Country of Origin: China
Leaf Appearance: small, wiry
Ingredients: black tea
Steep time: 30 seconds
Water Temperature: 185 degrees
Preparation Method: porcelain gaiwan
Liquor: reddish amber
I was excited to dive into this one because it is one of the few types of tea that I had yet to try from +TeaVivre‘s extensive catalog. The first thing that I noticed when I poured the leaves into my gaiwan was the aroma. When I think of the smell of tea, this smell is exactly what comes to mind. Although they were somewhat broken, probably from shipping, there were plenty of whole leaves. Quite a few golden tips were visible as well. The taste was earthy, malty, fruity and smoky all at once. It was very smooth with no bitterness to speak of. A hint of astringency added a refreshing lightness to the finish. One of my favorite things about Keemun is the color of the liquor. This one brewed up a deep coppery red that my cell phone camera was completely incapable of doing any justice. Given its complexity, I strongly suggest drinking this tea straight up. Milk and sweeteners would undoubtedly drown most of that out.
Teavivre was kind enough to give me a few $5 gift cards for my readers. They’re good for any time during the month of November, perfect for Black Friday! Just shoot me an email at [email protected] if you’d like to receive one!
Organic Superfine Keemun Fragrant Black Tea sample provided by Teavivre.