Keemun vs Ning Hong

Keemun

Keemun is China's most famous black tea, from Qimen county in Anhui. The cup is smooth and refined: cocoa and dark stone fruit up front, a hint of orchid florals, and a long, sweet finish with gentle smoke. It is lighter in body than Assam but more aromatic, and it forms the base of traditional English Breakfast blends.

Ning Hong

Ning Hong, from the old Ningzhou prefecture of northwestern Jiangxi, is one of China's oldest congou black teas and a staple of the historic Russia trade. The cup is smooth and composed: malty sweetness with dried-fruit depth, woody undertones, and a clean finish that holds up to milk. Compared with Keemun's orchid perfume, Ning Hong is quieter and more structured — a workhorse black with real polish.

Keemun

Water temperature

90–95°C

Leaf to water

3g / 250ml

Steep time

3–4 min

Re-steep

1–2 times

Ning Hong

Water temperature

90–95°C

Leaf to water

3g / 250ml

Steep time

2–3 min

Re-steep

1–2 times

Keemun

Medium caffeine — roughly 35–60 mg per brewed serving

A moderate, steady lift without an intense spike.

Ning Hong

Medium caffeine — roughly 30–50 mg per brewed serving

A moderate, steady lift without an intense spike.

Keemun

China · Anhui

Qimen county in southern Anhui has produced Keemun since the 1870s.

Ning Hong

China · Jiangxi (Xiushui / Ningzhou)

Ningzhou (today Xiushui county, Jiangxi) has produced congou black tea since the Qing dynasty, much of it once exported to Russia.