Description
Yanxun Xiaozhong 2018 (Smoked)
Tea – Smoked Black Tea
Harvest – Spring 2018
Origin – Tongmuguan, Wuyishan
This tea was produced in Tongmuguan, a Unesco world heritage protected area where tea trees grow semi-wild in a pristine environment. Unlike most areas of Wuyishan that are at relatively low elevation, Tongmu is situated at a much higher altitude and access there is restricted.
The traditional production method is quite unique among other black teas because of the use of smoke. In a building the leaves are placed on the upper floor while on the ground floor pine wood is burned. This process dries the leaves giving the tea a characteristic smoked flavor and is still carried out today by a very few farmers making it somehow hard to find.
This tea has a smoked flavor that has already settled quite a bit after a few years of aging making it lighter and balanced with the tea sweetness. The leaves are broken as it is characteristic of more common productions since this was not considered a fancy tea. The smoked flavor is quite interesting but it divides tea drinkers between those who love or hate it making Xiao Zhong one of the most unique black teas to try.
Price is for 50 g.
17.50€
Additional information
| Weight | 50 g |
|---|---|
| Name | This tea is often know in the west with the name "Lapsang Souchong" probably due to a transliteration done by tea merchants of the past centuries. The standard chinese name of the tea is 正山小种 pronounced Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong and literally meaning small variety from the true mountain. This name however usually nowadays indicates the more common unsmoked version, in order to differentiate it the name Yan Xun (烟熏) can be added, literally meaning "smoked" Xiao Zhong. |
| Packaging | The tea comes in a tin like the one in the picture. Be careful when opening the tin: please use a tool acting as lever to open the tin instead of your nails. |
