2025 Smoked Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong

2025-12-07

Black Tea Hole

Lately I’ve been drinking more black tea - maybe it’s the winter mood - but I can feel myself slowly slipping down a black-tea hole. So I figured it’s time to add a few entries like this to my tea database. I’ll keep things a bit simpler here, focusing mainly on taste and overall impressions.

In my last order from Nannuoshan, I picked up a selection of black teas to try. Their descriptions are some of the most accurate I’ve found on any vendor’s site (kudos!), but I’m adding my own impressions as well—just in case they help someone else find teas that fit their taste.

Lapsang Souchong

It’s my first time with a tea from the Tongmuguan Area, also known as “Lapsang Souchan” a tea smoked over wood - and as far as I understand, it’s easy for teas in this style to become overwhelmingly smoky. This one, however, has a really nice balance and elegance to it.

The oaky smoke is strong at first, but when brewed gong fu (as I do), the intensity softens after a few steeps. The savory smokiness gradually recedes, leaving a more balanced, full, rounded taste. It becomes lighter, yet still very flavorful, with more honey sweetness coming through. The smoke continues to coat the mouth, but an elegant cup starts to shine underneath. It also holds up for many steeps while staying interesting.

A very nice experience overall, smoky and savoury - great for those hazy November days when the mountains sit under constant fog.

The Origin Story

For those interested, here’s a Youtube Video explaining how the famous pine smoked Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong was discovered in Tongmu: