煙燻正山小種 Lapsang Souchong Smoked

Lapsang Souchong is the world's oldest known black tea, originating in Tongmuguan — a remote mountain pass in the Wuyi Nature Reserve in Fujian Province. The smoking tradition is said to date from the 17th century, when passing soldiers forced local farmers to abandon their drying halls mid-process; with no time to re-dry the tea conventionally, the farmers smoked the leaves over local pine to preserve them. The result became a product in its own right and eventually one of the most recognised Chinese teas in Europe. What makes Tongmuguan Lapsang different from mass-produced smoked teas is the wood and the leaf. The pine used is local larch from the nature reserve — a protected forest at 1200 metres elevation with cold nights and clean air. The leaf itself is large-bud material from old local cultivars, laid over smoking frames on pinewood fires that run at a controlled temperature for several hours. The smoke bonds with the tea at the leaf surface rather than overwhelming it, which is why well-made Lapsang is complex rather than simply acrid. In the cup: deep burgundy liquor. The nose is bold pine smoke, pine resin and dried fruit — prune, raisin. On the palate: a clean, rounded smokiness, dried fruit body, salted toffee in the finish. The smoke softens noticeably after the third steep to reveal a natural sweetness underneath. Works equally well without milk and as an evening blend with full-fat milk. Worldwide delivery.