Aged Lapsang Souchong Black Tea 2018

Lapsang Souchong from Wuyi Mountain aged for 4 years –

Can Black Tea transform into better taste during aging process?

Black Tea is a kind of fully-fermented tea, which make it has less room for further fermentation after being processed. Does it mean that black tea cannot be aged? In fact, Black Tea can actually be aged, and turns out to be a very sweet and delicious Tea within a few years of transformation. The strong and irritating taste of the fresh black tea will transformed into a very mellow taste with a present fruity notes. But it is not recommended to be aged for a long time, aged black tea over 10 years will usually become dull in its taste, yet it can still be a kind of treasure as it can be treated as a herbal medicine in China.

Lapsang Souchong Black Tea, also called as Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong 正山小種，is one of the earliest black tea in the world, with more than 450 years of history. Zheng Shan (正山） represent the unique location of the growing area – Tong Mu Village within the Xing Cun Zheng of Wuyi Mountain, Fujian. Xiao Zhong (小種) represent the small leaf varietal of the Tea.

Traditionally, Lapsang Souchong is a kind of smoked black tea, being smoke-baked by pine wood. But does it mean all kinds of Lapsang Souchong is being smoked? We have been asked several time about this question – why is the Souchong Black Tea not having the smoky flavour? In fact, Lapsang Souchong can be smoked or unsmoked, the souchong commonly found nowadays is usually unsmoked. The Tea curated in this box is unsmoked lapsang souchong stored for almost 4 years, it has transformed from a strong black tea into a very mellow tea with a present rounded mouthfeel and apparent soft fruity note.

Weight per pack: 25g

Tea Farm Location: Wuyi Mountain region, Fujian

Harvest Time: Spring 2021

Tea Liquor Colour: Bright and clear reddish orange

Dry Leave Appearance: dark and small twisted leaves

Wet Leaves: Brown

Tasting Notes: smoky, dried Longan, woody and honey notes