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makes 10 cups
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12¢ per cup

Lapsang Souchong

303
reviews
rating
79

Description

Black tea from the Fujian province of China. Lapsang Souchong tea (also called Russian Caravan 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.

Reviews

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James S.
Oct 29th '09

review rating stars
"I bought this after reading about it elsewhere online, and don't regret that I did. It's very smoky but I'm accustomed to that taste and appreciate it. It smells a lot stronger than it is, so you have to give it a fair try. A note, though, a lot of my co-workers didn't like it when they tried it, so it is probably an acquired taste, of sorts."
1 vote
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Girl x .
Mar 12th '10

review rating stars
"This is amazing to my palate. The smoke and the depth of flavor are almost perfect, and the smokiness is divine. It isn't quite as "kapow" as I'd like, but I tend to like my teas on the strong side. A definite reorder, and I am looking forward to trying other teas in the flavor family."
[ 6 mins @ 212°F ]
customer photo
Meghan .
Mar 11th '10

review rating stars
"As other reviewers noted this is a like it or hate it tea. My boyfriend could not stand it. Period. I liked it. It reminded me of mate only with a roasted kick to it. You should definitely start with a sample size on this one."
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H W.
Mar 9th '10

review rating stars
"This tea may be an acquired taste, but I don't plan on drinking it long enough to find out. The smell is overpowering and the tea just doesn't taste good. It is like drinking liquid smoke. The quick verdict - it stinks and tastes horrible."
[ 5 mins @ 212°F ]
customer photo
Ruthie M.
Feb 28th '10

review rating stars
"Loved it! Not an everyday tea though. Love the smell!"
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Lisa D.
Feb 15th '10

review rating stars
"great smokey tea. I purchased this for a friend that loves smokey teas and he said it was the best tea ever!"

Recommendations

Tea Recipes (containing Lapsang Souchong tea)

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