Masu Old Bush Lapsang Souchong 麻粟老枞小种 (2025)

Tea Profile

Type: Black Tea (Zhengshan Xiaozhong / Lapsang Souchong)
Location: Masu Village 麻粟村, Tongmu Guan 桐木关, Wuyishan
Altitude: About 1300m
Harvest Date: May 24th, 2025
Cultivar: Cai Cha 菜茶 (Qun Ti Zhong 群体种)
Age of Tea Trees: Over 100 years

The Story of This Tea

Masu Village, located in the Wuyishan National Nature Reserve, is one of the twelve historic tea-producing hamlets of Tongmu Guan. At 1300m, the village is cold, windy, and often frosted or snow-covered. Tea trees here must endure harsh conditions, forcing them to develop deeper resilience and abundant inner substances. The environment is pristine—lush forests, diverse wild vegetation, moss-covered trunks, and mineral-rich rocky soil nurture tea that is both pure and powerful.

Old bush Zhengshan Xiaozhong from Masu is renowned for its unique throat sensation, known locally as dùn hóu (遁喉). A slight herbal bitterness appears, quickly transforming into cooling sweetness in the throat, leaving a profound and lingering impression. This is the hallmark of Masu tea and sets it apart from other Tongmu origins.

Compared with Chigan (made from younger tender leaves), this Laocong Xiaozhong uses more mature leaves from old bushes, yielding a deeper fir-wood and bamboo-leaf character, with greater strength and returning sweetness.

Aroma and Flavour

• Aroma: Fir wood, bamboo leaf, and laocong woody fragrance

• Flavour: Sweet, refreshing, and layered, with a pleasant herbal bitterness

• Texture: Thick, smooth, and rich with depth

• Aftertaste: Long-lasting huigan with the signature cooling dùn hóu effect

• Steeping Endurance: 8–10 infusions while maintaining body and fragrance

The liquor is bright golden-red, crystal clear, and full of vitality, reflecting its high-mountain origin.

Brewing Guidelines

Gong Fu Style

• Teaware: Porcelain gaiwan for clarity, or Hongni 红泥 / Duanni 段泥 Yixing teapot to enhance sweetness and roundness

• Ratio: 7–8g per 100–110ml water

• Water: 95–100°C spring water

• Infusions: Rinse once, then brew 8–10 times, gradually extending steeping time

Western Style

• Teaware: Porcelain or glass teapot

• Ratio: 3–4g per 250ml water

• Water: 95°C

• Steeping: 2–3 minutes for the first infusion, resteep 2–3 times

Why Choose This Tea

This Masu Old Bush Lapsang Souchong is an authentic expression of laocong Zhengshan Xiaozhong. Grown from century-old Cai Cha trees in pristine high-altitude gardens, it captures the essence of Wuyishan’s protected ecology. With its distinctive fir and bamboo-leaf aromatics, cooling dùn hóu throat sensation, and sweet returning aftertaste, it is both powerful and elegant, a rare treasure for lovers of true Tongmu black tea.