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Alex Zorach

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Member since Sep. 1st, 2009. Reviewed 1448 teas.

Reviews of Keemun

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Picture of Premium Qimen Black Tea of Huangshan

Premium Qimen Black Tea of Huangshan from Yunnan Sourcing

Style: Keemun Mao Feng – Region: Huangshan, Anhui, China

92 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
Dec. 22nd, 2020

I continue to branch out into black teas from provinces other than Yunnan, sold by Yunnan Sourcing. This was a pleasant surprise: an exceptionally smooth tea, easy to brew and easy to drink, among the sweetest Keemuns I've tried.

The dry leaf is very fine and curly, so much it is shaped more like Bi Luo Chun than li...

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Picture of Keemun Extra Choice

Keemun Extra Choice from Murchie's Tea & Coffee Ltd

Style: Keemun – Region: China

66 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 2/5
Oct. 17th, 2017

A very subdued tea. This one was pleasant, but disappointed me, given how much I normally tend to like Keemun.

Dry leaf smells pleasant and mild, a little fresher and cooler-smelling than I normally expect for Keemun.

Brews a rich, dark cup with a mellow flavor and a distinctly caramelly aroma. A little fresher,...

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Picture of Hao Ya A

Hao Ya A from Harney and Sons

Style: Keemun Hao Ya A – Region: Anhui, China

98 / 100 Aroma: 9/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
Apr. 22nd, 2016

I have had a lot of Keemun, but never before sampled Hao Ya A. The overall experience of drinking this tea was somewhat different from what I expected. It's similar, but recognizably different from the Hao Ya B, and I'm not convinced that I like it better. I like both, and this one is not that much more expensive (s...

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Picture of Hao Ya B (Keemun)

Hao Ya B (Keemun) from Harney and Sons

Style: Keemun Hao Ya B – Region: China

98 / 100 Aroma: 9/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
Apr. 22nd, 2016

I thought this was an exceptional tea and was my favorite traditional Keemun ever sapmled.

Dry leaf is fine and dark in color, pleasantly aromatic, and the aroma is quite complex, it suggests fruit, spice, and dried flowers, a little like potpourri, with vegetal and chocolatey notes. The smell reminds me of Christm...

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Picture of Keemun Mao Feng

Keemun Mao Feng from Harney and Sons

Style: Keemun Mao Feng – Region: Qimen, Anhui, China

91 / 100 Aroma: 9/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
Apr. 12th, 2016

I loved this tea. It reminded me a lot of the Spring Keemun from Andrews & Dunham, both in the smell and taste, and the appearance of the leaf.

Mild but pleasant smell to the dry leaf, which looks very curly in shape, little snail-like curls a lot like bi luo chun. Smells sweeter than other Keemun Mao Feng, but st...

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Keemun Panda #1 Tea from Metropolitan Tea Company

Style: Keemun – Region: Anhui, China

80 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 4/5
Jul. 18th, 2015

Served at Notting Hill coffee shop in Lewes, DE.

Very aromatic loose leaf, slightly smoky, typical for a Keemun of good quality.

Brews a rich, mellow cup with a rounded character and strong warming quality. Probably not the best tea for a hot summer day like today, but I was in the mood for it and it was excellen...

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Picture of China Keemun First Grade

China Keemun First Grade from Upton Tea Imports

Style: Keemun – Region: China

87 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
Mar. 22nd, 2015

If I've ever had a prototypical Keemun, this is it; it would make an excellent standard against which to compare other examples of this tea, although it also had a few ways in which it stood out.

The dry leaf is fine, and very pleasantly aromatic, hinting at notes of dried fruit and light wood smoke, and suggesting ...

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Picture of Keemun Congfu

Keemun Congfu from Joseph Wesley Black Tea

Style: Keemun – Region: Fujian, China

97 / 100 Aroma: 10/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 4/5
Dec. 15th, 2014

Something fascinating and wonderful...a Keemun of top-quality produced outside the traditional area, yet in an area with a tradition of artisanal black tea production. Seems to combine the best qualities of Keemun with qualities of Fujian gong fu / congou black teas. I saved this tea review for last, from the recent ...

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Picture of Spring Keemun

Spring Keemun from Andrews & Dunham Damn Fine Teas

Style: Keemun – Region: China

94 / 100 Aroma: 9/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
Nov. 11th, 2014

I sampled this tea at the Philadelphia Coffee and Tea Festival, and it was mind-blowing! I'm now writing an extended review after brewing it myself at home.

The dry leaf has a unique aroma, vegetal, suggesting sweetness, and with a hint of smoke.

Brews up a rich, dark cup which is surprisingly smooth in flavor, ...

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Picture of Keemun Full Leaf Tea

Keemun Full Leaf Tea from Foojoy

Style: Keemun – Region: Anhui, China

83 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
Aug. 23rd, 2013

An inexpensive Keemun of very good quality for its price. Very smooth and mellow, but rich. Classic Keemun flavor and aroma: winey and slightly smoky.

Dry leaf is fine and pretty broken, with a mild but very pleasing aroma.

Upon brewing I notice a very gentle smokiness, and the characteristic wine-like quality ...

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Picture of Organic Superfine Keemun Fragrant Black Tea

Organic Superfine Keemun Fragrant Black Tea from TeaVivre

Style: Keemun – Region: Huangshan, Anhui, China

91 / 100 Aroma: 9/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 4/5
Feb. 9th, 2013

I find it interesting how different people I have given this tea to have perceived it differently. I thought it a top-notch tea, but I also found that it doesn't have as much of a universal appeal as some high-quality teas.

Dry leaf is pleasingly aromatic, and shares a lot of qualities in common with top-quality bl...

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Picture of Keemun Black Tea

Keemun Black Tea from Arbor Teas

Style: Keemun – Region: Qimen, Anhui, China

67 / 100 Aroma: 9/10 Flavor: 3/5 Value: 4/5
Jan. 14th, 2013

Keemun can be really diverse, so I never know exactly what to expect when trying it. This one really surprised me--while being recognizable as Keemun.

A very complex, organic-tasting Keemun (and I mean organic in the sense that it tastes natural and multifaceted, not overly refined or simplified).

The dry leaf c...

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Picture of Premium Keemun Hao Ya Black Tea

Premium Keemun Hao Ya Black Tea from TeaVivre

Style: Keemun Hao Ya B – Region: Qimen, Anhui, China

70 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 4/5
Apr. 24th, 2012

I was surprised to find that I strongly preferred the slightly less expensive Keemun Grade 1 from TeaVivre to this offering. While this was a very good tea, it did not wow me as being outstanding, or even higher quality than a typical Keemun. It was just different. I was surprised at the strength of the cup, the dar...

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Picture of Keemun Black Tea – Grade 1

Keemun Black Tea – Grade 1 from TeaVivre

Style: Keemun – Region: Qimen, Anhui, China

94 / 100 Aroma: 9/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
Apr. 19th, 2012

I liked this tea right from the start, but the more I drank this tea, the more it has grown on me. Very full-bodied, intense flavor, smooth. Fruity, with a fair amount of smokiness. Relatively little leaf is needed for a bold-flavored cup. Surprisingly, I like this a lot better than the Keemun Hao Ya from the same ...

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Picture of Keemun Mao Feng Black Tea

Keemun Mao Feng Black Tea from Life in Teacup

Style: Keemun Mao Feng – Region: Qimen, Anhui, China

87 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
Apr. 17th, 2012

Dry leaf is strongly aromatic, with a slight smokiness and a strong dried fruit quality. Surprisingly little leaf is needed to brew a flavorful cup. I find it hard to gauge the amount of leaf necessary, because the thin, wiry leaf occupies a lot of space, but also expands greatly upon brewing.

The brewed cup has a...

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Picture of Hubei Province Keemun Ji Hong

Hubei Province Keemun Ji Hong from Upton Tea Imports

Style: Keemun – Region: Hubei, China

70 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 3/5 Value: 5/5
Jun. 12th, 2011

The second Hubei Keemun I've tried, and it is immediately recognizable as a Hubei Keemun: the same aroma of chicken soup, the earthy and fruity Keemun tones weaker and taking a back burner, and a slight usually edginess not present in Anhui Keemuns.

Flavor is overall very sweet, there are even some tones of honey in...

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Picture of Keemun

Keemun from Rishi Tea

Style: Keemun – Region: Hubei, China

73 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 3/5 Value: 5/5
Nov. 12th, 2010

This is the first Hubei Keemun I've tried, and I will say it is quite different from other Keemuns, and in fact, quite different from anything I've ever had: count on Rishi to locate and select innovative teas, although I still can't make up my mind about whether I like this particular innovation. I tried brewing this...

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Picture of Organic China Congou Hong Tao #1

Organic China Congou Hong Tao #1 from Upton Tea Imports

Style: Keemun – Region: China

73 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 4/5
Sep. 4th, 2009

Interesting and atypical among black teas: more mellow and earthy. The leaves have an aroma very similar to the brewed tea.

When brewed as instructed, the tea is is a dark brown with a slight greenish hue, and less opaque than some black teas. I like to brew it with slightly more leaves than recommended, which yie...

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