Keemun Black Tea

– Shifu, what tea is worthy of the Emperor of All under Heaven?

– Tea that is indeed worthy of the Emperor is Keemun Red Tea. Only one bud with one leaf is picked for this tea that gives it such a mellow and rich taste, with an exquisite flowery aroma.

The fresh leaves of this tea grow at an average elevation of 800 m above sea level. Only one bud with one leaf (which just starts to open up, called Chu Zhan "初展") is hand-plucked to produce this tea. These fresh leaves are loaded with nutrients, while the processed dry leaves look neat and bold, having tiny golden tips. There is a sweet, mellow taste, which creates a pleasant smooth sensation on the palate. At first, you might sense a roasted sweet potato flavor mixed with a somewhat flowery aroma. Further on, it becomes very mellow. Lastly, the third infusion's sweet and fragrant aftertaste will give you plenty of enjoyment. With its unique Keemun fragrance (祁门香) and sweet, soft taste, Keemun tea is revered as the noble type of Chinese black tea.

Keemun black tea is a traditional product of China's Anhui province. The producing area has fertile soil, a mild climate, and sufficient rainfall all year round. Keemun black tea is a treasure among Chinese black tea types, prized for its high, intensive fragrance. Because of it, Keemun black tea earned its place among the top 4 Hong Cha in the world. In China, it has a reputation for being the most fragrant among red teas and was crowned the "Empress of red teas". The dry tea strips are firm and thick, moist black in color. When tasting Keemun black tea, the focus will be on its delicate astringency and a pleasant, mellow mouthfeel. The aroma is pure and intensive, and the taste is balanced and elegant. Their pairing forms a unique "qihong" flavor this tea is so well-known for. The tea soup is bright orange-red to bright red, with neat and tender Bottom leaf.

Our Keemun black tea undergoes traditional processing. First, farmers pick the tea leaves and spread them thin to wither. Only one bud and one bud and one leaf are picked for the higher graded Keemun red teas. Then, farmers roll the tea leaves to release their moisture. During the oxidation stage, the room temperature must remain below 30 degrees. It is the key stage to determine the tea's quality. After it, the leaves will turn red, forming the "red leaf red soup" core quality characteristics of Keemun black tea. After that, tea is refined according to the strips' length, thickness, and weight. Refining Keemun black tea takes a lot of time, so it is also called "Gongfu tea".

Brewing guidelines:

                195℉ / 90℃ 

 1g per 50ml   3-5min

      1g per 20ml   10sec + 5sec for each subsequent infusion