There are so many grades of lapsang souchong. Some of them even add artificial flavourings to supplement/in stead of smoking. AFAIK the original chinese version isn’t even smoked, historically it’s either a 100% made-for-export product, or smoking was a way to make the lower quality leaves into something more interesting, and even then more subtly than the the tarry, campfire-y version we know today.
Point being, once you’ve tried one souchong, you’ve tried one souchong. Check what’s in the bag, and if you want to try again find a tea store that lets you taste or sniff beforehand. If you want to try a certainly non-smoked version, find jin jun mei; it’s a premium grade tea priced accordingly though.
There are so many grades of lapsang souchong. Some of them even add artificial flavourings to supplement/in stead of smoking. AFAIK the original chinese version isn’t even smoked, historically it’s either a 100% made-for-export product, or smoking was a way to make the lower quality leaves into something more interesting, and even then more subtly than the the tarry, campfire-y version we know today.
Point being, once you’ve tried one souchong, you’ve tried one souchong. Check what’s in the bag, and if you want to try again find a tea store that lets you taste or sniff beforehand. If you want to try a certainly non-smoked version, find jin jun mei; it’s a premium grade tea priced accordingly though.