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Chinese black: Keemun, Lapsang, Dian Hong, Jin Jun Mei

When we think of black tea, India comes to mind - Assam, Darjeeling, strong breakfast teas. But it was China that invented black tea, and Chinese black (hongcha, literally red tea) has its own, refined world, far from the strong Indian classics. Four of them are true legends: the floral, complex Keemun, the smoky Lapsang Souchong, the honeyed Dian Hong with golden buds and the luxurious Jin Jun Mei. Each has its own character, region and history, and they are joined by a smooth, sweet gentleness typical of Chinese black. Here is a guide to the four classics: where their flavours come from, how they differ and why Chinese black is so different from Indian.

China - the cradle of black tea

To appreciate these teas, it is worth knowing the context. It was China that invented black tea, long before the British developed its cultivation in India. Chinese black tea, called hongcha (red tea, after the colour of the brew), is a fully oxidised kind of tea, but of a character different from the strong, astringent Indian teas. Chinese blacks are famous for smoothness, sweetness and complexity, often with low astringency and a rich aromatic quality. Among hundreds of varieties an elite of famous teas emerged, prized for centuries. Four of them - Keemun, Lapsang Souchong, Dian Hong and Jin Jun Mei - are the strict top. Getting to know them is a great introduction to the refined world of Chinese black tea. Understanding that Chinese black is a separate, gentler world than Indian is the starting point for the rest. We cover the regions of black more in black tea.

Keemun: the queen of aroma

Keemun (Qimen) from Anhui province is one of the most famous Chinese black teas, called the queen of black tea. It belongs to the strict elite - the world’s three great aromatic black teas. Its hallmark is a complex, refined aroma: notes of rose, orchid, honey and ripe apples, plus a pleasant, toasty, cocoa tone with a light smoky accent. It is a tea of remarkable depth and elegance, far from simple strength. Keemun is smooth, sweet and complex, prized for its floral-fruity bouquet more than for its strength. This is why it found its way into the famous English breakfast blends, adding class and aroma to them. Keemun is the model of an aromatic, elegant Chinese black tea. Its rich bouquet makes it one of the most prized teas in the world. Understanding its floral-honeyed complexity is the key to appreciating Chinese black. We cover oxidation itself more in tea oxidation.

Lapsang Souchong: smoke and tar

Lapsang Souchong (Zhengshan Xiaozhong) from the Wuyi mountains is a tea of the most characteristic, polarising flavour - smoky. Importantly, it is considered the first black tea in the world, the 400-year-old ancestor of all black teas. The traditional, smoked version is dried over the smoke of pine needles or wood, which gives it a unique flavour: an aroma of pine smoke and a note called longan soup (a sweet fruit). It is a tea of an intense, smoky, almost tarry, campfire character - some are delighted by it, others repelled. Interestingly, there is also an unsmoked version of Lapsang Souchong, of a much more delicate, floral-fruity, sweet profile, without smoke. This shows that the smoke is the effect of processing, not the tea itself. Lapsang is the most recognisable and controversial Chinese black - a smoky classic worth getting to know if only for the experience. It is a tea like a campfire in a cup. We cover smoking and roasting more in Chinese tea.

Dian Hong: honey and golden buds

Dian Hong (Yunnan Gold) from Yunnan province is a tea of the most direct, honeyed sweetness. Its core is a rich, sweet flavour - intense notes of honey and caramel, almost without astringency. This makes it exceptionally smooth, soothing and approachable, ideal for someone who does not like astringent teas. Its hallmark is the abundant golden buds (golden tips) - the golden down on the buds, visible in the dry leaf and a sign of quality. The more golden buds, the higher the class of Dian Hong. Yunnan, the cradle of tea, gives this tea a special depth and sweetness. Dian Hong is the model of a honeyed, sweet, smooth Chinese black - a tea that pampers the palate with richness without sharpness. It is a great choice for the start of an adventure with Chinese black, because it is approachable and delicious. The golden buds and honeyed sweetness are its two signatures. It is a tea that proves black need not be astringent.

Jin Jun Mei: a luxurious jewel

Jin Jun Mei is the youngest and most luxurious of the four - a true jewel of Chinese tea. It is the ultimate refinement of the art of Lapsang Souchong, created in 2005 in the Tongmu Guan region of the Wuyi mountains. Its production is remarkably labour-intensive: only single buds from high-mountain, native bushes are picked, and to produce one jin (500 grams) of finished tea tens of thousands of buds are needed. This makes Jin Jun Mei rare and expensive. Its flavour is defined by freshness and briskness, with intertwining notes of flowers, fruit, honey and sweet potato. It is a tea refined, delicate and deep, far from the smoky character of the classic Lapsang from which it derives. Jin Jun Mei is the peak of luxury of Chinese black tea, prized by connoisseurs across the world. It is a masterpiece tea, showing how far the art of black tea can be taken. Its delicacy and richness make it exceptional.

A table: four teas

Let us gather the four in one place:

The table shows four faces of Chinese black: the aromatic Keemun, the smoky Lapsang, the honeyed Dian Hong and the luxurious Jin Jun Mei. A helpful mantra: for aroma choose Keemun, for sweetness Dian Hong, for aftertaste Lapsang, for freshness Jin Jun Mei.

Chinese versus Indian black

It is worth stressing how Chinese black differs from Indian, because they are two different worlds. Indian black teas (Assam, Darjeeling, breakfast) are famous for strength, astringency and power - they are full-bodied teas, often drunk with milk, strong and stimulating. Chinese blacks are usually gentler, smoother and sweeter, of lower astringency and a more complex, subtle aromatic quality - drunk rather neat, to appreciate their bouquet. It is a difference of philosophy: Indian black is strength and stimulation, Chinese is elegance and complexity. It results from the bush varieties, the terroir and the tradition of processing. For the drinker it means that Chinese black is a world for someone who seeks subtlety and depth, not strength. Understanding this difference helps choose deliberately and appreciate that black tea is not one but many different worlds. They are two distinct approaches to the same, fully oxidised kind of tea.

How to sense it in the brew

The four are easy to tell apart once you know what to look for. Keemun: a complex, floral-honeyed aroma with a note of cocoa and light smoke, a smooth, elegant, sweet flavour. Lapsang Souchong: an intense, smoky, pine, campfire character (smoked version) or a delicate, floral-fruity one (unsmoked). Dian Hong: a direct, honey-caramel sweetness without astringency, a smooth brew, golden buds in the leaf. Jin Jun Mei: a fresh, brisk, delicate flavour with notes of flowers, fruit, honey and sweet potato. If a tea is smoky, it is a clue for Lapsang; if honeyed and smooth, Dian Hong; if complexly floral-aromatic, Keemun. Drink them all rather neat, without milk, to appreciate their subtlety. It is worth brewing several side by side, to feel the range of Chinese black. Over time you will start to recognise each by aroma. It is a higher level of appreciating tea.

The essentials in brief

Let us gather it up. China invented black tea (hongcha), and Chinese black is a separate, gentler and more complex world than the strong Indian. Four classics: Keemun from Anhui (the queen of aroma - a floral, honeyed, cocoa bouquet), Lapsang Souchong from Wuyi (the first black tea in the world, characteristically smoky from drying over pine smoke, but there is also an unsmoked version), Dian Hong from Yunnan (honey-sweet, smooth, with golden buds) and Jin Jun Mei from Wuyi (a luxurious jewel from 2005, single buds only, fresh and delicate). Chinese black differs from Indian in its gentleness, sweetness and subtlety instead of strength and astringency. A helpful mantra: aroma - Keemun, sweetness - Dian Hong, aftertaste - Lapsang, freshness - Jin Jun Mei. Now you know where their flavours come from and why Chinese black is so special.

Note every tea in GustoNote - including the kind and the aroma you sense. Over time you will start to recognise Keemun, Lapsang, Dian Hong and Jin Jun Mei by flavour.