Lapsang souchong tea has one of the most recognizable flavor profiles in the tea world. Its unmistakable smoky aroma, rich black tea body, and lingering campfire finish make it an acquired taste for some and an everyday favorite for others. Whether you're curious about this famous smoky Chinese tea or looking for the top lapsang souchong tea to add to your collection, there are many traditional and modern options available to explore.
This guide explores standout traditional and contemporary blends for 2026 while explaining what makes a good lapsang souchong. You'll also learn about its origins, flavor, brewing characteristics, and the differences between classic smoked black tea and creative blends that incorporate lapsang souchong alongside other teas, herbs, spices, and botanicals.
What Is Lapsang Souchong Tea?
Lapsang Souchong has its roots in the Wuyi Mountains of Fujian Province, China. The two names you will see are not quite interchangeable: Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong refers to the original Tongmu-area tea, which is not always smoked, while "lapsang souchong" is used in the West for the smoked style in general. However, some modern versions differ quite a bit from the traditional style. They come from different places and are made in different ways. One of the things that sets traditional lapsang souchong apart from other black teas is how it gets its great smoky flavor. The leaves are traditionally smoked over pinewood fires, giving the tea its signature smoky aroma and flavor.
The term 'souchong' generally refers to larger, more mature tea leaves, although its exact historical origin is interpreted differently across tea traditions. Today, producers craft lapsang souchong using a range of processing methods, resulting in teas that vary from intensely smoky to lightly smoked or entirely unsmoked.
For first-time drinkers, lapsang souchong's bold smoky profile can be surprisingly distinctive. Depending on the producer, tasting notes may include campfire smoke, cedar, toasted wood, leather, spice, dark malt, caramel, honey, dried fruit, vanilla, or subtle citrus, with the smoky character ranging from dominant to gently balanced.
While traditional lapsang souchong remains widely appreciated, many modern tea makers also use it as a component in blended teas featuring herbs, flowers, berries, spices, or complementary black teas.
The Top 10 Lapsang Souchong Tea in 2026
These selections showcase traditional smoked teas and some interesting modern blends. We picked out our favorites based on their flavor profiles, ingredient combinations, and tea styles.
1. Beach House – Olympic Woodsman Black Tea
Brand Overview - Beach House Teas is a US-based tea company known for handcrafted loose-leaf blends that combine traditional teas with carefully selected botanicals. They're all about creating handcrafted, loose-leaf blends that show off the beauty of traditional tea styles in a whole new way. And you can tell that they're passionate about what they do.
Flavor and Experience - Beach House's Olympic Woodsman Black Tea offers a distinctive interpretation of smoked black tea. The blend combines lapsang souchong with kukicha, cedar tips, nettle leaf, and jasmine flowers to create a layered smoky profile. The flavor profile features notes of wood, herbs, flowers, and gentle smoke from the lapsang souchong all blending together beautifully. And when you drink it, it's smooth and rounded. Each ingredient contributes to the blend while allowing the smoky character of the lapsang souchong to remain prominent.
Brewing and Serving Notes - To brew Beach House Olympic Woodsman Black Tea, use about 2-3 grams of tea for every 8 oz (240 ml) of water and then steep it at somewhere between 200-212°F (93-100°C) for 4-5 minutes. During brewing, the tea develops a rich smoky aroma and a deep amber infusion. You can enjoy it plain or add a bit of honey to soften the smokiness.
2. Beach House – Beards Hollow Black Tea
Flavor and Experience - Beach House Beards Hollow Black Tea takes the robust smokiness of lapsang souchong and combines it with blackberry leaf, juniper berries, and cedar leaf to create a black tea that's creating a blend with a distinctly woodland-inspired flavor profile. The aroma opens with pine smoke, followed by subtle berry sweetness and evergreen notes. When you take a sip, the smokiness hits you first, but, it's balanced by enough subtlety to keep things interesting.
Brewing and Serving Notes - When brewing Beards Hollow Black tea, use two or three grams of tea leaves per 8 oz of water and get the water temp up to between 200–212°F. Let it steep for 4 or five minutes - long enough for the leaves to start to reveal their smoky, woody, herbal character. The aroma that starts to unfurl in the cup - it's got a deep, rich quality to it, and smells like a real forest floor. Drink it straight up, or try it with a drizzle of honey to soften the smoky character.
3. August Uncommon Tea – Low Country Bourbon Sugar Black Tea
Brand Overview - August Uncommon Tea is a tea company that is known for developing inventive tea blends that combine traditional tea styles with unexpected flavor combinations. They take the traditional styles of tea and toss in some untraditional ingredients to create blends that are a little bit different from the normal. In their own words, they are all about making tea exciting by combining bold ingredients and unique flavors. Their teas are aimed at people who like to try new things and aren't content to the usual tea blends.
Flavor and Experience - Low Country Bourbon Sugar Black Tea offers a distinctive interpretation of smoked black tea. It's a smoked black tea that's been influenced by lapsang souchong, but then you add in all these other flavors like burnt sugar, buckwheat, chicory, caramel, cocoa, and bourbon-inspired elements. But despite the smokiness, the overall flavor is smooth and full bodied, with a warm aroma that's more like toasted grain and malt than anything too overpowering. And there's a sweetness, not too much, but just enough to balance out all the other flavors.
Brewing and Serving Notes - When brewing the Low Country Bourbon Sugar Black Tea, use about 2-3 grams of loose leaf per 8oz of water, and keep the temperature somewhere between 200-212°F (93-100°C) for 4-5 minutes. As the leaves unfurl, they give off these delightful aromas of toasted sugar, cocoa and soft smoky notes that create a rich amber tea that is perfect to enjoy on its own, or with a bit of milk to bring out the caramel and roasted notes.
4. August Uncommon Tea – Black Metallic – Violet Elderberry Black Tea
Flavor and Experience - August Uncommon Tea's Black Metallic - Violet Elderberry Black Tea is a daring blend of Yunnan black tea, Formosa oolong, and lapsang souchong, boosted by the floral power of violet, rose and blue mallow flowers, which all come together in a union that's creating an elegant and layered flavor profile. The lapsang souchong's subtle smokiness provides a stable base allowing the tea to showcase its layered blackberry, floral sweetness and smooth herbal undertones. When you take a sip, the tannins come in lightly to lend structure while the fruit and floral notes engage in a vibrant, refined interplay.
Brewing and Serving Notes - To get the Black Metallic – Violet Elderberry Black Tea going, use about 2 to 3 grams of tea leaves and steep them in around 8 ounces (240ml) of water at a temperature of 200-212°F (93-100°C) for 4-5 minutes. As the leaves unfurl, the tea releases a fragrant bouquet that's like a walk through a garden on a warm summer day. The aroma features layered floral, berry, and subtle smoky notes. While it's brewing, you might notice the tea transforming into a beautiful warm amber color. You can enjoy it hot on its own to get to know the tea's complex flavors or serve it lightly chilled as a refreshing floral tea.
5. August Uncommon Tea – Breakfast Smoky Vanilla Black Tea
Flavor and Experience - August Uncommon Tea's Breakfast Smoky Vanilla Black Tea has a mix of Assam and Ceylon black teas which they've combined with lapsang souchong and actual vanilla to give you a comforting cup of tea. The flavor starts off with a smooth, malty taste and a hint of creamy sweetness that's like vanilla ice cream. The initial malty sweetness gradually gives way to a subtle smoky finish. But what makes this tea stand out is the background notes - it's got all the aromas of sweet custard, freshly baked pastry and even a hint of soft pine smoke to give it a bit of depth. As you're sipping the last of it, you get this rounded finish that leaves a hint of caramel and warm spice on your tongue.
Brewing and Serving Notes - When it comes to brewing the Breakfast Smoky Vanilla Black Tea, use about 2-3 grams of tea per 8 oz (240ml) of water, and give it a good 4-5 minutes at 200-212°F (93 - 100°C). Brewing releases warm vanilla aromas layered with subtle smoky notes, creating a gorgeous smooth, amber cup that's got real body to it. You can drink it straight up and get all the layers, or add a splash of milk to bring out the creamy vanilla.
6. Piper and Leaf – Trailblazer Blend
Brand Overview - Piper and Leaf is a US-based tea company that designs its own handcrafted blends. They draw inspiration from the great outdoors - from nature itself, seasonal ingredients, and their employees' creativity when it comes to unique flavor combinations. Their blends combine tea leaves, herbs, spices, and botanicals into distinctive flavor profiles. The company frequently experiments with unconventional flavor combinations.
Flavor and Experience - The Piper and Leaf Trailblazer Blend is made with a mix of lapsang souchong, cinnamon, persimmon, ginger, juniper berries, pumpkin, coriander, black pepper, balsam fir, cedar, and spearmint. Together, these ingredients create a layered and complex blend. It starts with a gentle smoke flavor and then brings in some warm spice and evergreen across the palate. A subtle sweetness balances the smoky and spiced notes. The aroma combines wood smoke with evergreen and botanical notes. Meanwhile, the ginger and pepper add a bit of extra warmth to the overall experience.
Brewing and Serving Notes - To brew the Trailblazer Blend, use around 2-3 grams of loose leaf tea per 8 ounces (240ml) of water and then steep at 200-212°F (93-100°C) for 4-5 minutes. While that's steeping, you'll notice some lovely aromas of smoke, spice, and botanicals. Once its steeped, the resulting cup is a rich amber color with a smooth finish. You can enjoy it on its own nice and warm, or add a bit of honey to enhance the smoky and spicy notes.
7. Culinary Teas – Organic Russian Caravan Tea
Brand Overview - Culinary Teas offers a broad selection of loose-leaf teas inspired by traditional tea styles and classic flavor profiles from around the world. Their selection spans all over the tea map. They've got teas from all sorts of regions and some unique blends to go around. It's a collection that aims to give people a good all-around tea-drinking experience. You can drink the familiar everyday tea or mix it up and explore different styles of tea.
Flavor and Experience - Organic Russian Caravan Tea offers a mix of smoky, earthy flavors and a hint of sweetness. It is worth knowing what is in it: this one blends three large-leaf teas — lapsang souchong, assam and pu-erh — so the earthiness comes from the pu-erh as much as from the smoke. It doesn't taste much like a traditional lapsang souchong on its own, but it does share in that nice mellow smokiness some black teas get from being smoked. The tea itself is a mix of robust black tea notes, a bit of pine and a subtle dried-fruit sweetness that all come together for a smooth, rounded taste profile with lots of malt and warmth and a bit of a sweet finish.
Brewing and Serving Notes - If you want to brew up some Culinary Teas Organic Russian Caravan Tea, the standard is about 2-3 grams of tea per 8 oz (or 240 milliliters) of water, and you want it hot - about 200-212°F (that's 93-100°C) for 4-5 minutes. The leaves give off a nice smoky aroma that's balanced out by some slight fruity notes and that creates a rich amber cup with a smooth body. You can drink it straight up to get a feel for the tea, or add a bit of milk to bring out some of the deeper tea flavors.
8. Culinary Teas – Lapsang Souchong Tea
Flavor and Experience - Culinary Teas' Lapsang Souchong tea embodies the full-on smoky profile that makes this type of tea famous. The aroma opens with pronounced pine smoke but then you start to pick up on notes of malt, and the richness of hardwood - all balanced by a lovely, delicate lychee-like sweetness that prevents it from becoming too heavy. The tea develops a full-bodied texture and a smooth finish that balances out those bold smoky notes with a nice warmth and a fair bit of complexity.
Brewing and Serving Notes - To get the best out of Culinary Teas Lapsang Souchong tea, you'll want to use about 2 or 3 grams of leaves for every 8 ounces (240ml) of water and then give it a good 4- 5 minutes steep at a temperature of around 200-212°F (93- 100°C) to get the flavors to start coming out. During brewing, the tea develops a hint of a distinct campfire-like smokiness, and that's going to give you a lovely deep amber looking infusion with a real wood and smoky flavor. You can either enjoy it on its own hot, or you can pair it with roasted meats, aged cheeses, or other savory dishes.
9. Culinary Teas – Lapsang Zhivago 1919 Black Tea
Flavor and Experience - Culinary Teas Lapsang Zhivago 1919 Black Tea offers an intensely smoky, full-bodied flavor profile. Simply opening the tea reveals a strong aroma of woodsmoke that's impossible to miss even before brewing your first cup. As you take a sip, the deeper flavors of black tea come through, mixed in with hints of roasted nuts and some background woodiness. The aftertaste is probably the most impressive part and, it's got a great balance of smokiness, leaving you with a pleasant lingering finish.
Brewing and Serving Notes - Lapsang Zhivago 1919 Black Tea is a prepared using 2-3 grams of loose-leaf for every 8 oz of water and let it steep at around 200-212°F for 4-5 minutes. What you'll end up with is an infusion that's a deep amber color and has a decent amount of body. The smokiness of the tea comes out while it's brewing. As for serving, enjoy it plain or try pairing it with some rich, savory foods - the smokiness helps bring out the flavors.
10. Apothecary Teas – Lapsang Souchong Black Tea
Brand Overview - Apothecary Teas focuses on traditional loose-leaf teas with straightforward ingredient profiles. They take classic tea traditions while maintaining the character of traditional tea styles by creating blends that let the natural character of each tea shine through without any mess. They've got a whole range of timeless varieties that appeal to people who love the unique qualities of a good strong tea.
Flavor and Experience - Apothecary Teas Lapsang Souchong Black Tea is a classic example of black tea that showcases the signature smoky profile for which this tea is known. When you first lift the lid, you get a pronounced wood-smoke aroma, but then you notice that underneath all that smokiness is a smooth black tea with a hint of sweetness and some subtle woody spice notes too. This tea balances out its boldness with a mellow finish, so you get to enjoy all the subtleties of the tea itself without being overpowered by the smokiness.
Brewing and Serving Notes - If you want to brew Apothecary Teas Lapsang Souchong Black Tea, use around 2-3 grams of loose leaf for every 8 ounces (240 ml) of water and heat it up to around 200-212°F (93-100°C) for 4-5 minutes. As it brews, you'll get this amazing smoky aroma filling the air and when it's all done, you're left with this deep amber colored infusion that's got a lovely smooth body and plenty of warm woody notes. Try it on its own or pair it up with some savory foods that bring out the best in that smoky flavor.
The Three Grades of Lapsang Souchong
Sellers in China and the West tend to sort lapsang souchong into three broad grades, and knowing which one you are looking at tells you more than the brand name does.
- Tarry — the strongest of the three, with the most aggressive pine smoke. This is the style that gave lapsang its reputation, and the one that divides a room. If you have only ever tried a supermarket tin and found it harsh, a tarry lapsang souchong is probably what you had.
- Rare — the middle grade, built on notes of wood, peat, and smoke rather than smoke alone. Peat is the word that keeps coming up with this style, and anyone who drinks Islay whiskey will recognise why: the smoke sits underneath the tea rather than on top of it.
- Mild — the gentlest, with a lighter body and a silky aftertaste. This is the lapsang souchong to hand a beginner, and the one that most often converts people who thought they disliked smokey tea.
Alongside these, modern producers in China now offer both heavily smoked and entirely unsmoked lapsang souchong. An unsmoked one is a genuinely different drink: nuanced, sweet and woody, with the fruit and floral character that the smoke normally covers. It is worth trying at least once, if only to understand what the smoke is masking.
What Lapsang Souchong Tastes Like Next to a Whiskey
The comparison people reach for most often is a peated scotch. It is a fair one: both get their character from smoke applied during drying, both divide drinkers sharply, and both reward you for sitting with them rather than drinking them fast. Others describe a good tarry cup as reminiscent of smoked brisket, which is closer to the mark than it sounds. The pine gives a sweet, clean smokiness rather than an ashy one, and that sweetness is what separates a well-made lapsang souchong from a badly made one.
How to Brew Lapsang Souchong
Lapsang souchong is more forgiving than most Chinese black teas, but the method changes the cup a great deal. Four approaches are worth knowing.
- Western style — the default. Steep at around 212°F for 3 to 5 minutes. Longer steeping yields bolder flavors, which works well if you are planning to add milk and want the tea to stand up to it.
- Gongfu style — a high leaf-to-water ratio and very short infusions, seconds rather than minutes, repeated many times. This is the method that shows you how the smoke fades across successive brews and what is underneath it. If you have a small pot, it is the most rewarding way to infuse this tea.
- Cold brew — steep the leaves in cold, fresh water in the refrigerator rather than on the counter, roughly 8 to 12 grams per litre, for eight to twelve hours, then strain. The result is startlingly smooth: cold water pulls far less tannin, so the smoke arrives as an aroma rather than a punch. Keep the finished infusion refrigerated and drink it within a couple of days.
- Iced — brew double strength hot, then pour over ice. Quicker than cold brew and better suited to a lighter, less tarry lapsang souchong.
Whichever method you use, a smoky tea rewards a little patience with the first infusion. Give the leaves room to infuse and they open up; crowd them into a small infuser and the cup turns flat.
Buying Lapsang Souchong: Formats and First Steps
Lapsang souchong comes in three formats — loose leaf, teabags and tins — and they are not equivalent. Loose leaf gives you the whole leaf and the most control, and it is what most of the teas in this guide are. Teabags are convenient and consistent, and they suit an office drawer better than a caddy does, though the leaf inside teabags is usually broken smaller. Good teabags are not a compromise so much as a different trade: you give up some aroma and gain a cup you can make anywhere, which is why most people keep both loose leaf and teabags in the cupboard. A tin protects the leaf from light and air far better than a bag does, which matters more with a smoked tea than with most: the aroma is the first thing to fade, and a tin holds it for months.
If you are new to this, buy a sample before you buy a tin. A one-ounce sample costs a few dollars and answers the only question that matters, which is whether you like it at all. Plenty of people who love the idea of a smoky tea find that they do not want a whole tin of it, and plenty of others start with a sample and never drink anything else. Beginners are usually happiest starting with a mild or blended lapsang souchong rather than a tarry one from China.
Why Lapsang Souchong Remains Popular
It may not be the most widely consumed tea in the world as it is overshadowed by the familiarity of breakfast blends and the charm of Earl Grey's bergamot, but it still has its loyal following of tea lovers because of its unmistakable smoky taste. Its bold smoky profile pairs naturally with cool weather, hearty meals, and leisurely tea sessions. Its versatility also appeals to many tea enthusiasts because of the way it's equally enjoyable served hot or over ice, or even as a key ingredient in different recipes.
But the smoky character of lapsang souchong doesn't stop at the cup, the leaves themselves can also be used as a versatile culinary ingredient. You can add them to marinades, sprinkle them on as a rub, simmer them in a broth, or even incorporate them into a dessert or cocktail and that smoky depth will elevate the whole dish without overpowering anything else. That's what makes lapsang souchong such a surprisingly handy thing to have in your pantry. Its versatility is also a big part of the fun.
FAQ
What is the best time to drink Lapsang Souchong?
Lapsang souchong can be a popular morning beverage, just like other black teas, thanks to the caffeine it contains. But its amount will vary depending on which tea leaves and brewing method you use. The smoky aroma that sets this tea apart makes it a popular choice for afternoon tea sessions or when the weather cools down. Although some people might find that they're more sensitive to the caffeine and prefer to have it at a different time.
Does Lapsang Souchong tea have caffeine?
Yes, it has caffeine. It's a black tea, and black tea comes from the Camellia sinensis plant which naturally contains caffeine. If you're looking to reduce your caffeine intake, you might want to look at a lower-caffeine tea or adjust your brewing method - though it will still have some caffeine in it.
Why is Lapsang Souchong hard to find?
Authentic lapsang souchong is produced in relatively limited quantities using traditional processing methods. Its production requires time, craftsmanship, and specialized smoking techniques that have been passed down through generations. Plus, the fact that its distinctive flavor doesn't appeal to everyone is actually a part of the reason why you won't see it on every tea shelf.
Do you put milk in Lapsang Souchong?
Milk is largely a matter of personal preference. The purists like to have it plain to appreciate the smoky complexity. But adding milk can actually work quite well too, especially if the blend is a bit on the sweet side. Milk can help mellow out the smokiness, and make the creamy, caramel-like flavors come out a bit more. The way you take it is going to depend on what you like.
What is Lapsang Souchong tea known for?
It is best known for its distinctive smoky flavor profile. Although black tea naturally contains antioxidants, brewed tea should not be viewed as a significant source of health benefits. It's best enjoyed as part of a balanced diet and as a nice cup of tea.
Final Thoughts
Choosing the top lapsang souchong tea ultimately depends on your preference for smokiness and flavor balance. If you're after a traditional smoked tea, then you'll want to look for a smoky flavor that's got a real pine-smoke character. But some modern options can be surprisingly balanced and also have notes of flowers, sweetness, spices or even a woodsy feel to them.
Whichever type of lapsang souchong you're after, whether it's the classic, authentic smoked black tea or a more contemporary blended tea, you'll find something in this guide that will suit your brewing style and taste buds. Explore our smoked tea collection to discover traditional smoked teas, creative blends, and premium loose-leaf selections.
Behind the Cup
