Description

The result of some long-term plans coming to fruition, this tea was well worth the wait. Made from Tongmuguan material, now a protected heritage site with over 400 years of tea producing history, this Zhengshan Xiaozhong (aka “Lapsong Souchong”) black tea is traditionally processed and smoked using stocked Masson pine, which is also now protected and no longer logged.

The result is an unparalleled black tea experience, with notable floral qualities, some light fruitiness, and of course a smokiness that is pleasant, but never bitter.

This tea’s quality shines through brew after brew, with the layered fragrance, flavour, and smoked quality persisting after many infusions. The soup is also quite round and textured, filling the mouth nicely and making this an extremely comforting tea.

Another standout quality is the cup scent, which offers prominent notes of baked goods/cinnamon buns, which is not necessarily noticeable when drinking.

The overall profile of this tea is quite bold and rich. We recommend comparing with out old bush variant of the same tea, which shares many of the same qualities as this tea, but with a more embedded smoky quality and overall elegant profile.

$0.70-0.80/gram

Picking Period: Spring 2024
Region: Tongmuguan, Fujian
Varietal: Small Leaf (小种)