Tea Spotlight: Award Winning Keemun Imperial Gongfu Black Tea
We are proud to announce that our Keemun Imperial Gongfu Black Tea is a winner in the 2017 Global Tea Championship!!!
Keemun is considered one of the world’s four most famous black teas, along with Yunnan Gold Tips (“Dian Hong Jing Ya”), Lapsang Souchong (“Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong”), and Indian Darjeeling. It is frequently featured in English Breakfast black tea blends but often in very limited amounts due to its cost.
Our Keemun in particular is special due to our commitment to sourcing true origin teas. One of the properties that makes good Keemun such a spectacular black tea is its signature floral fragrance, an attribute imparted to the tea from its unique environment where it grows at about 800 meters in the presence of many wild flowers. The unique terroir in which only the best Keemun grows is reflected in the taste, as acknowledged by the judges in the tea championship.
Aromatically, this is a complex tea, sure to challenge even the most refined of palates with its many layers. It teases the nose with a combination of tangy red raspberries and cherry blossom. The result is a smooth and sweet black tea, not too dissimilar from a good red wine. Perhaps to no surprise, then, this special tea is often referred to as the “burgundy wine of teas!”
The tea championships are always a source of pride for us due to the way in which the winners are determined. Rather than take entries for each class of tea and then rank them from best to worst, the judges use a threshold system. What this means is that in order to receive a 3rd place rank, there is a set of stringent minimal qualifications that need to be met relating to the leaves, liquor, and taste. Thus, even if there were 10 submissions, it’s possible for some categories to have no award winners if the submitted teas fail to meet those minimum qualifications. This system makes winning an award no easy task, putting teas not only up against one another but up against the threshold system as well.
We’re excited that we can offer this tea to you so that you can see for yourself what makes it one of the four most famous black teas in the world!
Leave a comment
March 16, 2017
Recent Articles
- October
- September
- Previous Articles
- Caffeine and Your Tea: Myths and Misconceptions
- Green Tea Steeping FAQ: How Long You Should Brew, Resteeping, Water Quality and More
- Why is West Lake Dragonwell Green Tea More Expensive Than Other Dragonwells? Long Jing and The Hidden Factors of Tea Pricing
- Beyond the Tea Sourcing Trips – Why Terroir Matters, An Interview with Victoria Wu (Part 2)
- Beyond the Tea Sourcing Trips – An Interview with Victoria Wu (Part1)
- Wuyi Rou Gui: What’s the Difference between Shui Lian Dong and Ma Tou Yan?
- Meet Fo Shou Zhen Yancha, a Buddha’s Hand Wuyi Rock Oolong
- How to Season a Yixing Teapot
- How to Drink Tea from a Gaiwan
- What’s Right for You, the Gaiwan or the Teapot?
- Choosing the Right Utensils: The Gaiwan
- A Brief History of the World’s Oldest Tea: White Tea
- The Complete Guide to Iced Tea, Pt. II: Cold Brewing
- The Complete Guide to Iced Tea, Pt. I: Flash Chilling
- What Makes for a Good Green Tea?
- Why Tea Lovers Look Forward to the Tea Harvest
- Meet the Legendary “Mother of All Teas”
- A Brief Guide to Steeping Loose Leaf Teas
- Understanding Pu’erh and Appreciating the Importance of Terroir
- What is Gan Pu Tea and Why Should You Be Drinking It?
- What is Teng Tiao Cha (“Rattan” or “Vine” Tea), and What Makes It So Unique?
- Pu’erh You Should Know: A Brief Introduction to Mengku Pu’erh
- Tea Tasting Guide: How to Taste and Appreciate Wuyi Rock Oolongs
- Bai Ji Guan: One of the Four Famous Wuyi Rock Oolongs and Why You’ve Never Heard Of It
- Pu’erh Tea Benefits: What You Need to Know about the Next Big Superfood
- A Brief History of Tea: How Curiosity Accidentally Created the Drink that Conquered the World
- Should You Use Bottled Water or Tap Water for Your Tea? It’s Complicated.
- The Difference between Sheng Pu-Erh and Shu Pu-Erh
- Family, Friends, and Community: The Importance of the Chinese Lunar New Year and What it Means for You
- How Can You Get the Most Out of your Pu-erh?
- What Makes Wuyi Rock Oolong Tea So Unique?
- Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Teacup Shapes
- Pairing Your Tea and Teaware, A Regional Approach
- What You Need to Know about Anxi Tieguanyin
- Four Reasons We Love Yixing Teapots
- Say Hello to Jian Shui Zi Tao Purple Clay Teapots!
- Meet the Intoxicating, Enchanting Long Yuan Mark, a Fire-Roasted Puerh
- The 2018 MeiMei Fine Teas Ultimate Holiday Gift Guide, Pt. II (Teaware)
- The 2018 MeiMei Fine Teas Ultimate Holiday Gift Guide, Pt. I (Teas)
- Recipe: Move Over Coffee, the Eggnog Tea Latté has Arrived
- A Look at the Latest Award-Winning Teas, pt. II: Wuyi Rou Gui Rock Oolong
- A Look at the Latest Award-Winning Teas, pt. I: Long Jing Dragonwell
- What is Lapsang Tea? Just the Best Tea You can Drink in the Fall Season!
- Do You Really Need to Preheat Your Mug or Teapot?
- Are You Waiting Too Long to Resteep your Tea?
- Essential Teaware Explained: Your Guide to Gaiwan and How to Use It, Part 3
MeiMei Fine Teas
Author