Competition Grade Qimen Black Tea of Huangshan

Spring 2023: Keemun black tea is a touchstone for me, as it is the first style of tea that I really fell in love with. Over the years I have tried various grades, and I really haven’t found any Keemuns that I don’t like. I’m always looking forward to a cup of this old standby.

In this offering from Yunnan Sourcing, I find that rose is the most prominent note, with some oakiness to back it up, and some hints of dark chocolate. Not super complex, but rather the tea seems more refined, clear, and clean – probably reflective of its higher grade. There is also an oily texture to the tea, which coats the mouth and lingers.

Spring 2022 batch.

Prepared in my Jian Shui gaiwan, and served in my porcelain tea cup via my glass cha hai. Filtered Santa Monica municipal water just off the boil throughout.

Gold/gray/black wiry and fairly uniform. Malty, feed store/nursery aromatics with floral/fruit/earth notes.

Burnt orange/Titian red liquor. Complex nutty aroma is very similar to that of the dry leaf. Earthy/sweet but a little drab on the palate – more leaf litter than fruit or cocoa. Quiet residual complexity with a pleasant earthy finish. Distinct but delicate. I prefer the more robust/chocolate-forward examples of this style/variety. Would be interesting to do a side-by-side with this and the “Premium” and “Imperial” grades of the same variety…