Lapsang Souchong 正山小種

Lapsang Souchong, authentically known as Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong (“True Mountain Small Variety”), is the world’s first original black tea, with a history stretching back over 400 years to China’s Fujian Wuyi Mountains. Its very creation was an accident of history: during the late Ming Dynasty (c. 1568), an army’s passage through Tongmu Village (Tong Mu Guan) disrupted and delayed the tea drying season. Forced to act quickly, local farmers dried the tea leaves over fires of local pinewood, inadvertently creating a smoky masterpiece that not only launched an entire category of tea but also became the world’s first original black tea. This protected terroir and traditional pine-smoking technique yield a tea that cannot be replicated.

The experience of drinking this classic tea is a direct taste of its history. The dry leaves, dark and twisted with occasional golden tips, offer an intoxicating campfire aroma. When brewed, the liquor is a beautiful amber-red, revealing a complex profile where the smoky character integrates beautifully with a natural sweetness. You’ll discover layered notes of smoked pine, dried longan fruit, dark chocolate, and warming malt, all culminating in a surprisingly sweet, clean finish that invites you back to the cup.