# Qimen Hong Cha (Keemun) (祁門紅茶)

*Qí Mén Hóng Chá · Red · Fire*

**archetype:** Orchid in an oak barrel

An orchid forgotten in a wine cask: a wine depth, violet, dark dried fruit, an oaken sweetness.

## History

Qi Men Hong Cha (in the West known as Keemun) is one of the 'three great red teas of the world' (with Ceylon's Uda Pussellawa and Indian Darjeeling). It was created in 1875 by the official Hu Yuanlong, who brought the technology from Fujian to Qimen county. The leaf of the local Keimu cultivar gives a unique combination — a wine depth above and a honey base below. It was the favourite blend of English tea houses at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries.

> It is said that the first Qi Men bush was planted next to a wine cellar. Every morning the winemakers opened the casks — and the vapours of the oaken wine settled on the leaf of the bush. When the leaf was picked and brewed, wine, orchid and a thin violet appeared in the cup. Since then Qi Men is made as if the bush still stood by the cellar: the leaf keeps the memory of dark oak and ripe grape.

## Terroir

300–700 m. weathered slate with clay and quartz. dense fogs, frequent rains, mild winters. The standard is the leaf of Mount Lichishan. The best Keemun is the 'Mao Feng' grade: the first picking of the fine leaf.

## Leaf

- **dry leaf:** thin twisted dark-chestnut strands with a noticeable floral-wine aroma
- **warmed:** the warmed leaf — a wine rose, violet, dark raisin, chocolate, a thin oak
- **after pour:** after the infusion — wine rose, violet, chocolate, oak, dark honey
- **taste:** wine rose, black raisin, violet, chocolate, dried oak
- **finish:** long, wine-like, leaving an orchid in a wine cask in the throat

## Properties

- **TCM:** neutral-warm; nourishes the blood, gently moves qi, calms the shen
- **Modern:** rich in theaflavins, aromatic aldehydes and natural sugars; mild stimulation, considered one of the most 'refined' red teas
- **Cha qi:** noble, warm, in the upper chest; felt as a 'wine window'
- **Caffeine:** medium (40–55 mg)

## Brewing ritual

a porcelain 150 ml gaiwan; 95 °C; 5 g / 150 ml. 10s — the first note: wine rose, violet; 12s — the peak: black raisin, chocolate, oak; 16s — a long wine depth; 25s — a late trail — dark dried fruit; 40s — the finale — a warm echo of the cask.

## When to drink

day and evening. autumn and winter. for writing, for a fine conversation, when one wants an orchid in wine. chocolate, dried fig, wine cheeses, dark dried fruit, nuts. two in conversation about books; solitary reading

## Tea meditation

1. This tea is good with silence and writing.
2. Let the wine depth come through — it is shy of speed.
3. Each sip is a closed window with an orchid inside.

## Questions and answers

### How do you brew Qimen Hong Cha (Keemun)?

a porcelain 150 ml gaiwan; 95 °C; 5 g / 150 ml. 10s — the first note: wine rose, violet; 12s — the peak: black raisin, chocolate, oak; 16s — a long wine depth; 25s — a late trail — dark dried fruit; 40s — the finale — a warm echo of the cask.

### What does Qimen Hong Cha (Keemun) taste like?

wine rose, black raisin, violet, chocolate, dried oak

### How much caffeine is in Qimen Hong Cha (Keemun)?

medium (40–55 mg)

### What are the effects of Qimen Hong Cha (Keemun)?

rich in theaflavins, aromatic aldehydes and natural sugars; mild stimulation, considered one of the most 'refined' red teas

## Related teas

- [Dian Hong](https://www.dao-cha.info/en/tea/dian-hong)
- [Jin Jun Mei](https://www.dao-cha.info/en/tea/jin-jun-mei)
- [Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong](https://www.dao-cha.info/en/tea/zheng-shan-xiao-zhong)
- [Red](https://www.dao-cha.info/en/class/red)