Premium Keemun Hao Ya Black Tea

Gotta love flavorful black teas on snowy mornings… Enjoying this in the beautifully sunny aftermath of the blizzard that, mercifully, barely brushed the DC area. Just a few inches yesterday, I’ve enjoyed the luxury of pulling in and out of the driveway that I didn’t have to shovel :) Wish my folks in RI were so lucky.

Solid cup of flavor, medium bodied and round, with a lingering cocoa and slight malt. There is a distinct perfumey note that I read through everyone’s notes to pin down but somehow didn’t settle on … it nears the intensity level of a bergamot… maybe that’s what fellow Steeps are describing as floral? or cedar? The woodiness, oddly, seemed more of a flavor-texture than a flavor. There’s a fruit in there, too, will have to chase that down in future steeps.

The smokiness is phantom-like, in and out, wonderfully described by Fjellrev as “a (very distant) campfire”…just a hint of extra character.

This isn’t the most cocoa-y or chocolatey black around but they’re there to enjoy.
This provided a full 3rd finium basket steep which was a little smoother and flavor-focused on the rear sides of my tongue. Looked up the tongue-map only to learn that it has been scientifically discredited. I missed that news. But the 3rd steep definitely had tongue-localized flavor, so there you go.

1st in another round of generous samples just received from Teavire, thank you for the tea tours!

I’ve been a bit lazy with the tasting notes lately, mostly because I’ve been trying to sip down some samples that I’ve already logged. This sample came from Dexter! I’m excited to try it, as I’ve liked the other two Keemuns I’ve tried from TeaVivre (Mao Feng and Fragrant). The leaves are super tiny, but I see that a lot with this type of tea. They’re very dark in color.

Steeped, the tea smells very bready (yum) with raw oat and honey aromas. The flavor is also quite bready, which I love. I would call it a toasted slice of light-bodied whole wheat bread with just a touch of honey drizzled over. I can also taste that raw grain note that reminds me of uncooked oats. Yum!

A quarter of the way through WoT book thirteen (so close to splurging on tea purchases!), my kobo file went glitchy and I had to switch to my dad’s hardcover edition. It’s the worst development this series has taken so far- this 800 page behemoth has already tried to maim me twice today! Lots of respect for the people who followed this series as it was released, with the hardcover editions.

This smokey sample from Amariel made up for my failings with physical book copies today. I drank about eight cups this evening and now it’s gone. It has some rough elements (smoke, leather, bitter cocoa) , but this tea presents them in a smooth and easily drinkable way.

I’ve certainly imbibed my share of Keemun tea over the course of my life—but generally in disguise. I do not recall ever seeking out to buy Keemun, but this tea appears to be a major component in many English Breakfast blends. In fact, in memory serves, the current Harney & Son English Breakfast sachet contains only Keemun! That probably explains why the dried leaves looked and smelled so familiar to me. The leaves are quite a bit smaller than the full leaf blacks I’ve tested of late. In fact, by both looks and taste of the dark amber brew, I’d say that this tea—or reasonable facsimile—may also be the base of many a fine flavored blend.

The flavor does not immediately recall English Breakfast tea to my mind, probably because of the absence of Assam, which generally contributes the maltiness in most orthodox English Breakfast blends. (My understanding is that there is also a lot of Assamica out there—not produced in the Assam region of India, but using similar strains and growing and production techniques.) Nonetheless, by force of habit, I ended up splashing this glass with a bit of half and half, and then I felt as though I had reunited with an old friend.

I probably won’t be stocking this tea. It’s good, but it’s not new to me, and I’m focusing on broadening my horizons rather than seeking refuge in the comfort and safety of familiarity.

A good tea, though, for black tea lovers, and anyone who drinks flavored blends!

(7/29/14)

Opening up the bag I was hit with a smoky, earthy aroma – surprised to find a hint of smoke in the dry leaf but it is pleasant and not offensive. Medium brown, clear tea soup. The taste is marvelous and nicely balanced – malt, dark chocolate, and leather mixed together. Silky smooth sip and the light smokiness serves to make the other flavors pop. A very nice complement to breakfast foods.

This keemun tastes like it has a history. An ancient history filled with with time, patience and old places. It is a deep tasting tea with a nice balance of earthy dark chocolate, a touch of smoke and a wee bit of malt. It is not overwhelming with it’s keemun flavors, but it is delicate, honest and true in what it represents. I am getting fewer top notes in this keemun that in TeaVivre’s Organic Superfine Keemun, but this isn’t a matter of quality in the difference between the teas… more than likely it’s my allergies. This is the top of the line for TeaVivre’s keemuns, so if you love the earthy goodness of keemun but don’t know where to begin in TeaVivre’s offerings, begin here.

Received in a swap so long ago I can’t even remember who sent it. ): Whoever it was, thank you! This is a sipdown.

This tea is beautifully smooth with notes of fruit, malt, smoke, leather, and chocolate. It makes a very bold and brassy cup of tea. There is a little astringency but not enough for me to complain. Feels very thick and syrupy on the tongue. There is a sweetness that lingers after sipping. It’s similar to caramel, but not quite there. Probably not something I should be drinking this late at night but I’m feeling dangerous! :D

Thank you to Teavivre for this free sample.

When I opened the packet I thought it looked like a packet of tiny, dark brown worms. The leaves are small and slightly curly, quite tippy in fact. The dry leaf smells of dark chocolate while the wet leaf and liquor are heading more towards milk chocolate. The liquor is thick and black . It tastes extremely smooth and mellow with elements of leather, malt and cocoa. It reminds me very much of a good breakfast tea. This is not my favourite tea from Teavivre, but it is another solid offering with much to give in terms of depth of flavour and complexity.

Leather seems like a strange ingredient to list for this tea but weirdly it is fitting. This is malty and earthy and definitely has notes reminiscent of leather. Every now and again I get some dark chocolate but not as much as I would have liked. There is also just a touch of pine. Ultimately, it is an interesting blend and though I am finding it enjoyable enough to drink the cup, this is not something I will be stocking just as a result of my own tastes. Nonetheless, thank you Dexter for the opportunity to try this tea. You are awesome!!

I guess I was expecting something more exotic, but expectations aside, this is a very smooth balanced black tea, very good quality. I’m trying to expand my horizons, but unflavored blacks just don’t seem to move me right now.