How much caffeine is in Lapsang Souchong Smoky Black Tea?

Each 8 oz cup (240ml) serving contains approximately 50 mg of caffeine. For comparison, a standard 8 oz cup of brewed drip coffee contains around 95 mg. Actual content varies with dose, water temperature, and contact time.

What temperature should I use for Lapsang Souchong Smoky Black Tea?

Target 95°C (203°F). Below this range the cup tends toward sourness and thinness from under-extraction; above it, bitterness rises faster than sweetness.

How long should Lapsang Souchong Smoky Black Tea be extracted?

Extract for 3:00 using Gaiwan or Teapot, at a ratio of 12g/L (3g leaves to 240g water), prepared at Whole Leaf. Time and ratio move together: a heavier dose generally wants a shorter contact time.

Why does my Lapsang Souchong Smoky Black Tea taste bitter?

Bitterness almost always indicates over-extraction. Shorten the contact time, lower the water temperature slightly, or use less leaf. Change one variable at a time so you can tell which one was responsible.

Who should avoid Lapsang Souchong Smoky Black Tea?

Contains caffeine and can taste harsh if over-steeped. People sensitive to smoke-like aromas may prefer an unsmoked tea. This is general educational information, not medical advice — consult a qualified healthcare professional about your own circumstances.

Reviewed Aug 2026

Orthodox Black Tea · Wuyi Mountains, Fujian, China

Lapsang Souchong Smoky Black Tea

Name: How to Brew Lapsang Souchong Smoky Black Tea
Prep time: 3 min
Cook time: 3 min
Total time: 3 min
Yield: 8 oz cup (240ml)
Cuisine: Wuyi Mountains, Fujian, China
Ingredients: 5 g loose-leaf black tea; 100 g filtered water at 95°C

正山小种 (Zhèngshān Xiǎozhǒng)

Pine smoke, dark fruit, and resinous warmth in a bold black tea.

A smoked black tea with a powerful pine character that can be brewed short for clarity or longer for campfire depth.

Sensory profile

Comparative scale

sweetnessModerate

acidityLow

bitternessModerate

bodyHigh

aromaVery high

You should taste

How it unfolds

Aroma → Palate → Finish

AromaBefore and as you sip

No distinct note recorded here — the aroma reads as pronounced rather than carrying a nameable character of its own.

pronounced aroma

PalateWhile it is in the mouth

moderate sweetness

FinishAfter you swallow

clear body

Where it sits

Stronger than 177 of the 345 other drinks in the catalogue, and weaker than 157.

That is 50 mg in a 8 oz cup (240ml) serving — a concentration of 20.8 mg per 100 ml. The scale above ranks whole servings, and servings differ in size, so a larger drink can sit further right while being weaker cup for cup.

CupCura editorial estimate. No public food database has measured this preparation, so this figure is our own and is not independently sourced.

What people say

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Gear for this drink

Fellow Ode Brew Grinder Gen 2

Direct-drive motor with 64mm stainless steel flat burrs engineered specifically for pour-over, drip, and cold brew clarity.

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Lapsang Souchong Smoky Black Tea

Sensory profile

You should taste

How it unfolds

Where it sits

What people say

Fellow Ode Brew Grinder Gen 2

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