Keemun Black Tea is a famous historical Chinese tea. A premium black tea variety, abbreviated as Keemun, it is mainly produced in Qimen County, Anhui Province.

The natural quality of the tea leaves is best in areas like Likou, Shanli, and Pingli in Qimen. Local tea plant varieties are high-yielding and excellent in quality, grown in fertile reddish-yellow soil with a mild climate, ample rainfall, and moderate sunlight. This results in tender leaves rich in water-soluble substances, with the best quality harvested in August. Keemun Black Tea features tightly wound, slender, and even strands with elegant tips and a glossy blackish-brown color (commonly known as "precious luster"). Its aroma is fragrant with a honeyed scent, and top-grade teas carry an orchid-like fragrance (known as "Keemun Fragrance"), which is rich and long-lasting. The tea soup is bright red and clear, with a mellow, sweet, and refreshing taste. The brewed leaves (tea residue) are reddish and bright. Drinking it plain best captures its enduring aroma, and even adding fresh milk does not diminish its rich flavor.

"Keemun is peerless among all teas, its high fragrance unmatched." Keemun Black Tea is the finest among black teas, enjoying great prestige. It is a beloved beverage of the British Queen and royal family, renowned for its high aroma and often called the "Best Among All" and the "Queen of Black Teas."

The finished tea has tightly wound, slender, and elegant strands, a glossy blackish-brown color with visible golden tips, a bright red and clear soup, a fresh and mellow taste, and a long-lasting fragrant aroma. Its unique "Keemun Fragrance," reminiscent of flowers, fruit, and honey, is world-famous, ranking first among the world's three most aromatic teas.

Identifying Keemun Black Tea is a technical task, mainly assessed from the following aspects:

1. Appearance: Tightly wound, slender, and even strands indicate good quality. Conversely, coarse, loose, and uneven strands indicate lower quality.

2. Color: A glossy, uniform blackish-brown color with luster indicates good quality. Inconsistent color or dull, grayish leaves indicate lower quality.

3. Aroma: A rich and fragrant aroma indicates good quality. An impure aroma with grassy notes indicates lower quality, while a dull aroma indicates poor quality.

4. Soup Color: A bright red soup with a golden ring at the edge of the tasting cup indicates excellent quality. A less bright soup indicates lower quality, and a dark, murky soup indicates poor quality.

5. Taste: A mellow and full-bodied taste indicates good quality. A bitter or astringent taste indicates lower quality, while a bland or coarse taste indicates poor quality.

6. Brewed Leaves: Bright reddish brewed leaves indicate good quality. Leaves with a bluish tint indicate lower quality, while dark leaves with many black strips indicate poor quality.

7. Authentic Keemun Black Tea has a棕红色 (brownish-red) color, is cut into 0.6–0.8 cm lengths, and has a strong,醇和 (mellow and harmonious), and refreshing taste. Counterfeit tea often contains artificial coloring, tastes bitter or bland, and has irregularly shaped leaves.