Definition
Lapsang Souchong is a black tea from Fujian province, southeastern China, smoke-dried over pinewood. The centuries-old drying technique gives the finished tea its hallmark profile: resinous smoke, burned wood, light tar, on a brewed black-leaf base. In perfumery, Lapsang Souchong appears as a reconstituted accord rather than a steam-distilled raw material, since direct extraction yields are commercially marginal.
Technical detail and usage
The accord entered niche perfumery in the early 2010s. Naomi Goodsir made the public reference with Bois d’Ascese in 2013, composed by Julien Rasquinet over an oud-incense base. Maison Margiela mainstreamed the note with Replica By the Fireplace in 2015, signed by Marie Salamagne. Masque Milano released Russian Tea in 2014, a leafier tea-forward reading. The accord is built from birch tar (Betula alba), cade, guaiacol, Iso Gamma and selected guaiac derivatives. American artisans including Dawn Spencer Hurwitz at DSH Perfumes (Denver, Colorado) market a soliflore version. Perfumery-grade tea retails between 80 and 250 dollars per kilogram in 2026, but the accord route stays standard for smoke-intensity control.
Sources
- Encyclopaedia Britannica: Lapsang Souchong (accessed June 7, 2026)
- Fragrantica: Lapsang Souchong note (accessed June 7, 2026)
- Basenotes: Lapsang Souchong note profile (accessed June 7, 2026)