Keemun vs Lapsang Souchong

Keemun

Keemun is China's most famous black tea, from Qimen county in Anhui. The cup is smooth and refined: cocoa and dark stone fruit up front, a hint of orchid florals, and a long, sweet finish with gentle smoke. It is lighter in body than Assam but more aromatic, and it forms the base of traditional English Breakfast blends.

Lapsang Souchong

Lapsang Souchong is a smoked black tea from the Wuyi mountains, where the leaves are withered and dried over pinewood fires. The cup carries a distinctive campfire smoke character layered over dried longan, pine resin, and a mild fruity sweetness. Traditional versions are gently smoky rather than harsh; the smoke integrates with the tea instead of overwhelming it. It remains one of China's most recognizable black teas and a fixture of Western tea culture since the 17th century.

Keemun

Water temperature

90–95°C

Leaf to water

3g / 250ml

Steep time

3–4 min

Re-steep

1–2 times

Lapsang Souchong

Water temperature

95–100°C

Leaf to water

3g / 250ml

Steep time

3–5 min

Re-steep

1–2 times

Keemun

Medium caffeine — roughly 35–60 mg per brewed serving

A moderate, steady lift without an intense spike.

Lapsang Souchong

Medium caffeine — roughly 35–60 mg per brewed serving

A moderate, steady lift without an intense spike.

Keemun

China · Anhui

Qimen county in southern Anhui has produced Keemun since the 1870s.

Lapsang Souchong

China · Fujian (Wuyi)

Authentic Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong comes from the Wuyi mountains of northern Fujian.