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“This is another sample from Upton. I brewed it basket-style with a teaspoon of leaf for maybe 4 minutes maybe longer. It has a nice aroma and a light flavor. Unfortunately I have had some other...” Read full tasting note
“Yes, I remembered to brew some of this before class, so I had a nice travel mug of strong, leathery tea to drink. But that’s not why I’m writing a tasting note, such as it is. Mostly this is an...” Read full tasting note
“Cup #6 in SimplyJenW’s Tour of China blacks: This one is kind of a side trip. I have been primarily focusing on Fujian black tea because the cocoa notes of tea from that region have me always...” Read full tasting note
“Brews up a nice red colour and has a nice strong taste to it. It reminds me a bit of the Teavivre Gongfu tea that I tried a while back, malty, a bit strong, and kindof a “heavy” taste. It’s good,...” Read full tasting note
Description:
This is the top grade (1110) of standard China Keemun, which include the 1154, 1143, 1132, and 1121 lower grades. Demand often exceeds supply for this grade of China’s most famous black tea.
Oct 2018 Site Description:
With its rich flavor profile and smooth mouth feel, this standard grade Keemun represents a great value for a China black tea. Hints of wine and a suggestion of smoke round out the earthy, full-bodied cup.
Origin:
China
Steeping Suggestions: –
Leaf Quantity: 2¼ g/cup
Water Temp: 212º (boiling)
Steep Time: 3-5 min.
Company description not available.
I added a sample of this to my Upton order, because I’m still such a newbie when it comes to varieties of straight black tea. From what I’ve heard about Keemun, this seems like a good example. The aroma is pretty smoky (though it’s a smoother smoke than a strong Lapsang Souchong). The taste is strong and dark, and like others have mentioned, there are leathery and peppery notes. When I first took a sip, I thought, “Ah-ha! So that’s where the flavor in breakfast teas comes from.” I’d noticed the taste in a lot of breakfast blends, but didn’t realize it was Keemun, specifically.
Anyway, I like this! It’s the kind of dark smoky tea I enjoy drinking, especially in cool weather. So far, I think I might prefer Fujian and Yunnan black teas overall , but I would consider reordering this (and/or sampling other Keemun teas in the future).
I am up far, far too early. I started off this morning (at 3 am) on a sweet cloud of Shang’s Golden Needle (thoughtfuly provided by TeaTiff) and then decided since I have all this morning time, I would dive into my Upton Keemun samples. I wish I had picked a different one to start with.
This is aggressively smokey- almost acrid. I don’t mind some smoke, but this is unpleasant to me – leaning toward tar/creosote. I might not finish this cup.
Flavors: Smoke, Tar
I’ve had this sample around for months, opened and clipped shut with a binder clip. As such, I wasn’t expecting much when I brought it out on a bit of a whim.
I was pleasantly surprised! Quite flavorful, with notes of honey and something floral or fruity that I can’t put my finger on. Seems to pack a nice caffeine kick as well. May have to bring this into the rotation.
