Lapsang Souchong — Smoked vs Floral Guide
Lapsang souchong: smoked vs floral — what's the difference?
Lapsang Souchong is a black tea from Tongmu Village in the Wuyi Mountains, Fujian province, China. If you've heard of it, you probably know it as the smoky one — campfire in a cup, liquid bacon, that sort of thing. But there's actually a second style that most people outside China haven't come across yet: an unsmoked version, often called "floral" Lapsang, that tastes nothing like smoke at all.
We carry both at our shop in Hobart, and the reaction when people taste them side by side is always the same — surprise. They look similar, they come from the same village, they're made from the same tea plant. But they taste completely different.
Here's what makes them different and how to figure out which one you'll like.
A quick bit of background
Lapsang Souchong has been produced in the Tongmu area for over 400 years. The original version was always smoked — the leaves were dried over pinewood fires in multi-storey buildings called Qing Lou, where the smoke rises through bamboo mats and slowly infuses the tea. For centuries, this was the only style. It was mostly exported to Europe, where the bold smoky flavour found a loyal following.
Around 2005, tea makers in Tongmu started producing an unsmoked version. Instead of drying over pinewood, the leaves are processed more like a conventional black tea. The result let the natural character of the tea plant come through — fruity, sweet, floral — without any smoke at all. This unsmoked style became very popular within China, where most tea drinkers actually prefer it over the smoked version.
So now there are two quite different teas sharing the same name, which understandably confuses people.
What do smoked and floral Lapsang taste like?
Smoked Lapsang Souchong
The smoky version is bold. The first thing you notice is the aroma — pinewood smoke, warm and resinous. In the cup, the smoke sits over a creamy, sweet base with notes of dried longan and honey. It's not subtle, especially in the first couple of infusions, but it has more depth than people expect. One of our customers called it an "umami bomb" that reminded him of smoked beef jerky, which is honestly a fair description.
If you drink whisky (particularly peated Scotch), enjoy barbecue, or just like things with a smoky edge, you'll probably take to this straight away. It's one of those polarising teas — people tend to either get hooked or decide it's not for them within the first sip.
Floral Lapsang Souchong
The floral version is a different tea entirely. Without the smoke, you get the natural sweetness and fruitiness of the Tongmu terroir — honey, stone fruit, a touch of dried longan, and a clean, bright finish. It's lighter, gentler, and much more approachable than the smoked version.
People who've only ever heard of Lapsang as "that smoky tea" are usually surprised by this one. It's sweet, easy to brew, and doesn't need any milk or sugar. If you like fruity black teas or are used to lighter styles like Darjeeling, you'll probably enjoy it.
Side by side
| Smoked | Floral | |
|---|---|---|
| Taste | Smoky, creamy, honey-scented | Fruity, honey-sweet, clean |
| Aroma | Pinewood smoke, resinous | Sweet, stone fruit, floral |
| Body | Full, rich | Light to medium |
| Colour | Deep amber-red | Bright reddish-orange |
| Caffeine | High | High |
| Milk? | Optional — works both ways | Better without |
| Best for | Whisky drinkers, BBQ fans, bold flavours | Lighter tea lovers, fruit-forward, or found smoked too intense |
| Origin | Tongmu Village, Wuyi, Fujian | Tongmu Village, Wuyi, Fujian |
The biggest thing to notice is how much the processing changes the tea. Same village, same plant variety, same picking standard — but the smoking step creates an entirely different drinking experience. It's a good example of why processing matters as much as (or more than) the raw leaf when it comes to how a tea tastes.
How do you brew Lapsang Souchong?
Both teas brew well either Western style or Gongfu style. Here's a starting point for each:
Western style (mug or teapot)
| Smoked | Floral | |
|---|---|---|
| Leaf | 1.5g per 250ml | 2g per 250ml |
| Water | 90°C | 90°C |
| Time | 3 minutes | 3 minutes |
| Infusions | Up to 4 | 2 |
Gongfu style (gaiwan or small teapot)
| Smoked | Floral | |
|---|---|---|
| Leaf | 4g per 150ml | 5g per 150ml |
| Water | 90°C | 90°C |
| First steep | 15 seconds | 20 seconds |
| Add per steep | +10s from 6th | +10s from 2nd |
| Total infusions | Up to 15 | 5-6 |
The smoked version is worth brewing Gongfu if you can — the concentrated steeps really bring out the layers underneath the smoke, and you can taste how the character shifts as you go through the infusions. The smoke softens, the sweetness comes forward, and around the fifth or sixth steep you start getting something quite different from the first cup.
The floral version is more straightforward. It brews up well in a mug, and the honey sweetness develops nicely through the middle infusions if you're doing Gongfu.
Which Lapsang Souchong should you try first?
Try the smoked version if: you like peated whisky, campfire cooking, smoked meats, or bold flavours in general. It also makes a surprisingly good gift — one of our customers bought it for a mate who's into whiskies, and it went down well. It's also useful in cooking as a substitute for liquid smoke.
Try the floral version if: you prefer lighter teas, you've tried smoked Lapsang and found it too intense, or you're looking for something naturally sweet without any added flavouring. It's a good bridge tea for people moving from green tea into black tea.
Try both if: you're curious about how processing changes a tea. Tasting them side by side is genuinely interesting, even if you end up preferring one over the other. Some people even blend them — mixing a bit of each to find their own balance of smoke and sweetness.
Our Lapsang Souchong teas
Lapsang Souchong Original Smoked — 40g for $55, or try a 5g sample for $10. Traditional pine-smoked style.
Lapsang Souchong Floral — 50g for $32, or try a 5g sample for $7. Unsmoked, naturally sweet and fruity.
Both are available at our Salamanca Tea Bar in Hobart (77 Salamanca Place) — if you're local or visiting, come in and try them before you decide. Joanne is usually happy to brew both side by side so you can compare.
If you're exploring black teas more broadly, have a look at our full black tea collection. Our Yunnan Black Tea (Dian Hong) is a good next step if you want something malty and sweet without any smoke, and the Peach Black Tea is worth trying if you lean toward the fruity side.
If you're in Hobart, drop by our Salamanca Tea Bar — we'll brew whatever interests you, no pressure to buy. You'll also find us at Salamanca Market every Saturday morning.