This rich, fine Qimen is an exemplary demonstration of the tea that truly sparked the development of tea culture in England. Because of our travels, we have been exposed much more to Yunnan and even Fujian black tea, but Anhui Qimen has been on our minds for years since a friend visiting Qingdao from Anhui brought us a bag of Hao Yao A top-grade Qimen.

We are lucky that Wang Huimin, who has traveled Anhui scouting teas for her own tea bar in Xiamen, was able to connect us to this find of hers.

Qimen is unique in its full bodied and robust flavor. With such an intensity of texture, it is easy to see how the English tea ceremony developed with sugar and cream. If any Chinese black to can stand up to these additions, it would be Qimen.

This particular Qimen is one of the most intense we have tried, even with short steepings. It has a strong muscatel grape flavor, orchid and sandalwood sweetness, and then, a full bodied but refined smoked quality. The smoke flavor is no heavy-handed Lapsang taste. It is a genteel smoke, like coming upon a fire long extinguished in the forest and smelling the toasted wood. To top it off the taste and aroma evokes rich, still-warm homemade chocolate pudding.

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