Photo: Tea Horse |
Country of Origin: China
Leaf Appearance: thin, dark and twisted
Ingredients: black tea
Steep time: 4 minutes
Water Temperature: 200 degrees
Preparation Method: porcelain teacup and mesh infuser
Liquor: bright reddish brown
Keemun is one of my favorite types of Chinese black tea because of its mellow flavor. The dry leaves of this particular selection were beautiful to look at. They were long, thin and twisted with a scattering of golden tips. The taste was earthy and somewhat malty with fruity notes and a hint of cocoa. A light smokiness came through in my second infusion. This tea is low in tannins so the astrinency was fairly mild. I prepared it “western” style in a regular teacup but this type of tea also works well in a gaiwan or gongfu sized teapot. Milk and sugar should not be added to this tea. I really enjoy the amount of background information that Tea Horse provides. Everything from the history to picking altitude is displayed in a clear and easy to understand way. I’ve been really impressed with the teas that I’ve tried from them so far. Although I enjoyed this one very much their Ceylon Nuwara Eliya is still my favorite.
You can find out more about this tea here.