Organic Superfine Keemun Fragrant Black Tea

Thanks teavivre, for the sample

Dry leaf: The leaves are really small, dark brown twisted leaves. The smell is really nice. It has a dark black tea smell, but that is underneath the sweetness that this tea possesses. It has a chocolatey smell but the strongest smell is a certain sweetness. It reminds me of the roses my grandma grows in her garden. It’s a deep rose smell though, more than a floral smell.

Wet leaf: When wet, the rose smell comes out really strong. If I didn’t know better I would think that I was steeping rose buds. The rose combined with chocolate makes this smell like a nice dessert. It has a dark sweetness that gives it a very moisturizing smell.

Taste: The taste is nice. It is a lot lighter than I expected and very sweet. The chocolatey flavor reminded me of a much lighter version of the Fengqing dragon pearl. On top of that is the sweet rose flavor. It has a deep flavor, despite how light it is.

I really enjoyed this tea. It was nice how soothing the tea was and I can’t wait to brew it again.

When a tea is called fragrant, you know you just have to smell it! I love the aroma of the dry leaf. I can smell cocoa! Deep, rich chocolate-y notes, and hints of freshly baked bread. Malt. It smells so rich and sweet. The fragrance of the brewed liquor is faint when compared to the dry leaf, but it still smells amazing and delicious and sweet.

This is delicious too. It shows a softer side of Keemun – while many Keemun teas can be bold and bracing, this one is strong yet soft-spoken. It lulls you into a state of consciousness rather than gives you that invigorating shake that some other Keemun teas that I’ve tried often offer. I love experiencing this gentler Keemun!

Hmm… has the enchantment of black tea love come to an end or have I just been having a series of less than awesome blacks lately? This one tastes a little…not interesting. It’s not bad, but it doesn’t capture my attention in any way. I get a little floral perfume and taste of malt… Some fragrant sweetness. Vaguely stone fruity. My tastebuds are not all that interested.

So far, the black teas I like and plan to get more of are:
Laoshan black – Verdant
Zhu Rong Yunnan black – Verdant
Yun nan Dian Hong Black- Golden Tip – Teavivre
Rose Congou – Upton

Looks like I like Yunnan black teas. The Laoshan black is still my favorite. hmm… I’ll still have try the other Keemuns from Teavivre. I also have some other congou tea from Upton to try. I wonder where congou tea is grown? Is it also Keemun as wikipedia seems to suggest?

Tea of the morning……

This was my free sample with my most recent TeaVivre order. I stocked up on the black dragon pearls and purchased some of the Golden Monkey without even sampling based on the reviews of Steepsterverse (thank you for all of your thoughtful reviews). I had been wondering about this one and do appreciate that TeaVivre now allows you to pick your samples along with your order.

The leaves are long, thin, and twisted. It does remind me in look of the Keemun Mao Feng from Harney, but I think the leaves are just a little shorter. I did not brew this according to TeaVivre’s instructions, but used the method by which I usually brew my Keemun Mao Feng as I was hoping this tea might be a good substitution for it. The liquor is lightly noted with cocoa, and a little fruity, floral, and malty. It is very smooth and satisfying. In comparison, this one is lower in smoke and earthiness (which are definitely only slight in the KMF), so this would be a good choice for those who don’t care for the slight smoke and earthiness found in other grades of Keemun. I don’t think I could use it as a substitution for my favorite Keemun Mao Feng, but it is very good on its own. The price on this one makes it into the range of being more of an everyday tea than my KMF.

Usual teapot method.

This is another one I’ve had my eye on for a few months. I was thrilled when it was offered to me by Angel at Teavivre. I’ve previously tried their Keemun Hao Ya, and I loved it. While it was smoky, this doesn’t smell smoky at all.

The dry leaves are particularly dark, almost black, and extremely thin and long. Like brittle spider legs as I measure them above my slightly cooled water. They smell very strong, pungent even. Once brewed, the tea smells like honey and wood with a hint of something that kinda makes me think of pumpkin.

The taste is intriguing and delicious. This is a rather strong black tea as far as Teavivre’s lineup has been so far. It makes me think of a malty puerh. I’m going to give it maybe three minutes and thirty seconds next, in hopes of making it even stronger. Must experiment. But for now, I think I liked the Hao Ya better.

Superfine and Supergood!
Thank you to Angel and Teavivre for the sample!
This is not AS malty, not AS chocolaty not AS strong as some other teas of this nature but it is oh so good!
Smooth and relaxing.
A definitive sweet potato flavor and aroma. (Yummmm)
Thick Mouthfeel.
Slightly drying on the back of the throat.
Absolutely no bitterness or astringency.
Grainy baked bread flavor. (double yummmm)
This is perfect for today’s fall like semi rainy weather.
Makes me feel like walking in the woods amongst crunchy leaves!
Sweet without any added sweetener!
Almost a little like molasses.
If you swish it around in your mouth you get the taste of rainwater and wood.
Delightful!

Ahhhhhhh! This smells amazing! Dry…It smells like Sun-Dried-Tomatoes. LOVELY! Post infusion liquid TOTALLY smells like Sweet Potatoes! TOTALLY! COMPLETELY! Sweet Potatoes (even with a little bit of Brown Sugar!)

Taste-wise this has a grainy-texture-E-Malt to it…not like a Standard Malty Black Tea with that sort of mouth-feel (as much as I hate that term LOL) and it doesn’t have a Bakey-Cakey sort of malt to it either. It’s different but good.

It’s slightly brash but in a good way. There is a gentle burnt-toast and smoky flavor to it too! The end of the sip on to the after taste it has a quick pop of various fruit flavors that is neat!

This is Awesomely Flavorful and Memorable! Two thumbs up! If I had 3 Thumbs…I give it 3 Thumbs up!

Thanks to Teavivre for this sample!

I’ve heard so many good things about this tea, I was excited to get to try it. It’s beautiful and chocolatey and kind of bready. It’s sweet. There’s a tiny bit of smoke, but it’s sweet. Fantastic!

Thank you to Teavivre for sending this wonderful set of samples! They finally arrived today and I can finally start digging in.

I am in a black tea sort of mood so I figured this would be a great place to start, that and the tea came in a little once cup pouch so I didn’t have to do any measuring!

The dry leaf smell reminds me of soy sauce with a hint of sesame seed, which is making me really hungry as well as get this tea going. The steeped tea is a nice dark amber color and smells a little soy saucey still with a hint of chocolate.

The taste is very nice. There is no astringency that I can detect, which is very nice and makes for a smooth tea. There are some nice chocolate notes that are coming out as I sip this as well as a hint of chili. I might try less water when I resteep this to try and make it a little more to stronger.

The sip is first malt, then wheat, followed by honey. There are flashes of light cocoa notes. It is a bit fruity. Many report sweet potato notes. I get that, but it was not as strong as some other black Chinese teas I’ve tried. This kind of reminds me of Bailin Gongfu.

This is very, very smooth. You could slam this down with out thinking about it. I choose to sip slowly. There is no bitterness and no bite. You could probably brew this strong and work the tannins into a frenzy but prepared per the instructions this seems light on the stomach. What I am not noticing is smoke. I was fully expecting some but it is not present.

Cup two, continues where cup one left off. It is now a little sweeter and that sweetness really lingers in the aftertaste. Cup three is very similar.

This is a very nice tea. The only negative comment I could offer is that oddly, I find myself missing the smoke that frightened me a year ago. That is not the fault of the tea. Rather it is my understanding of what makes a Keemun that is to blame. If you don’t enjoy a smoky tea, then this is the Keemun for you. If you like a light smoky tea try the Premium Keemun Hao Ya Black Tea.

Thank you Angel and Teavivre for this terrific sample!

What a thick and full black tea! I really like the maltiness. There is also some creamy notes that add to the deliciousness of this tea. It differs from other smoker Keemuns that I have tried. This one has a faint smokiness to it’s sweet liquid. It taste more of a charcoal seared or toasted leaf, than a smoldering embers enhancement (no gaming or adult story reference here – thought I should clarify)

I’m very pleased with this light medium bown colored tea. This is certainly not a medium quality tea. It matches what you would expect to get, from an excellent company as Teavivre – tasty!

This is a free sample provided for review by Angel and Teavivre. Thank you!

The dry leaves smelled amazing when I opened the package. This is really fresh.

The steeped tea is a very clear and clean medium orange color. It smells like grain, dark honey, and baked fruit, but these aromas are light and clean just like the color of the tea. The natural, fresh sweetness and complete lack of astringency make this a very pleasant tea indeed! The finish is light, sweet fruit and if there is any smoke here, it is very light, as are the cocoa notes. This is a great afternoon cuppa.

I went on the low side with leaf. Next time I try this, I will try it with two teaspoons and a longer steep time and see if that makes it more of a breakfast tea. As an afternoon cuppa, this is excellent. It is an elegant and genteel tea.

Thank you again, Angel and Teavivre!

And our last contender, Keemun number 4! Or maybe I should call it Neg One (-1). There’s Grade 2, then Grade 1, then Hao Ya must be Zero, and this would be -1. Anyway, Neg One was courteously provided by Angel and the Teavivre team as a free sample to Missy. Continuing with the Steepster’s Digest layout:

-Similar to the Grade 1 Keemun, I’m kind of thinking of it as 1’s cooler brother
-Sweeter than the other Ks
-More grainy than malty at this point, share’s some similarity with the Bailin Gongfu
-That sweet fruitiness has returned with a passion
-Smokiness has gone away (sad face)

It’s tough to decide between this one and the Grade 1 for third place. The flavors of this tea are probably the most complex out of the Ks I’ve tried today, but I really feel like it’s missing something without that smokiness that I so enjoyed out of the “lesser quality” Ks. I put lesser quality in little quotey bits because calling any of these teas anything but awesome quality is a disservice.

This would be the K from Teavivre I would recommend to someone that was appalled by the thought of smoke flavor in their tea, but still really wanted a K in the cupboard somewhere. I still stick by what I wrote under the K Hao Ya post: depending what you’re looking for, any of the four grades of Teavivre’s Keemun are excellent choices.

I don’t think this is my kind of tea. It’s really good quality and stuff I just wouldn’t buy it for myself. This was a sample from Teavivre and I’m glad I got to try it :D

This had the same dark chocolate, malty notes I expect. It did surprise me with the addition of a grainy flavor. I thought it was softer than the others. It ends well with a fruity flavor but very little smoke. In fact, I thought this one was the least smokey of them all.

While I believe all of these teas to be of equal quality, grade 2 is the one I shall keep. I like the robust qualities it shows. Thanks to Angel and Teavivre for the chance to try this one out. :D

My thanks to Angel & Teavivre for this wonderful sample!!

I’m on a black tea drinking streak! This & 4 other samples arrived today from Teavivre, & this is the one I wanted. The sample is generous enough, roughly a heaping Tbl’s worth. My first cup was a tsp, brewed for 3 minutes. It was delicious! An enticing croissant-like aroma, a beautiful honey-amber hue, and a very mild, slightly chocolatey hint. It’s a gentle, mellow brew, very smooth in every way.

I tend to like my tea on the strong side, so the 2nd cup was made with what was left in the foil package, roughly 2 tsp of leaf, for 2 minutes. Now we’re talking! Bring on the croissant, bring on a little chocolate feeling in my mouth, & bring on the rose petals! It really seems as if this is a rose tea to me, & there is a sweet earthiness that brings sweet potatoes to mind (& I love my sweet potatoes!).
The 3rd cup was a r-esteeping of all of the above for 3 minutes, & it was also tasty!

The quality is excellent, & although there is no need for sweetener & I love it plain, I added a little stevia to the bottom 1/3 of each cup, & it was SO nice too. Not a hint of bitterness or astringency, I really enjoyed drinking this tea! Get you some! http://www.teavivre.com/black-tea/

Free sample from Teavivre. Thank you.

On opening the packet I did my usual thing and stuck my nose right inside, before breathing in deeply. There is a warmth to the aroma of the dry leaf. My first thought is of hay, but tempered with the smell of fresh wheat, newly harvested and threshed. This aroma develops into something slightly malty and a bit flowery when the tea is brewed. The taste of the liquor is sweet and mellow. There are chocolatey undertones here, but little of the maltiness of other similar teas. Instead it is lighter and the unmalted grain flavour comes through. I’m not sure I get the fruitiness that Teavivre’s site tell me is there, but the sweet, mellow, grainy flavour is very good, and the aftertaste lingers pleasantly on. I like this tea.

My first Teavivre! This came as a lovely surprise in my mailbox from Terri Harplady much appreciated!
I sipped this all morning. I followed the directions on the website for three western steeps. The first steep at 1 minute was quite pale and weak. Steep 2 had a sweet, juicy taste to it. My favourite steep. Steep three was less juiny, but still fruity and I probably could’ve gotten another steep out of it, but my daughter forced me to make cupcakes.

Teavivre (not so) random tea of the day!

I picked this one this morning because I wanted to see how it compares to the other keemun i picked up from Teavivre. I have to say that this one is more enjoyable that the other. I sipped this down fairly quickly without taking much time to relish it, which tells me that it’s pretty good. This tea is not overly intense or strong, but it is delicious. There is a chocolatey undertone to this, but not overly so. Hints of malt are also present but again, not as strongly as other teas (laoshan black i’m looking at you!). Overall a good tea.

I grabbed this one when I arrived home from work today. I’d been wanting a straight Keemun for a few days now and totally forgot I had this sample! :) This is super smooth and mellow too. Plus unlike previous experience with some Keemun teas not bitter as the cup cools!