• Acala Tea Co
  • Acala Tea Co
  • Acala Tea Co
  • Acala Tea Co
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Acala Tea Co.

"Smoke Trails" Lapsang Souchong

"Smoke Trails" Lapsang Souchong

Weight
$10.00 USD
$10.00 USD
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Our first introduction to Lapsang Souchong occurred when our British friend was sending a birthday gift of tea to his father in London.  He told us that Lapsang Souchong is the only tea his father drinks and it is hard to find in London.  We discovered that this tea has been a long-time favorite among the Brits, including Winston Churchill.  It pairs well with shortbread cookies, cigars, deep thinking and good conversation.

Smoke Trails is a traditional Lapsang Souchong black tea that is dried in a pinewood-fired wok.  The leaves absorb the aroma of the resinous pinewood, giving this tea a unique flavor and a devout following of tea drinkers.  This balanced tea has the flavor and aroma of toasted almond, apricot, rose and pine sap, and the minerality for which the mountainous Wuyi area is famous.   

Tea Specifics

Lapsang Souchong (Zhengshan Xiaozhong) Handpicked, Traditionally Hand-Finished

Season: Spring 2021

Region: Wuyishan Ecological Preserve, Wuyishan, Fujian Province, China

Style: Black

Form: Loose Leaf

Cultivar: Camellia sinensis var. Assamica

Varietal: Xingcun Xiaozhong

Topography: Rocky, Mountainous Slope

Drying: Pinewood-heated Wok

Red (black) tea contains 40-60mg of caffeine per 8 oz cup. As the tea ages, the caffeine levels decline over time because light and leaf oxidation reduce caffeine. Thus, an aged red tea that is decades old may not contain much caffeine at all. If you have the willpower to resist drinking this tea and to instead store and age the tea, the taste profile will only deepen.

Tasting Notes

Toasty, Pine Resin, Slight Notes of Campfire, Pepper and Camphor, Almond, Lychee, Deep Forest Floor

Brewing Recommendations

Ideal Brewing Vessel: Porcelain tea pot or gaiwan; or high-fired, high profile clay teapot; tea pitcher with strainer.

Western Style: 4g per 6-8oz of purified water (205F/96C). Steep 30 seconds. Add 15 seconds to second steeping. Add 30 seconds to third steeping.

Gong Fu Cha Style: 3-5g (2-3 tsp) per 100 ml (8 oz) of purified water (205F/96C). Pour water down the side of the brewing vessel and not directly on the leaves. Brew for 4 seconds only. Replace the lid and pour the liquor into a gong dao bei (fairness pitcher) before apportioning into tea cups.  Because the most flavorful elixir is at the bottom of the tea pot, be sure every drop of tea is poured into the pitcher. Remove the lid from the brewing vessel between steepings. Flash brewing like this ensures the tea can be re-steeped 4+times.

Cold Brew: Fill a pitcher with 450ml (12 oz) cold, purified water. Place 4g (1 1/2 tsp) tea in pitcher and chill in refrigerator overnight.

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