Keemun Black Tea – Grade 1

Tea of the morning……

And the end of this sample. I think I have kind of figured out where this falls….. I think the Grade 2 is the smokiest of the three, slightly more earthy in taste, and the most astringent at the end. The Premium really has very little in the way of astringency, and is slightly smoother and more complex in that there are a few different flavor notes than Grade 1. Grade 1 and Premium are both very light on the smokiness…there is just enough so that you know you are drinking Keemun. The astringency can mostly be controlled by the amount of leaf, steep time, and steep temperature, but in similar steeping parameters, the astringency is greatest in Grade 2 and gets less as you go up in quality. Obviously, more leaf, longer time, and hotter temperature make the tea stronger, too. When I say smokey, of course the notes are light and nothing near that of a true smokey tea. In summary, the Grade 2 is essentially smokier and the Premium is smoother and more complex when compared to this one. I do think the difference in price on this one is worth it. Once my Grade 2 is gone, I am not sure if I will get this one or the Premium.

Usual teapot method…..a little light on the leaf, but for the full 4 minutes. (And it was still a little less astringent than the Grade 2 at 3 minutes….)

In terms of the keemuns from teavivre, this is second from the bottom, just above the grade 2 that they sell. I prefer this one to grade 2, though not because it is more keemun-like to me, but because there is more malt and a sort of cocao note that’s in here as well. I also prefer the aroma of this one brewed, since the grade 2 didn’t smell like much of anything to me haha There’s a note in here that bites towards the end, which will likely be the reason i prefer the organic version but we’ll see…

Edit: after a few variations of trying this one and that one against one another, i think i’ve come to the conclusion that i actually like Grade 2 and the Organic version the best…

I kept meaning to get to this sample from Amariel but I always kept reaching for something else instead. Last sample from her from the summer. Thanks!

I’m not getting that much maltiness like others are, but perhaps because when I think of malt I think of Assams and Laoshan Black, so in comparison, there is almost no malt in here. Also, I immediately pick up on smokiness and earthiness instead, perhaps because I’m not that into smoky blends to begin. Yes, it’s not nearly as smoky as a Lapsang, for example, but it’s palpable, and in the forefront.

This Keemun is also on the astringent side. Not my ideal flavour profile, especially for unflavoured blacks, but I appreciate it. Nevertheless, I look forward to trying more of Teavivre’s in the very near future.

Today we have another tea faceoff. The contestants shall all be Keemun. Lovely stuff so far.

This is much like the grade 2 we tried previously but smoother and more refined. I think there is a fruity sweetness to it that the grade 2 doesn’t really have. The smoke that follows the rich, malt seems to be about the same in each. I do think that Grade 2 has my attention for now. It just feels a little more robust. This is for a more classy lady than I. ;)

So today is Day 2 of The Qimen Quandery. Whether you choose to spell it Qimen or Keemun, this tea is produced in the Qimen County of Huangshan City, in Anhui (Anhwei) province. According to Wikipedia, “it was first produced in 1875 by a failed civil servant, Yu Ganchen, after he traveled to Fujian province to learn the secrets of black tea production. Prior to that, only green tea was made in Anhui. The result exceeded his expectations, and the excellent Keemun tea quickly gained popularity in England, and has since been used as a prominent ingredient in some blends of English breakfast tea.”

So this is my 3rd tea of the Qimen Quandery, having sampled 2 others yesterday. Of course, the purpose of this is to sample all of my keemuns & determine which ones I love the most, & what I love the most about them.

I would say that compared to the other 2 (Organic Superfine Fragrant & Premium Hao Ya, both from Teavivre), this one is more tart & slightly smokier, although it is not a full on smokiness. There is a plum-like fruitiness to it, and a deeper earthiness as well. There is also more astringency here, although that may in part be due to my using too hot of water. The resteep was bland.

Thanks to Teavivre for this sample, which is a sipdown! (328)

Thanks to Rachel Sincere for a sample of this tea.

This may or may not be my first Keemun, I’m not sure. I definitely don’t have much experience with them. Teavivre said to use 7g of tea for an 8oz cup, but that seems a bit much. That’s almost 3 teaspoons, is that right? I just used 1 and a half, and steeped it for a minute. It tastes fine to me.

There’s some interesting notes in this tea. I’m getting some chocolate, malt, and some heartiness, too. As it cools I find that it’s still enjoyable and doesn’t get too bitter too quickly. There’s definitely fruity tones to it that pop more, as it cools.

Also, according to the description this tea has lots of flouride. No need to brush my teeth now (haha – just kidding).

Keemun Grade 1 vs Keemun Grade 2… fight! Okay, so teas can’t really fight each other… the gloves won’t fit!

I found this tea to be extremely tasty, a very solid black tea that anyone would be lucky to have. It is dark and smooth, a little bit malty with a sweet, lightly fruity finish. I almost wrote ‘fruity finish at the end’, but I stopped myself (and then shared!). The smokiness on Grade 2 is a little lighter at first than Grade 1, but brings itself out in the aftertaste pretty prominently. It lingers on the tongue a little while, as a very pleasant memory.

Ill-fitting protective gear aside, this was a brew destined to do battle against it’s lower grade brother, and sadly it lost. At least for me. The flavors in this cup of Keemun are a little more complex than the Grade 2, but ultimately I prefer the strength and gusto of the Grade 2 Keemun. Either of them make a fantastic cup of tea… and had I not enjoyed the Grade 2 SO MUCH, the Grade 1 would feel more remarkable.

So, in an nutshell – if you like more contemplative, interesting flavor profiles, take the Grade 1. If you want a powerful cup of awesome, take the Grade 2. Or take the blue pill, and you’ll wake up tomorrow thinking this was all just a dream (I recommend the tea).

I am unsure as to what the grades suggest. I assume it is to do with the quality of the tea but I would like to know what it refers to. I did a quick internet search and did not come up with much. This is the teavivre info page: http://www.teavivre.com/info/guide-to-choose-high-quality-keemun-black-tea. It discusses different grades of keemun but then changes to discusses Grade A, B, and C. I assume that could be synonymous with the grades but I have no idea.

So anyway, this tea smells strongly earthy and more vegetal than smokey. It is smooth, but not the smoothest keemun I have had. There is a slight smokey flavour, I would describe it as more rustic. There is also a bit of an earthy flavour. There is just a touch of astringency on the back of my palate towards the end of the sip but it goes away really quick. There is just a tinge of sweetness.

This reminds me of a gulping tea, not a sipping tea. It is the tea you drink down with your breakfast, it tastes really good but you are not stopping to notice any subtleties or nuances of the tea.

A tiny sample from Heather Martin. Just making half a cup of this to taste.

The dry leaves smell so tasty. Nice and dark and malty.

Ohhh, I like this one. A lot. It’s fairly light, sweet, malty, yet strong. (Light maybe because I underleafed.) So good. Definitely on my “to buy” list for Teavivre.

Thanks, Heather! :)

Thank you to Angel at Teavivre for this wonderful sample!

Dry: Lovely short and twisty black loose leaf tea. Has a pleasant lightly malty and mellow dry aroma.

Steeped: Medium brown clear liquor. I didn’t add anything to this and the brewed fragrance is a little bit sweet and vaguely fruity with that nice malty note from the dry leaves.

Taste: I really like this tea! It is so well balanced- probably more so than any other straight black I’ve tried so far. It is also really good for a breakfast selection. Smooth, mellow, naturally on the sweeter side without being overly so, and has a nice malt character without being too earthy or heavy. There are very subtle fruit and smoke notes in the aftertaste that linger on the tongue. This is a tea I can just sit and enjoy while contemplating the activities of the day ahead. It makes me look at my Assam tin sideways and don’t even get me started on some of my less favorite flavored teas. Yes, Keemun- Grade 1, I like you quite a bit! I am excited to try the others that Teavivre sent, but this one has started my day in a lovely and flavorful way.