Following the success I’ve had with the two first teas I’ve tried from Chi of Tea, I’ve been looking rather forward to this Keemun. It wasn’t one that I put a lot of thought into when I ordered it, it was just a Keemun and it seemed unnatural not to try it out as it’s a type I’m coming to enjoy more and more. (Strangely, I don’t feel the same urge to try every single Lapsang that crosses my path in spite of that being another favourite. Maybe it’s something to do with already having found my Perfect LS, and so I feel no need to explore further for the time being.)
The leaves, when dry, aren’t very loud on the aroma. They have a some smoke to the aroma, but on the whole it’s fairly unobtrusive in strength.
After steeping, it’s stronger. The smoke note is clear and there’s tons of that grain-y sweetness underneath it. Chi of Tea have found notes of plums in it as well, but I can’t find those. Completely scrunching my face up in concentration isn’t helping.
This is surprisingly strong! Okay, so maybe I used a wee bit more leaf than usual but not that much.
The first thing I notice is the smoky notes. They are loud and clear and delightfully prickly.
Second thing is the grain-y note that always reminds me of freshly baked rye bread. I’m coming to associate that particular note quite heavily with Keemuns. I’ve seen it in other teas as well, but to me it’s primarily a Keemun note.
Thirdly, there’s the last part of the sip, just when swallowing, and there we do indeed have it. It’s not 100% plum to me, but it’s definitely something plum-like. How interesting! I would never have thought to find plums in a Keemun before. I’m really very intrigued by this.
I like this! I can’t tell if it’s my Perfect Keemun or not, because I can’t tell them that much apart, but it’s definitely something that makes me want to revisit other Keemuns and see if I can find plum-like notes in those as well. If I can, then it’s back to square one. If not, this is a definite candidate. It’s definitely one that I’m likely to revisit.
