Country of Origin: China
Leaf Appearance: twisted and very dark with some golden tips
Ingredients: black tea
Steep time: 40 seconds
Water Temperature: 212 degrees
Preparation Method: porcelain gaiwan
Liquor: reddish amber
I know many tea drinkers who do not enjoy Lapsang Souchong. While I agree that it can be an acquired taste, I think that a lot of this stems from the fact that many Lapsangs are overly smoked to mask a lower quality leaf. This tea was smokey, but in a much more mild way than most examples that I have tried. It was woodsy with notes of hazelnut and a lingering sweet aftertaste. There was none of the burnt rubber tire taste that is most often associated with this type of tea. I’ve been really impressed with the teas that I’ve tried from Min River Tea Farm and this one was no exception. I would definitely recommend this tea.