Known as the Burgundy of black teas, Keemun has enjoyed world-wide fame with no shortage of fans. However, China’s own growing demand has gradually changed the unique properties of this great tea. The modern day Keemun is now less oxidized, and consumers in China are looking for a black (or “red”) tea that allows short multiple infusions. Furthermore, since milk and sugar are rarely used in China, the infusion color is no longer required to be deep red. Instead, a light, golden red cup is preferred. Given those conditions, we have decided that in order to produce the correct standard of Keemun we must take ownership of the tea and produce it in partnership with the factory. We have taken the first step by traveling to Anhui, China to produce last year’s Imperial Keemun and three other versions of Keemun, with different levels of oxidation. This season, we have turned our attention to the Imperial Keemun Hao Ya and we are happy to report that our “gold standard” Keemun has turned out very well. With a ruby red color in the cup, full viscosity, and complexity, this tea is as a great Keemun should be. We are happy to again add this year’s Imperial Keemun Hao Ya to our family of great Keemun black teas.

This is a classic black tea, so using the English style preparation of 1 teaspoon per person with near boiling water for several minutes is acceptable (steeping time and quantity of leaves used varies depending on the the strength desired). The Chinese method, using a Gaiwan or a glass teapot and mid-temperature with repeated short infusions, allows a different take on black tea enjoyment. We would advise you to try it both ways if you don’t already have your own preferences.