Lapsang Souchong is a Chinese black tea from the Wuyi Mountains of Fujian Province, widely considered the world’s first black tea. The leaves are withered and oxidized using traditional methods, then dried over burning Masson’s pinewood fires in a multi-story smoke house called a qing lou. This cold-smoking process imparts the tea’s unmistakable campfire, pine-resin, and dried-fruit character. Unlike hot-smoked products, the cold smoke permeates deeply without cooking the leaf, producing a smooth, full-bodied cup with no bitterness.
In the cup, Lapsang Souchong brews a deep amber to reddish-brown liquor. The aroma is immediately smoky — pine resin and campfire ash — giving way to subtle dried-fruit sweetness underneath. The body is full and warming, with a finish that lingers long after the cup is empty. It takes milk well and is traditionally enjoyed without sugar.
Use 2–3 grams per 8-ounce cup. A second infusion will yield a lighter but still enjoyable cup with smoke notes that soften into dried fruit.