Keemun

Keemun

Type: Red Tea
Origin: Anhui Province, China
Harvest: Spring, 2009
Tea leaves: 1 bud with 1 slightly open leaves
Taste:A fruity aroma with hints of pine, dried plum and floweriness which creates the very distinctive and balanced taste

Price: ￡15.20 – 50grams

Keemun is produced in the Qimen County of Huangshan City, in Anhui province. Keemun has a relatively short history. It was first produced in 1875 by a failed civil servant, Yu Quianchen, after he traveled to Fujian province to learn the secrets of black tea production. Prior to that, only green tea was made in Anhui. The result exceeded his expectations, and the excellent Keemun tea quickly gained popularity in England, and became the most prominent ingredient of the English Breakfast tea blend.

Keemun requires great skill to produce. A small, delicate leaf gives a velvety smooth brew, with a lightly scented, almost nutty flavour. Once tasted, never forgotten. The aroma of tea is fruity, with hints of pine, dried plum and floweriness. A fantastic rich and robust red tea, complex flavours with a smoky overtone.

The aroma of Keemun is fruity, with hints of pine, dried plum and floweriness which creates the very distinctive and balanced taste. It also displays a hint of orchid fragrance and the so-called China tea sweetness. The tea can have a more bitter taste and the smokiness can be more defined depending on the variety and how it was processed.

How to brew

• Use freshly drawn cold water

• Boil water & allow to cool for 4 to 5 minutes to about 80℃

• Use 3g tea leaves in a 350ml cup

• Steep for 1 to 2 minutes (or to your taste)

• Infusions: at least 3 times – don't remove the leaves from the mug, as once the water level is low, simply add more water and keep going until the flavour of the tea is gone

• Brewing vessel: Glass cup, gaiwan, glass or porcelain pot