Tea drinkers erupted in a fit of caffeinated rage on Monday; kettle cosies were dashed across the kitchen, bone china was placed down hastily and many people were all very cross. Twinings sparked the uproar after axing its Lapsang Souchong tea and replacing it with something called ‘Distinctively Smoky’. It has been met with near universal disapproval and branded a stain on the company’s 300 year history.
Famously Winston Churchill’s brew of choice, Lapsang Souchong is a centuries-old tea thought to have originated in the Wuyi Mountains in the Fujian Province of China, with the first record of it in 1646. Legend has it Wuyi locals fleeing Qing soldiers dried fresh batches of tea over fire to expedite their escape. Lapsang’s signature aroma and sweet notes of pine resin are a result of this process.
Legend has it Wuyi locals fleeing Qing soldiers dried fresh batches of tea over fire to expedite their escape
The imitation blend has been likened to ‘old cigarettes’, ‘stale cigarettes’, ‘ashtrays’, ‘fake bacon bits’ and ‘glue’.
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