Details
This is one of the finer lapsang souchong black Chinese teas. It is of outstanding quality. This tea is full-bodied, strong and flavorful. Zoom in to the image above to see in detail the beautiful dark leaves that foretell the smoky notes in this incredible tea.
Leaf: Dark black leaves
Body: Full
Aroma and Taste: Smoky
Intensity: Strong
Color: Rich coppery color
More Information about Lapsang Souchong Generally
Lapsang souchong (Chinese: 拉普山小種/正山小种,; pinyin: lāpǔshān xiǎozhǒng; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: l a̍p-pho·-san sió-chéng; literally "Small plant from Lapu mountain"; cantonese: làaipóusàan síujúng) is a black tea originally from the Wuyi region of the Chinese province of Fujian. It is sometimes referred to as smoked tea (熏茶). Lapsang is distinct from all other types of tea because lapsang leaves are traditionally smoke-dried over pinewood fires, taking on a distinctive smoky flavour.
The name in Fukienese means "smoky sub-variety." Lapsang souchong is a member of the Wuyi Bohea family of teas. The story goes that the tea was created during the Qing era when the passage of armies delayed the annual drying of the tea leaves in the Wuyi hills. Eager to satisfy demand, the tea producers sped up the drying process by having their workers dry the tea leaves over fires made from local pines.
Lapsang souchong from the original source is increasingly expensive, as Wuyi is a small area and there is increasing interest in this variety of tea.[citation needed]
Flavour and aroma
High grade lapsang souchong possesses a taste of dried Longan for the first few brews.
Lapsang souchong's flavour is strong and smoky, similar to the smell of a campfire or of Latakia pipe tobacco. The flavour of the pine smoke is meant to complement the natural taste of the black tea, but should not overwhelm it.[citation needed]
Tea merchants marketing to westerners note that this variety of tea generally produces a strong reaction—with most online reviews extremely positive or strongly negative.[citation needed]
Tea connoisseurs often note that Formosan lapsang souchong typically has a stronger flavour and aroma, the most extreme being tarry souchong (smoked, as the name implies, over burning pine tar).
Chemistry
The unique aroma of lapsang souchong is due to a variety of chemical compounds. The two most abundant constituents of the aroma are longifolene and α-terpineol. Many of the compounds making up the aroma of lapsang souchong, including longifolene, originate only in the pine smoke, and are not found in other kinds of tea.[1]
References
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lapsang_souchong".
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