Comparison
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Lapsang Souchong: smoked vs unsmoked
Lapsang Souchong — the first black tea on record, from Tongmu inside Wuyishan — is made two ways. The traditional version is dried over pine smoke and carries a resinous, tarry note that Western markets know as Lapsang. The unsmoked version, dried without smoke, is the one Chinese and East Asian buyers usually mean. They are the same leaf and the same origin; the contract must say which.
| Pine-smoked | Unsmoked | |
|---|---|---|
| Drying | Over pine wood smoke | Without smoke |
| Cup | Resinous, tarry, long | Sweet, longan-like, malty |
| Who asks for it | Western specialty, blenders | Chinese and East Asian specialty |
| Related grade | — | Jin Jun Mei (bud-only pluck) |
| Origin | Tongmu, Wuyishan, Fujian | Tongmu, Wuyishan, Fujian |
| Must be on the contract | Smoked | Unsmoked |
Versus
Why does the contract have to say?
A Lapsang Souchong contract has to say smoked or unsmoked because the grade name does not. A buyer expecting the unsmoked cup and receiving the smoked one has a lot that cannot be sold into its intended channel, and nothing on the certificate of analysis will show why. Smoke is a specification, not a flavour note.
Frequently asked
Is Lapsang Souchong always smoked?
No. It is produced smoked and unsmoked from the same Tongmu leaf. Western markets usually expect the smoked version; East Asian buyers usually mean the unsmoked one.
What is Jin Jun Mei?
A bud-only black tea from Tongmu, related to unsmoked Lapsang Souchong, with a golden tip.
Next step
Deciding between Smoked and Unsmoked?
Send the destination and the quantity. ODM Tea answers with the one that fits and the clauses that go with it.