Qimen Hongcha
祁门红茶 · Keemun
Black
Anhui made nothing but green tea until 1875, when a man borrowed the black method from Fujian and turned the local leaf red instead.
The West took to it immediately. It became the backbone of the old English breakfast blends and it still is, which is why most people have tasted it without knowing the name.
The plant is the same bush that makes Huangshan Maofeng, fully oxidised rather than fixed green. Same leaf, different decision. It pours lighter than most black teas, malt and unsweetened cocoa, with a surprising rose sitting on top and a whisper of smoke behind it.
- cocoa
- malt
- rose
- Origin
- Qimen, Anhui, China
- Water
- 90°C / 194°F
- Ratio
- 4 g / 100 ml
- Caffeine
- Medium
- Rinse
- Not needed
China ten-famous-teas; classic Western blend base
How much leaf
Gong fu brewing is leaf-heavy and short. Set your gaiwan or pot size and this is what to weigh out.
Vessel volume
100 ml
Recommended dose
Use ~4.0g of tea
The session
6 infusions, about 3m 20s of total contact time.
- Steep 115sA dark sweetness, not yet cocoa.
- Steep 220sCocoa deepens under the malt.
- Steep 325sRose lifts through the darkness.
- Steep 435sStone fruit brightens the finish.
- Steep 545sA faint smoke trails the sweetness.
- Steep 61mMalt settles, soft and clean.
Also sold as
Qimen, Keemun Congou, Qi Men
Steaper times this session for you
A countdown per infusion, a gong when each one is up, and the whole library in your pocket. Coming to iPhone.
Get notified at launchThese numbers are a median of independent gong fu sources, not a law. Leaf age, vessel and water all move them. Spotted something wrong? Tell us.