Congou Keemun

Maybe I’m the only person who has had a negative experience with a tea and then avoided all the tea’s like it from that point on. But, I don’t think that’s the case.
I’ll bet you that most of us have a tea or two that we go blech…and that’s it for us. It could have been a Pu-erh, or a Lapsang Souchong, or a Black Tea or Rooibos. Whatever it was we didn’t like that one tea and mercy be, just like a child with cough medicine, I AIN’T GONNA DRINK ANY MORE!
My ’ain’t gonna drink any more’ was Keemun. I had one from a great tea company that curled my hair and my toes and made me shiver in a bad way. BLECH! No thank you please!

Time passed. Tic Toc, Tic Toc, Sun Up and Sun Down.

A little over a week ago, I was looking at Butiki Tea’s and saw the Keemun’s (shiver). I trusted Stacy’s taste in tea. Hum. “I’m no whimp, afraid of a tea. I should give Keemun Tea one more try,” I said to myself. So I ordered this Congou Keemun.

Whatever possessed me? But OK, I could do this.

I made a whole POT of tea, careful NOT to over-steep (3 minutes).
The liquor was dark and savory but sweet smelling without a heavy maltiness.
I opened the lid on the teapot and really smelled the tea full force. Wow! Gravy! Steak and mushrooms! I couldn’t wait to taste the tea!
My first gulp was sweet! That was unexpected! Then tingling, slightly malty, floral flavors rose from the savory base playfully weaving around melding and separating at the finish.
There was smoothness and no astringency in every phase of tasting, and the body of this tea was higher than medium weight(which was best for additions).

I added a bit of sweetening and cream which was not only delightful but the additions didn’t HIDE the flavors in the tea.

As the tea cooled, the floral taste became an almost bergamot flavor.

This experience was nothing like my first Blech Keemun many months ago. This Keemun tasted great!

Stacy and Butiki changed my mind!

The point, try another brand or another type of tea to see if you like it a different way. All Lapsang Souchongs and Pu-erh’s and Keemun’s are not equal. Find someone who you trust or who knows about that type of tea and ask for advice. Try again and see what you think.

I liked this Keemun! It’s complex and has some of the characteristics that I remember loving in wine (yes WINE) when I worked for Fortino’s Winery back in 2003. Savory mushroom and floral notes with levels of flavor that are earthy and bright at the same time. Really nice!

I need to try at some point to sort out the various subtleties of straight black teas, so this is one step in the right direction, with a sample courtesy of Stacy at Butiki. Can’t say I’ve tried very many straight keemuns… just one, I think. And I honestly don’t much remember what I thought of it! So hopefully this one’s tasty.

The aroma is a bit fruity and…. play-doughy. The latter is usually a flavour associated with flavoured teas, so I can’t say why I’m getting it here, but it isn’t offputting.

Flavourwise… I don’t know what I was expecting, but I think this is exceeding my expectations! I’m getting a honey sweetness, and fruitiness… kind of like the Premium Taiwanese Assam in that respect, but not really any chocolate. These two tasty notes are backed by a malty black tea flavour which is fairly standard, according to my palate. There is some astringency, which I’m not fond of, so perhaps dropping the infusion time by 30s would be useful.

Overall, this is pretty good and makes me interested in trying more keemuns, but the astringency would be a bit of a problem for me, since I like to drink my tea straight and dislike when teas even hint at it. Thanks for the sample, Stacy!

Sipdown!

Stacy sent me a sample of this one in my last order. This is a pretty good tea! There’s a sweet, floral, taste to this but there’s also almost a hint of cinnamon? in here. Ir’s not as strong and bold a cup as i normally enjoy but it IS really tasty and full of varying notes that play in and out of the brew.

Sipdown, 198. I have a lot of new teas, but of course I am complused to sip down all my one-cup samples first… they are mostly Butiki, so I will have quite a Butiki run on tasting notes, I think!

So once again the short story with me and keemuns: some of my favorite flavored teas have a 100% keemun base (and I love the base flavor), but I haven’t been able to find an unflavored keemun that I really enjoy. I figure between this and the Qimen that came in the Verdant Reserve Club this month, if I’m not feeling either of them then I am giving up on unflavored keemun.

Well, this one smells delicious. It smells more like some of the Fujian blacks I’ve loved… notes of molasses-y grains. There’s also a hint of a slightly smoky-floral note of keemuns that I am not as much a fan of, but it is only the barest hint. The flavor is very pleasant; this is definitely my favorite keemun I’ve tried so far! I would also consider this to be one of the lighter-bodied keemuns I’ve tried, which is what saves it for me I think. Most keemuns are too robust and strong, and that smoky-floral note is overwhelming to me. Here it is playing in the background, hinting at its presence. The main part of the sip is honeyed and a touch plummy. Yum! I don’t know if this will convert me to a keemun drinker, but it’s nice to have found one that I do like.

So I haven’t had many straight Keemuns before, one mayyybe two and they’ve turned up in blends from time to time. So when placing my Butiki order I thought I’d give this and the finest a try so I could make a more informed decision on what I think of the “Chinese breakfast tea”.

I followed the given brewing parameters hesitantly, bringing the water up to a boil, then held my breath for a few second and poured with a high arch, but I had no need to fear. I wound up with a very nice full bodied cup with little to no astringency. This is bakey, floral, a wee bit smokey and above all balanced. Oh and shroomy! Yes, here there be mushrooms.

It’s both masculine and feminine, strong and soft, malty and perfumey and very well rounded. It’s not what I normally seek in a black tea but I am beginning to appreciate what it has to offer. Sure beats harsh English Breakfast teas, as far as my palate is concerned anyway. Off to ponder, drink and compare. Mmm love what is lingering on my tongue right now! Thanks Stacy!

I’ve been meaning to experiment more with keemuns. I had a bad one once that kept me away for awhile but its time to try again now that my tastes are evolving. Thankful Stacy included a sample of this with one of my recent orders. I’m on my 3rd steep and have enjoyed every drop! I think keemuns are definitely worth exploring. Love the honey sweetness of this paired with the rich flavor. Not sure I taste all the other subtleties mentioned in the description, but this is a sweet enjoyable cup! Thanks Stacy!

I received this sample from Stacy when we met last week and I finally tried it tonight! Which might come back to bite me later tonight when it comes time for bed. But you know what? It was SO worth it!

I made up this cup in my tasting set. I don’t use them enough and really should. Sometimes it is the best tool for the job. So I set the timer for three minutes and let the tea steep. While I waited I sniffed the dry leaf. It smelled a little of maple and I worried that I had left it too close to the Maple Pecan…but then I also picked up some earthy scent to the tea and relaxed a bit.

When the timer went off I was ready for my first sip! But first a sniff of the wet leaf. Now THAT smelled of mushrooms. I was getting excited. I also noted a malty smell to the leaf too. Ok we were getting somewhere. The taste? A mix of malt, earth, and of mushrooms. Yes, mushrooms…amazing! There are a lot of things going on with this tea and they all work together really well.

This tea really came alive with the dark chocolate cocoa roasted almonds I was snacking on. The chocolate from the almonds added a new and interesting dimension to the tea, bringing out a fruity flavor to the tea I hadn’t noticed with my first few sips (before eating the almonds)! Like I said there is a lot going on here.

For the whole review visit: http://thepurrfectcup.com/2012/10/11/review-congou-keemun/

I wanted to try this one quick in case the Cantaloupe & Cream sample stored with this was affecting it. It might be. It did have a slight cantaloupe flavor, like the other samples. Not good! Anyway, I must first mention that I was supposed to steep two teaspoons of this. I didn’t, as it is impossible with my infusers. (I know.. I really need to get a brew basket!) But the tea tastes great anyway. The leaves are black and twisty. I assumed all keemuns are slightly smokey, but this one isn’t. It has a lovely fragrance to it… a bit perfumey in the best way possible. The flavor is a bit sweet. I’m not sure about the mushroom comparison others are making — I’m not a fan of mushrooms! I’d say this is a medium bodied black tea (but again, I didn’t use the correct amount of leaves.) Somehow this is complex yet simple at the same time. I wish I could describe it better! thanks Butiki — I’ve never had a tea from them that wasn’t very high in the ratings from me!

Fruity, malty, a smell of damp earth and leaves. A dry note that builds as the cup cools. Quite tasty. Glad to have gotten this as a sample!

Here is a sample I got from Stacy, who is awesome, at Butiki. Thanks Stacy!

This is very different from the other teas I have been drinking.
The dry leaf had a fruity & floral aroma.
The tea itself has an amazing array of flavors:
Initially I’m hit by a ‘perfume’, of sorts. It’s a floral, but not orchid, rose, or any of the floral tastes & smells that I recognize. It has an incense quality to it, & then there is a deep fruity flavor as well. It’s very earthy, a little malty.
Not my cup of tea, but an interesting experience, none the less.

Got this as a sample with my last Butiki order.

Dry, this tea smells very floral to me. I’m also picking up some earthiness.

Once brewed, the floral smell isn’t strong. Yay! I’m getting honey notes, mushroom-y notes, and a nice earthiness. I’m also picking up some pine-like aroma that the description mentions. Cool!

Taste: So, I’m getting a lot of earthiness here, which isn’t a bad thing, but it was surprising based on the smell. Interesting. The mushroom is coming through mid sip, and it’s delicious! There is also a light sweetness, perhaps honey, but it is mostly confined to the end of the sip. The pine needle in the description is also mostly picked up at the end of the sip, and lingers as an aftertaste. Neat. I am getting a bit of a fruity note as the tea cools a little more, but I don’t know if I can quite identify it. Finally, there is very little floral taste coming through for me, but I’m more than ok with that as floral teas are not a favorite of mine. The floral notes are very subtle, and I’m finding them in the beginning of the sip, every once in awhile.

This tea is slightly astringent for me, and I don’t know if that was my bad or if the tea is usually like this. However, that said, I don’t find the astringency overpowering or unpleasant! This is a nice black tea, overall. I don’t think it’s a favorite, but it sure was interesting and I’m very happy I got to try it. It was helpful on my quest to appreciate and distinguish black teas! I’d try it again, if I had the opportunity. Thanks, Stacy!

NOTE: I found I liked this tea more once it had cooled off significantly. The astringency was also even lighter. =)
I’m also finding that the aftertaste, while including a nice pine quality, has a wine like flavor! Very interesting!

Stacy included this in my recent Butiki order as a free sample. I honestly don’t know why I didn’t order it, I really like Keemun teas. It must have been an oversight, but I am glad I at least get to try it!

I used my pre-measured sample and steeped for about 4 minutes (as the water at work isn’t boiling). The liquor is a warm orange and the aroma reminds me of sweet baked goods, I almost want to say cinnamon rolls. I get sweetness, black tea and almost a hint of cinnamon. Very appetizing and a little unexpected. I’ve been craving cinnamon rolls for a while, so maybe it’s all in my head. Either way, Mmm!

First sips retain that bakery aspect, I get a sense of yeasty baked goods with some innate sweetness and still something that reminds me of cinnamon. This is all very mild and complemented by the tea base which is flavourful and with a thick mouthfeel but no bitterness or astringency. All good things.

As I get further into the cup and it cools, I get a little less sweetness and a bit more of a bread/bakery taste. It is still good just a little less interesting. I think this is one that benefits from being consumed while hot at least if you’re looking for more flavours.

This was a really nice keemun and one I might stock up on if I were to catch it on sale. I can live without it, but it’s definitely no hardship to drink up. Yay!

Had this a couple of days ago, courtesy of Terri. Brewed it three times western style, and in neither of them did I get familiar and lovable smoky sweetness of Keemun. The tea was malty, full bodied, sweet and with no astringency, slightly stronger than other Keemun’s that I’ve tasted, and closer to Assam than Keemun in body and flavor (minus the astringency, sweeter and slightly lighter). I don’t drink Keemun with milk and sugar normally, but the full smooth body told me to give it a try. They coupled well together. This is a very good tea, but I’m not sure that I will go out of my way to buy some, as I like the gentle smokiness of Keemun and I missed its presence here.