Young Bush Unsmoked Lapsang Souchong

Tea: Young Bush Unsmoked Lapsang Souchong (Zhongshan Xiaozhong)

Type: Tongmuguan Black Tea (hongcha)

Cultivar: Xiaozhong

Harvest:  May, 2021

Region: Tongmuguan, Fujian

Producer: Zhang Family

When compared to the rough Old Bush tea leaves from Masu Village, this lower-elevation, younger Tongmuguan material is slighter, with fine twisted leaves.  The aroma off the warmed leaves has little spiciness and is almost entirely sweet and baked like fresh cake.  There is a boiled berry sweetness that comes off the wet leaves and the brew, while the color of the liquor is a deep rich gold.  The mouthfeel is surprisingly thick and soft on the tongue while drinking several cups in quick succession delivers a satisfying huigan in the back of the throat.  The taste of these brews is consistent and sweet while never losing its freshly baked mouthfeel.  If pushed, this tea can provide a pleasant astringency.  Overall, this is a really excellent example of an unsmoked black tea from area which produced the world’s first ever black tea.

Although the tea is not made of the Masu Village old bush material, it is still made from bushes in the Tongmuguan Nature Reserve and processed in Masu by the ZHang family.  The Zhang family has been producing Zhongshan Xiaozhong (Lapsang Souchong) for more than 5 generations, and every member of the family  is trained in the processing (sons and daughters both).  This region, the village, the farmers, producers, and makers check every one of our sourcing tea boxes.

Check out the other offering from the Zhang family, and watch the youtube video about our sourcing trip and their production methods!