Black Tea
sort one
 sort two
 sort three
blank
black sampler
89
black savant sampler
91
assam melody
85
assam harmony
86
black dragon pearls
90
ceylon sonata
88
darjeeling #22
87
darjeeling #1
84
darjeeling #2
89
earl grey bravo
88
earl grey moonlight
NEW!
english breakfast
83
fujian baroque
85
golden monkey
89
golden spring
88
irish breakfast
91
keemun concerto
86
keemun encore
86
keemun rhapsody
85
lapsang souchong
80
mambo
86
nepal first flush
78
pu erh dante
73
pu erh poe
74
red bloom
86
yunnan jig
88
yunnan gold
90
yunnan noir
89
blank
To access pricing:

register
(new to Adagio Teas)
- or -
sign in
(registered before)

Lapsang Souchong

319
reviews
rating
80

Description

Black tea from the Fujian province of China. Lapsang Souchong tea has a famously smoky aroma and flavor. To create this, tea leaves are dried in bamboo baskets over pine fires, achieving a perfect balance of smoke and tea flavor. Our 'Eroica Caravan' typically draws strong reactions: you'll either love it or hate it.

Story

The Lapsang Souchong tea is often referred to as Russian Caravan. The name refers to the long, overland journey that tea would travel on from China to the markets in Moscow. Chests of tea would travel on camelback, often taking a year to complete the journey. Russian-bound tea was famous for the smell of the many campfires it would absorb along the way. And thus, the smoky tea varieties became associated with Russia, and often have Slavic or Russian monarchy names, like Czar Nikolai or Ekaterina.

Customer Reviews

 | Negative: 44
 | Neutral: 45
Positive: 230
customer photo
review rating stars
Aiko F.
Jul 27th '10

"Yeah, definitely a hit or miss sort of tea. I served this at a tea-tasting with friends and they all had different opinions on it. Personally, I find it a bit too strong, but the flavor itself is pleasant; I find myself blending it in with my morning blacks when I feel like an extra kick."
customer photo
review rating stars
Maya R.
Jul 8th '10

"This is one of my favorite teas! The smoky aroma and flavor are a wonderful way to wake up in the morning. I usually sugar my teas, but this tea has such a rich, robust flavor that I don't need to. It's a favorite of mine to give to coffee drinkers!"
customer photo
review rating stars
Angela W.
Jul 4th '10

"Has a weird flavor, it's not bad, just...weird. Not something for everyday drinking, but still good on occasion."
customer photo
review rating stars
Mark C.
Jul 3rd '10

"An excellent lapsang souchong! This is like barbecued tea. Strong, smoky flavor that makes you want to have another cup right away!"
customer photo
review rating stars
Kevin C.
Jul 1st '10

"I really like lapsang souchong, but those who are unfamiliar may want to try a small sample first. The best way to describe the taste is as a mixture of pine and wood smoke - very earthy! If that is your thing, then you will probably like this tea. If you want something light, sweet, or delicate, this is not the tea for you. "
customer photo
review rating stars
Denise V.
Jun 24th '10

"Evening has fallen over a small village in Central Russia. Inside the house of Ivan Ivonovich and is wife, there's a crackling fire in the stone hearth, chasing away the autumn chill. The table is set with plates of warm brown bread, creamy butter and bowls of borscht. There is also this tea served in cracked mugs with a bit of milk. Adagio's Lapsang Souchong carries me away to distance places with my first sip of this smoky, exquisite tea. It's perfect."
[ 5 mins @ 212°F ]

Recommendations