Keemun Tea: A Deliciously Nutty Delight

Keemun tea is a blend that I really wanted to try for quite some time, but couldn't source it in my local supermarkets. But, just before Christmas, traveling a little further afield I managed to find a box in a very large branch of Tesco's. I was very pleased to find some, and couldn't wait to get home and try it. I had known that Keemun had a slightly nutty taste, and I love Yunnan, which is also nutty so I was looking forward to trying it.

Here is a picture of Keemun tea. (I have forgotten to upload my own pictures of my home made caddy, so this one has been taken from the Twinings website.)

Keemun is a black tea from China, which has a delicate, nutty flavour. When the tea is brewing, I got a distinct, earthy smell. It's a genuine pleasure watching this tea brew as it changes colour. It starts as a light brown, almost sandy colour, and ends up a dark mahogany.

I brew the tea for no longer then three minutes, as it tends to go rather bitter if left brewing much past that amount of time, as many black teas tend to do. I always take it black and add a sweetener, though, much like Yunnan tea, if you take milk it doesn't detract too much from the taste.

As I curled up on the sofa, I took my first sip, and was pleasantly surprised. The tea has tones of hazelnuts (well to me anyway). It's a delicate taste, but one that is very distinctly there. It's very similar to Yunnan, but different too. (I think Yunnan tends to have a stronger nutty taste). I also think the tea has a slightly smokey flavour, which, surprisingly for me, I enjoyed, as the only tea I can't take is Lapsang Souchong. So, I guess, you could say, it's rather like roasted hazelnuts!

The tea is very smooth and very pleasant to drink.

As I said earlier, the tea can go slightly bitter if over brewed. I would also add that it tastes bitter if taken cold. Quite often I forget about tea, and go back a while later, take a swig, to find it has cooled. Normally, it doesn't matter. A tea like, Lady Grey for instance, tends to sweeten a bit once cold, but Keemun does go bitter, so drink it while it's hot!

I think this tea will appeal to those who love black teas, and perhaps those who are not so keen on lemon, oranges or other floral scents that are often added to black teas. Drinking a plain black tea, such as the Prince of Wales blend can be a little boring, so the subtle nut flavour is a pleasant addition. This tea is honestly worth tracking down.

When reading up on Keemun tea, I discovered something quite interesting. Apparantly, this tea can go stale very quickly, so it may be worth investing in a caddy to keep the tea in rather then keeping it simply in it's box.

I'm glad I've found this tea and added it to my collection. It was certainly well worth hunting down and is a wonderful addition to the collection.

Summary of Keemun Tea

- Brew this tea for anything up to three minutes, anything longer can make it a little bitter.
- Can be taken black or white, (depending on taste) and can be sweetened too.
- It's available in larger supermarkets and online. You can purchase a box of 50 bags for around £2.49.