Good morning, dear tea friends! It’s wonderful to be back sharing another cup of tea with you!

It’s a humid, rainy morning in my little corner of the world, the kind of day where the air is thick and steamy. On days like this, I’ve always enjoyed a rich China Keemun tea in my cup. As you can see from the leaf above, I chose a Keemun Mao Feng for my morning tea.

This tea was grown in Qimen County in China’s Anhui province. Established in the year 766 during the Tang Dynasty, this county got its name from nearby Mount Qi. Keemun tea is named after this well known tea-growing region, pronounced Chee-men.

You can see how the long, wiry Mao Feng (“Fur Peak”) leaf was twisted during its processing.

I steeped the leaf for 5 minutes in boiling point (212F) water. This tea is so smooth that you could probably steep it longer, if you wanted to.

The tea liquor is the color of glowing embers and imparts a rich, earthy aroma as I lift the lid of my glass teapot.

The flavor is thick and stout with notes of earth and smoke and cocoa. Hints of dark honey and red wine linger on in the finish. This is quite a yummy selection!

I hope everyone is enjoying their summer. See you in two weeks!