I like Keemuns and can appreciate many different kinds of them. There are fancy ones, with a complex aroma and many flavors. There are working horses packing a welcoming punch in the morning for those who prefers them to morning coffee. This Keemun from Yunnan Sourcing is the comforting, cozy type.
The dry leaves are pretty long even for Mao Feng Keemuns. The aroma has less malt and more of dark berries, wild flowers and honey: it is a pretty good. I brewed it Western style since I treat Keemuns as not a tea to savor but a good working companion helping you to get through your busy day.
The taste is mild, comforting and relaxing rather than bracing. The original punch of malt is there but it is much more muted than many lower-priced Keemuns. It has some quality of the rush one feels after downing a shot of strong hard liquor and it quickly transitions to a more complex second taste of berries, oats, honey and something certainly floral. The aftertaste lingers for a long time and is VERY pleasant.
The second infusion was markedly less smooth, with a pronounced maltiness and a strong taste of bitter-sweet dark chocolate. Plus a hint of molasses. It was still a very good cup of tea but with a very different flavor profile, as if they were two completely different teas.
Overall, I liked this Keemun a lot. I have to admit though that I am partial to Mao Fengs and prefer them to most Hao Yas. Yunnan Sourcing started offering Qimen just recently and, I believe this is the only kind that they sell but it is quite good and I hope they would consider expanding their selection.
Flavors: Blackberry, Dark Chocolate, Flowers, Honey, Malt, Molasses, Oats
