Keemun

Keemun is the only tea I know where the variation in taste might justify the variation in price. So I settle for the nonsuch British approach and look for the taste in blends such as Prince of Wales. Also I stock inexpensive Keemun and overbrew which is my poor man's Hao Ya A. When somebody ask the tea I think is a classic it is a Keemun. There is no such thing as a bad Keemun only good, goody, and yummy. Don't fall for the fly by night tasting experts peddling tepid water and multiple infusions who are doing nothing more than justifying their investments. The first cup is always the best and if it isn't you're doing something wrong. For the guy on the way to the Asian market buy all the brands of this stuff you can. There won't be that many.

Jim

Space Cowboy%R9nb.3997$ snipped-for-privacy@newsread3.news.pas.earthlink.net10/27/03

Ya got yer orchidy keemuns, yer winey keemuns, yer flowery keemuns, yer nearly smokey keemuns, yer knock-yer-socks-off keemuns, and yer delicate keemuns. Ya got yer el cheapo keemuns and yer empty-yer-wallet keemuns. But, to reiterate the wisdom from above, they are to the last, good, goody, and yummy. Nor have I ever met a keemun I didn't like. SpecialTeas' Hao Ya A is fine and the price is right enough for me. (Thought to check it out before posting this, and see that this tea is sold out. Was on a 40% discount, too. Say Lavi)

And, Space permitting, feel free to steep it a second time; the second might not be quite as good as the first, but why the heck not?

By the way and not for nothing, I could see a keemun mixing very happily with a Bangladeshi tea.

Best, Michael, BS, MS, FBNTE (from Brooklyn)

PS: Ripon, are you planning a trip to Brooklyn?

OH! Michael-orchidy, winey,flowery,smokey yummy I like that. yes I have tried all of them except Keemun Mao feng green. My wallet is always in threat for tea. Anyway I really like the way you discribed the different taste.From your discription i can tell you are a Oolong lover.

YES,you are right, Keemun is great with Bangladeshi CTC. And soon you will have that taste.

Yes, Michael I am planing to come to NY to visit all you guys-you, Lew. Well can i send you private mail cause this is a tea talk group. I guess Lew talked with you about me. Lots to say to you my friend. I will bring lots and lots of Bangladeshi tea for you guys.

You got that right. In the particular store I went to, I didn't find any black (or red) teas. From what I could tell, I think the store may have been predominantly Korean. It pretty much only had Japanese greens and Barley Tea.

It took me a bit to get used to the Chinese black teas, but since I have I can honestly say I haven't had a Keemun that I didn't like. I've had some cheaper Keemuns, Keemun Mao Feng, Keemun Hao Ya A, Keemun Ji Hong, and Keemun Imperial. Like Jim and Michael said, some were better than others but none were bad.

Blues

Hi Ripon,

There can be many kinds of Keemun. In China, you can actually seek out a tea master to custom make different kinds of Keemun for you, such as Mao Jian Keemun.

Keemun Mao Feng is a Black tea. It is produced by using Mao Feng tea leaves in the process of making Keemun. Similarly, Keemun Hao Ya is produced with young bud leaf. A and B is just the quality (if I'm not mistaken).

Respectfully, Daniel

A Korean store is the last place for a selection of teas. They are a coffee consuming country like ours. None of the Korean stores in town stock any tea. I do enjoy adding tea masala to their mill tea when it is a nasty winter day.

Jim

Blue hello, What is that Keemun Ji Hong? Never tried that.

Ripon. (From Bangladesh)

What I had was from Upton, Hubei Province Keemun Ji Hong ZK22. It was only a small sample, but the tea was very mellow and smooth and had a sweetness to it as it cooled. I enjoyed it very much. I remember thinking that it wasn't as full flavored as some Keemuns, but as I said it was only a small sample. A reviewer on the website found it "rich and full flavored". It's a pretty inexpensive tea, so I'm sure I'll experiment with it some more.

Their website says: Rated a top tea region since the Tang Dynasty, Hubei province produces this remarkable black tea. A special grade of Keemun.

You can read the reviews at

I recently received a sample from Special Teas of their Golden Monkey. It's another very nice tea. While I'm not sure if it is a Keemun or not, it is very similar. Sweet and smooth with a hint of spice. I'm not sure I tasted any of the chocolate flavors most reviewers mention though.

Blues

Blues:

yes golden monkey is another Keemun tea. you can consider this tea as another top quality Keemun. Tastes more sweet,more chocolatey. Its very good. Another top grade Keemun is Red Peony. I have tried red peony firt time at a hotel in Indoneshia and i was so suprised with its look because this tea tied togather with a silken thread to resamble a flower. After that I am a fan of red peony. I recently order some from Imperial tea court. My understanding is Anhui province's all red tea(black tea) resemble Keemun taste. This is my personal opinion. Actually tea vendors often confuse us with their own version of exotic name. We need to be careful sometimes to order. In the future i have a plan to talk about it here. Well, enjoy your Golden money tea. please let us know, how you like it.

Ripon. (From bangladesh)

Keemun tea origin is Anhui province of China. Do you know that Keemun is called Qi Men in chinese? The Keemun tea is named after Keemun / Qi Men of Anhui.

Dear Chinese Tea: Yes i knew Keemun is from Anhui province but didn't know In chinese its called Qi Men. Thanks a lot. But what is the meaning of QI?

Ripon (From Bangladesh)

Dear Ripon,

Qi means magnificent or extreme cold.

Most chinese black tea are named after it s origin. For example: Ying De Hong of GuangDong, Ying De Yi Hong of Hubei, YiChang Chuan Hong of Sichuan Hu Hong of Hunan

It doesnt really have a meaning to it. It means it is from that province or county.

If you like Keemun type black tea you should try Ying De Hong.

Chinese Tea (From China)

Dear Chinese Tea:

Ni-Hao( Thats all chinese i know). I am very happy to meet someone here from mainland China. Your information is very resourceful to me. Yes I am a Keemun lover. daily i drink 3-4 cups of different Keemun. Do you know which vendor or which company in China sell Ying De Hong? All i knew about Guandong is another uprising HongKong. Have you ever try Shicuan Black? My order of this tea from Imperial Tea court is on the way. I will be happy if you can put some of your knowledgable comment about this tea. Thank you.

Ripon (From Bangladesh)

Dear Ripon,

I dont know which vendor sell this tea. Maybe you can ask your vendor for it.

It was first produced in year around 1950. I tried once when i was on a trip to Sichuan. One of the main characteristic of Chuan Hong is after drinking it you get a sweet/liquorous taste on your tongue.

Have you ever try drinking oolong tea?

Chinese Tea (From China)

i have tried this one. I drink it every morning at breakfast. it doesn't strike me as chocolatey in taste. i'm not really experiencedenough to compare it to other teas tho.