Keemun, from the province of Anhui, is China’s great black tea, the one from which the English made, in the 19th century, the base of their prestige blends. Mariage Frères offers here a FOP grade, Flowery Orange Pekoe, whole leaf with buds, which the house describes as very rare and one of the most sought-after Keemun teas, and which it says was the favourite tea of the Buckingham Palace court for grand occasions.

The leaves are very beautiful and glossy, fine, of a deep black. It is a plain tea, with no added flavouring; the full list of ingredients appears on the packaging and on this page, and it carries the Jardin Premier label in our catalogue. Dry, the aroma is subtle, with that soft note one recognises in good Keemun.

The liquor is amber and round, and the flavour delicate: soft, woody notes, a hint of cocoa, a almost smoky touch that suggests orchid and pine, and fine tannins that give length without dryness. The finest of the fine, the house says; in any case, this is a black tea of finesse rather than strength, which can be drunk without tiring.

It is drunk during the day, plain, without milk or sugar, which would mask its delicacy, with a light breakfast, butter biscuits, a chocolate cake or a mature cheese. It also suits the evening, for those who enjoy a soft black tea. The whole leaves withstand a second infusion.

Allow 2.5 g per 200 ml of water at 95 °C and five minutes’ steeping. Keemun Impérial FOP is weighed and packed to order in our shops in Bordeaux and Nice, from a 5 g sample to a kilo, in a pouch designed to preserve its taste. Store it hermetically sealed, away from light.