Quote:
Originally Posted by CRussel
The difference in quality between good Lapsang Souchong and cheap versions is huge. One of the best I've had was one I got in Paris several years ago at Mariage Freres |
I found something interesting about Lapsang Souchong today
Quote:
This genuine quality is different in terms of the following points:
1) Tea leaf is lustrous
2) Tea leaf is in a reddish black color
3) The size of the tea leaf is small
Try to look at the tea leaf under the sunshine. You would notice that some of the tea leaves are shining like black crystal. This is the fact alone proves its authenticity of the real Lapsang Souchong.
The fake quality usually shows the following characters:
1) Tea leaf shows a grayish black color or a very dark color
2) Color is not bright as the smoky aroma might have been added by burning the logs or barks of different types of tree.
3) A very strong smoky aroma, yet no aroma of dried Longan
4) The taste is thin, lack of body and taste becomes drastically thin when it comes to the 2nd brewing
|
Lapsang Souchong I have at home has a dull greyish colour. So...
I have now three in my bookmarks folder Tea/Tea Shops/Tea Wanted/Lapsang Souchong:
The East India Company
Fortnum and Mason
and now
Mariage Freres
Nighty night.