祁門紅茶 Keemun

Keemun (祁門紅茶, Qímén Hóngchá) comes from Qimen County in Anhui Province — a small landlocked district in the mountains southeast of the Yangtze River that produces what many Western authorities call the finest black tea in China. First created in 1875 by a former civil servant who adapted local green tea processing into a fully oxidised leaf, Keemun rose rapidly: within twenty years it was appearing in European premium blends and earning comparison to Burgundy wine for its regional character and complexity. What distinguishes Keemun from other black teas is its natural aroma — a quality the Chinese call qihong xiang: a compound of floral, fruity and faintly winey notes that no other region replicates. The leaves are small, wiry and tightly rolled, processed slowly through multiple wither and roll stages that develop this characteristic fragrance. This Select grade uses leaves from the second flush of spring 2025, when flavour is fully developed and the aroma is at its peak. In the cup: deep amber-red liquor, clear and bright. The nose is floral and stone fruit — rose petals, plum, a whisper of cocoa. On the palate: malty body, stone fruit in the middle, a soft chocolate note in the finish and a clean natural sweetness that lingers without astringency. Excellent brewed straight, without milk, and equally good as a base for morning blends. Worldwide delivery.