The Range · Drop 001
The Smoke
One tea. Done properly. We do not chase volume — we chase depth. Each batch is hand-packed in the UK to preserve the smoke.
Lapsang Souchong
Orthodox Special Leaf
Premium whole-leaf black tea, slowly smoked over real pinewood until it develops deep campfire aroma, smooth oak character, and resinous pine notes with no bitterness.
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A campfire in a cup
"Smells like the forest. Drinks like a warm fire on a cold morning."
Bold. Honest. Fresh. Glossy whole leaves, sealed at peak aroma — ready to brew at full strength.
Tasting Notes
Drink it black.
Add milk if you dare.
Bold but balanced. Wild but refined. Comforting and unapologetic.
"It smells like a forest. It tastes like a campfire. It lingers like a good story."
In the cup
Four notes. One fire.
Hover or tap a quadrant. The wheel does the talking.
01
Aroma
Pine and oak fire. Open the pouch and you're already standing next to a campfire on a cold morning.
With or without milk
Same fire. Two moods.
A small splash of milk does not break the smoke — it changes its outfit. Here is what shifts when you pour it in.
Option A
Black
"Pure intensity. The way it was made to be drunk."
- Flavour
- Pinewood smoke up front, oak and resin behind it. Sharp, defined edges.
- Body
- Lean and dry. The leaf does the talking — nothing softens it.
- Finish
- Long, smoky, slightly drying. Lingers on the back of the tongue like woodsmoke on a coat.
Option B
With milk
"Smoke softened. Malt forward. A different campfire."
- Flavour
- Smoke pulls back a step. Malt and oak step forward — closer to a smoked Assam than a forest fire.
- Body
- Rounder and creamier. Coats the cup and the palate. Less sharp, more comforting.
- Finish
- Shorter and warmer. The smoke fades into a sweet, biscuity tail rather than a dry one.
Tip: pour the milk in after the steep, not before. Hot milk during brewing dulls the smoke and flattens the body.
Brew strength
Dial in your fire.
Same leaf, three intensities. Adjust the dose and the clock — water stays at 95–100°C, freshly boiled, filtered.
01
Mild
Toe in the water
- Leaf
- ¾ tsp
- Steep
- 2½ min
- Water
- 95°C
Smoke takes a back seat. Malt and oak step forward. Smooth, easy, no edges.
Best for · First-timers · with milk
02
Classic
The Timber Smoke pour
- Leaf
- 1 tsp
- Steep
- 3 min
- Water
- 95–100°C
Balanced. Pinewood, oak and resin all in their proper seats. The way we drink it.
Best for · Daily cup · black
03
Extra Bold
Full campfire
- Leaf
- 1½ tsp
- Steep
- 5 min
- Water
- 100°C
Smoke front and centre. Long, dry finish. Stands up to milk and ice without flinching.
Best for · Iced brews · cold mornings
Rule of thumb: more leaf gives body, more time gives smoke. Push one or the other — rarely both at once.
How it's made
Seven stages. Unchanged for centuries.
Traditional Fujian method. Every stage done by people who have been doing it longer than most brands have existed.
01
Orthodox Plucking
Mature leaves, hand-picked from smaller-leaf bushes during peak harvest in early May.
02
Withering
Leaves laid out to dry naturally — usually indoors, because Fujian weather rarely cooperates.
03
Rolling
Started by hand, finished by machine. Bruises the leaf and starts oxidation.
04
Fermentation
Packed into bamboo baskets under thick cloth. Heat builds. Leaves turn yellow-red and sweeten.
05
Pan Frying
Heat kills the enzymes and locks in colour, sweetness and body. A stage unique to Lapsang.
06
Re-rolling
Leaves shaped into taut, twisted strips — the form you find in the pouch.
07
Smoking
Bamboo sieves of leaf held above smouldering pinewood fires until thick, glossy and full of aroma.
More smoke incoming.
Limited drops and bold blends are in the works. Built around smoke. Built without compromise.
Read the Story