Super Keemun Tips Hao Ya "A"

(China, Black) This Super Keemun Hao Ya A is produced in very limited quanities. While Keemuns are considered to be the best of the China Black teas, this choice is the best and rarest of the Keemuns, and a prized tea. It has numerous "tips", or tea buds.

Our cost for this tea has gone up dramatically in 2021 due in part to tariffs which are different for some Chinese teas than for others. For this reason we needed to increase our selling price or remove the tea from our list.  We decided to keep the tea active for those customers who routinely purchase it.  Even at this new price, the cost per cup is about 30 cents. The quality remains high.

Keemun tea has been produced in China since about 1875 in Qimen County in Anhui province.  The word Keemun is how Qimen became anglisized.  Prior to 1875 only green tea was produced in this province while black tea was manufactured elsewhere in China, notably Fujian province.  Today, Keemun is China's most popular tea.

There are five standard grades of Keemun and at least two officially recognized 'super' grades.  The top quality of the standard group is Keemun 1st Grade and, while all grades are prepared from the same plant, the higher the grade the more smaller leaves and buds are present, the finer the cup.  Beyond these standard grade are Hao Ya A and B, with A being the higher quality.  This Hao Ya A contains all buds and is very delicate.

Keemun leaves and buds are small and can infuse quickly.  You may get up to five infusions from the same leaves.
Some sources suggest boiling while others suggest using a slightly lower temperature (194 F) for the first infusion and boiling for the subsequent ones, increasing steeping time for each subsequent infusion.

Water Temperature: 194 to 212°F
Leaf to Water Ratio: 1 tablespoon per 8 ounces
Steep Time: 3 minutes (1st infusion), 4-5 minutes (2+ infusions)