login or sign up to leave a comment.