Keemun black tea family members are no longer limited to the "traditional Keemun Gongfu," but now include two "new members"—Keemun Xiangluo and Keemun Maofeng.

Keemun Xiangluo

Keemun Xiangluo was developed in 1997 by the Tea Research Institute of the Anhui Academy of Agricultural Sciences. It is defined in the "Anhui Provincial Standard for Keemun Black Tea" as "a curly-shaped Keemun black tea processed through withering, rolling, fermentation, temperature-controlled shaping, drying, sorting, and classification." Keemun Maofeng is described as "a bent-shaped Keemun black tea processed through withering, rolling, fermentation, shaping, drying, sorting, and classification."

The plucking standards for the two "new members" primarily use one bud and one leaf or one bud and two leaves. Those mainly using one bud and one leaf are classified as premium grade; those using one bud and one leaf or one bud and two leaves are classified as first grade; and those mainly using one bud and two leaves are classified as second grade. There are only these three grades.

Keemun Maofeng

The production processes of Keemun Xiangluo and Keemun Maofeng differ significantly from that of traditional Keemun Gongfu. Traditional Keemun Gongfu involves two stages: primary processing and refining. Primary processing includes withering, rolling, fermentation, and drying.

Refining includes sifting, winnowing, sorting, re-firing, blending, even stacking, and packing. The two "new members" add a shaping step and omit the complex refining process, resulting in more intact tea leaves.

Traditional Keemun Gongfu Black Tea

In terms of flavor, Keemun Xiangluo and Keemun Maofeng are fresher and sweeter, while traditional Keemun Gongfu is more mellow and robust. As for aroma, traditional Keemun Gongfu is rich and complex, while Keemun Xiangluo and Keemun Maofeng exhibit a distinct sweet floral fragrance.

"The aroma of Keemun Maofeng is characterized by a fresh, high, and lingering scent, accompanied by a tender and refreshing sweetness, while traditional Keemun Gongfu is dominated by a bright and rich sweetness, representing the distinct quality styles of different Keemun tea varieties," according to research by experts such as Lei Pandeng and Huang Jianqin.