Keemun Black (Qimen, China)

A very pleasant Chinese black tea. Surprisingly delicate and complex, the lovely golden-red color is almost too pretty to drink. Light floral aromas, the steeped leaves have notes of dry wood which doesn’t transfer much to the cup, but is there hidden amongst the orchids and chocolate. Subtle malt with hints of smoke and cooked apples dominate the flavor profile. Smooth and rich, yet delicate with nice acidity and almost no astringency to talk about on the lingering exotic coco finish. Could easily be an every day black or used for experimenting with home blending.

I’m assuming that this is the Keemun that I got from Ten Ren’s today, and since there isn’t another listing for a Keemun, I’ll just put my review here and make it my own. XD
And as much as I want to review the actual store, I’ll resist and just stick with the tea.
This review is based on having no idea for brewing parameters and just using my basic 1.5 tsp/12 oz @ 3min Boiling.
The tea definitely has a smoky smell to it brew wise. Not Lapsang in-your-face, but a definite woodsmoke smell.
Taste wise it’s got a nice smoky hint to it, along with a slightly almost sweet note (though that might be just residue from the spoon I was using to slurp since the mug really is too hot still to drink from). Mildly astringent and just bordering on a bit bitter for me. Next time I might do 2:30 min or try a lower temp on the water.
It’s honestly not the train wreck I was fearing it might be with me just guesstimating everything. I liked it better after adding a bit of Truvia to sweeten it, but then I always add sugar to my tea eventually. But this one is good enough to stand on it’s own. I’m not sure how it would handle milk though, not to mention that would be a bit weird to me. Lol!
So yeah, not a bad tea. Not the best Keemun that I’ve had (not that I have a huge worldly experience of Keemun), but I’ll certainly drink it eventually.