Part X of X in a series on classic teas you need to taste
Origin: Qimen, Anhui China
Harvest: April-May
Dry leaves:
- Dark Auburn
- Depending on the kind, single leaves and tips
- Peach, plum, and chocolate aromas.
Wet leaves:
- Dark rust
- Plum and pipe tobacco
- Depending on the kind, single leaves and tips
Liquor:
- Dark mahogany
- Light briskness
- Aromas of pecan/hazelnut and peach, with chocolate notes
By the time Keemun teas were being produced in 1875, Darjeeling, Fujian, and Yunnan black teas were already in production. The world may have been persuaded there was no need for another black tea.
Keemuns can come in several forms, including mao feng, hao ya, and gongfu styles. As “ya” refers to tips, these tips often represent the finer, more delicate forms of keemun.
What is most defining about keemuns is the herby sweetnes it offers. While some detect peach or chocolate, there is another element, a Chinese medicine created with the potent roots and flowers of the apothecary.
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tea classics
Part IX of X in a series on classic teas you need to taste
Origin: Liu An, Anhui Province, China
Harvest: April
Dry leaves:
- Hunter green
- Twisted or rolled scroll-like toward the leaf’s main vein
- Sweet, green aromas of clover and spinach.
Wet leaves:
- Forest to Kelly green
- Spinach with some bean aromas
- Opened leaf sections
Liquor:
- Light yellow-green
- Light body with low to no astringency or bitterness
- Light aromas of sourdough bread, chamomile, and/or asparagus
Liu An makes the list of tea classics for several reasons.
First, it was frequently listed as one of China’s treasure teas. There is no “official” listing, but Liu An Gua Pian did reach the status of an Imperial Tribute Tea that was offered to China’s emperors. Best information about this tea indicates that it can be traced back to the Tang dynasty (618-907 AD).
Second, it makes a great “gateway” tea to other Chinese greens. The tea is quite forgiving in its ability to take abuse without creating a bitter cup. A neophyte can learn to steep with loose leaves and not become overly concerned with ruining his/her cup.
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liu an gua pian,
tea classics
Part VIII of X in a series on classic teas you need to taste
Origin: Assam region of India, multiple estates
Harvest: June to September
Dry leaves:
- Bistre, with golden to maize colored tips
- Twisted, wiry leaves
- Aromas include peach, grape and light cocoa.
Wet leaves:
- Brown to russet leaf color
- Smells consistent with dry leaf
- Opened leaf sections
Liquor:
- Dark mahogany color
- Strong briskness
- Light aromas of peach, grape, or faint mango
Assams have a reputation of being some of the briskest black teas available. This low-grown tea of northwestern India comes from one of the most productive tea regions in the world. It is either hot or wet in Assam, and many times both. The tea plants respond well to the conducive conditions.
Much of the tea harvested there is processed through the CTC (crush, tear, curl) method to become bag tea or the base ingredient for chai. Of those Assams that are exported, you will find a few labelled as first or second flush. Second flushes characteristically offer stronger fruit notes. The hot climate facilitates the relative speed with which Assams can be processed, bringing out the heavy briskness characteristic of this tea.
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assam,
tea classics
