Mariage Freres
Lapsang Souchong Imperial


I put the burner on high under my metal cow pot. I open the black tin of Lapsang Souchong. I pinch a good amount out and drop it into my clay yixing pot. I can smell the pine already.

The water heats up nicely. I'm rushing. I pour the water from the cow pot without opening. The water does pour out. Its mostly in the yixing tea pot, some of it covers the side of the yixing tea pot, some of it is on the kitchen counter. I cover the tea pot and wait.

I'm still rushing. I don't wait long enough. The tea comes out much lighter than I prefer. It reminds me of what the chinese call white tea and how that differs from what the west calls white tea.

I really want to tip the yixing teapot enough to get a strong water flow. I don't want to wait. I know what happens if I tip it that far -- the tea starts to come out the top of the pot too. That's no good.

Finally its poured. It has that distinctive lapsang souchong aroma caused by being dried over smoldering pine needles. Mmmmmmm -- I do love this tea.

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