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SimplyJenW drank Keemun by Fortnum & Mason

985 tasting notes

EDIT TO ADD: Their delivery service is appalling. I cannot in good conscience give this tea a good rating. Service = 0, the tea was about an 80.

Along with the Countess Grey, this was my other requested tea from the friend who went on a trip to London. I do love Keemuns. The leaves are a little smaller than I thought they should be. I am wondering how this compares to Hao Ya B as it is definitely more intense than my English Breakfast from Harney. It has just a little more bite than I would like.

24 oz teapot, 4 1/2 actual tsp tea, 4 minutes, freshly boiled water. Note to self: go lighter on the leaf and shorter on the steep. I think it will be even better.

I am kind of second guessing this choice, mostly because straight teas don’t vary a great deal from vendor to vendor, even though there is some variance in quality. I have a pretty good stash of Keemun, and am planning a grand Keemun side by side sampling at some point to work out the nuances of each variety for myself. The tea is wonderful, but I wish I had stuck to requesting something that is just from Fortnum & Mason’s Picadilly offerings. There are a few varieties of this company offered in the States at Williams- Sonoma, so I did try to skip over those for now. I guess my advice to take away from this…if you have the chance to get tea from a place once in a lifetime, it is probably better to stick with their specialties.

Preparation

Boiling 4 min, 0 sec

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My motto: Drink the good tea!

Tea enthusiast, trying to keep up my cardio for the zombie apocalypse. I have come to accept that I am a western brewing black tea drinker as that is where my ‘tea heart’ lies. I started on loose leaf as a way to have my dessert and not suffer the caloric issues. Once I tried it, I was hooked.

I drink what I like, which is mostly China blacks, a few traditionally scented blacks and Earl Greys, plus a flavored tea here and there. I don’t mind spending a bit on premium varieties on occasion, but an expensive tea has to deliver. My favorite places to order are Harney & Sons and Upton Tea Imports. TeaVivre is great for Chinese tea.

My ratings are pretty subjective. If it falls under 70, I may not take the time to post about it unless I had something specific to say. If it is 70-80 I like it, but I will probably not rebuy. Favorites are over 80 and up, but sometimes the less expensive or more easily obtainable version of a similar taste will win out for my cupboard space.

Usual teapot steeping method: 24 oz teapot, 3 perfect scoops of tea (4 1/2 actual tsp), freshly boiled water, 4 minutes. Lightly sweetened.

Usual mug steeping method: 15 oz mug, 1.5 perfect scoops of tea (just over 2 actual tsp), freshly boiled water, 4 minutes. Lightly sweetened.

Usual pan method: 1 1/2 cups water, 2 perfect tsp chai (3 actual tsp). Simmer for 3 minutes. Add 2/3 cup skim milk. Simmer for 2 more minutes. Strain and sweeten.

Usual pitcher method:
5 or 6 Perfect Spoons of tea (this means about 7-9 actual tsp), freshly boiled water, brewed essentially double-strong in my 24 oz teapot for 4 minutes. Fill my Fiestaware Disc pitcher (about 60 oz.) halfway with ice. Add brewed double-strong tea to the pitcher. Stir it a little and enjoy. No additions.

(*SRP is my Sample/Stash Reduction Plan starting on April 12, 2012. I got so far, but just decided it was too fussy to keep track.)