1.5 tsp for 300mL water @98C, steeped 4 minutes, drunk bare.
The 4-minute steep is my new sweet spot with many black teas.
This Keemun has yet to disappoint. Robust in the oakiness with a winey, smokey finish. Light body. Beautiful dark copper liquor, no murkiness. Mineral, stone fruit, and honey notes. Superbly refreshing. Could get bitter if steeped too long.
1.5 tsp for 350mL water @ 5 minutes, drunk bare.
Got a BIG mug as a Christmas gift at the office: snowman’s face, with a hat … a lid. Hot tea!
I steeped a little extra on this one because the mug takes so much water. As ever, a good hit of Keemun. Some days I say on Facebook that I’m ‘powered by Keemun’. Love love love.
1 TB for 450mL water, bare.
This tea gets better each time I drink it. Picked up a fresh batch at my local tea shop yesterday and got deeply happy as I drank a good, long hot cup of this yesterday evening. Detected a very subtle earthy note – very subtle, not pu-ehr earthy – some fant smokiness and an odd but delightufl tasting note in a black tea: that bright “leafiness” yu find in some green teas.
I’d tried a Keemun Concerto at Britannia a few years ago and did not care for it. This Organic Keemun Panda #1 is much, much better.
4 tsp for 750mL @100C for 5 minutes and 30 seconds in the Breville, basket cycle on. Drunk bare.
Fresh batch. Winier than the last batch. Distant smoke. Liquor in the glass Breville pot is more red than brown. Some floral and toasty notes. A thoroughly enjoyable Keemun.
1.5 TB for 600mL pot, bare.
Still a light body with just 1.5 TB (versus 2TB yesterday) in my wicked little pot. Smoky, though, in that winy Keemun way. Not as Russian as yesterday, when I made a concentrate that might echo that comes from a samovar (I sooooo want to try tea from a samovar). Sweeter finish. Stronger than when I brew it by the mug, but I prefer it either 1 TB for 450mL or 2TB for 600mL watered down.
Adding honey … (equivalent of 1tsp … I am using the Honbibee dried honey pastilles, which I do NOT recommend) … honey mellows this tea nicely without dominating, and thereby ruining, it.
2 TB for 600mL pot, bare.
STRONG. And ohhhhh, so good. I did need to water down my Keemun concentrate almost 50%, but I think I might like it even better this way. Made strong, this Keemun gives off more oakiness and more smoke. Cries out for dark fruit, or maybe sugar in the mouth while drinking it – Russian-style.
Is Keemun black tea the base for Russian Carvan tea?
Either way, I feel quite fortified now, stronger than the late snowstorm tormenting my little city, certainly strong enough to outline the next book (always daunting).
1 TB for 450mL water, bare.
Feeling sick this morning. This exceptionally smooth and tasty China black, in tiny sips, is helping to settle my stomach.
It’s so good to have teas you can rely on.
1 scant TB for 450mL water, bare.
I’ve written about tasting notes many times before, so I’ll keep my comments brief today and just note that this Keemun, along with a few crackers, can quickly settle my upset stomach.
