True Taste of English Breakfast Tea

Keemun Black Tea used to be the main component for the English Breakfast Tea blend before the British began using Assam tea from India. It has a very unique character with a combination of malty and fruity notes. In this video, we taste the effect that hand-rolling makes to the tea and try brewing in an unconventional way to bring out the best from this famous Chinese tea.
Buy our Superior Keemun: meileaf.com/p/tea-qmmc
We taste test the Keemun Maofeng against the hand-rolled Keemun made by the same producer. This gives us a direct comparison of the effect that hand-rolling makes to the aroma and taste of the tea. It is quite amazing how much difference the roll makes!
One of the frustrating things about Keemun is that, on the nose, it has such a rich bouquet of warm biscuit notes and an earthy, fruity sweetness, yet the taste of the tea does not live up to these aromas. In this video, we try to play with the brewing parameters to unlock the full potential of the tea. Please try this brewing method and let us know your thoughts.
Green Tea Boat: meileaf.com/p/cl-tbgc
Black Tea Boat: meileaf.com/p/cl-tbbc
#keepteagangsta Gaiwan: meileaf.com/p/cl-gwkt
#stayloose Gaiwan: meileaf.com/p/cl-gwsl
Glass Gong Dao Bei: meileaf.com/p/sgdb
Chinese Strainers: meileaf.com/p/str-infc
Tulip Cups: meileaf.com/p/cl-mlcp
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[@iwilldowhatiwannado843]

wow Celine is so pretty

[@felisaallaga1579]

You should be at BBC for Tea Documentary 😀 love your videos, very informative with clear explanations.

[@ItsMisterEp]

I just tried the hand rolled with along with the video with your parameters... and WOW you guys are so accurate with your tasting notes! Very thick and smells a bit like cooking batter in the beginning and gets more floral. The taste is very earth and fruity at the same time I didn't have mango with me, but the dry cup did smell a bit like mango! Now i need to try the jong sample now!

[@MichaelKatt]

I need Friends Like Don to drink Tea with.

[@hugod3632]

There's only one Don

[@jang.1185]

Well, I think that you could drink with anyone who is able to relax, taste and discover tea and then share experiences. Funny is that when I was talking with staff about the taste and aroma of a tea which I was having in local teahouse (CZ, Brno), they were surprised :D It seems to me like that people in teahouse just read labels and do not exactly focus on tea which they sell. And it was the same in a tea meeting. I had some good conversation, but unfortunately not about the tea... oh come on :) Well, Don is very energic and also focused. This is what makes him different and what makes his videos enjoyable. But, as I wrote at the begining - you can enjoy tea with anyone else who is open-minded.

[@umeumeboshiboshi]

I LOVE your videos! I have been to almost all tea growing regions of China and a few in Japan. Not a professional, though. Your videos are so informative! Wish I had more time to watch. Too busy traveling around China and drinking tea...

[@chrissnyder6537]

You are my absolute tea authority!! Anytime I have a question or just want to learn new things about teas, your videos are my go to!! I just love your enthusiasm and knowledge for all things tea! You both have such wonderful chemistry as well! Wish I was in London so I could stop in your tea shop! Much love from the US! Watching this and enjoying my cup of delicious English breakfast tea with a splash of milk and a dash of sugar! :)

[@MicheleLHarvey]

GREAT observation! (More minerals water/hard water= more astringency, so brew at lower temperature.) Totally makes sense! I have a city home & country home. City water is highly filtered and soft. Country home is well-water & very hard. My tea NEVER brews the same in both places. In fact the well water brewed liquor is always much, much darker. So lower temperature and shorter steep time may give me a better cup. Thank you so much for helping me with this conundrum!

[@jfrede1976]

OMG i love English Breakfast Tea i have to get some of this.

[@tinahuttner7280]

I’ve never been into English breakfast tea but that’s cause I was always doing the grocery gbaged teas!

[@Kuppz5]

Saturday has come and Mei Leaf brings tonight's entertainment :-)

[@benh.1795]

Thanks for another deep dive guys! You mentioned the floral notes died down quiet a bit after the first infusion, and I was wondering if that's unique to Keemun or if it's a result of the brewing processes. While experimenting with various brewing times/temps, have you noticed that longer brewing times pull out more of the fruity/floral volatiles in the first few infusions, leaving the later brews with more mineral/astringent/woody notes, or does it different from tea to tea? Thanks!

[@umeumeboshiboshi]

And speaking of tea with milk, I recently got some good yak butter in Xining and made very strong yak butter tea with high quality Tibetan style tea from Yaan with a bit of goat milk (no yaks here) and salt. Maybe an acquired taste, but definitely worth acquiring, especially before winter comes. Yaan 雅安 is definitely also worth visiting for Mengding 蒙頂黄芽yellows and even inexpensive, amazing Zhuyeqing... Oops! That's now a copyrighted name! I meant to say Shihua 石花...

[@laurataylor6423]

Celine is so patient 😉

[@DWWest]

Thumbs up for the mango tip!

[@mercurywoodrose]

there are cookies (biscuits) that are topped with jam before baking, so the jam is dried and maybe a bit caramelized too. apricot is the most common i think.

[@Apollo440]

I'm happy to see black teas here on the Mei Leaf channel. Your travel to Keemun (or Cheemun) was a beautiful video as well. By the way, about the softness and minerality of the water, influencing the tea. I would have you try: - Tea made with distilled or reverse osmosis water. - Tea made with water from melted ice (cold structured water). If you're interested, I can also share how to make heat structured water. You probably noticed after filming the "water brought to temperature from boil VS water brought up to 75*C taste test" video - there's an entire world of water to learn. I definitely feel the difference in softness of plain water, and how tea tastes different with simple, distilled and structured water.

[@Quiglino]

But, does the lower steeping temperature provide the possibility for repeated steepings somewhat like oolong?

[@catherinesmyth6060]

Controversially, Don believes in Grander water. Perhaps he is afraid to make a water video after the backlash he received when it was revealed during one of his Mei Leaf live shows. Disclaimer: I could be wrong.

[@MeiLeaf]

Please do share any and all of your thoughts on water. I am continuously being asked to make the water video and the truth is that finding the time to do such a detailed analysis and comparison of different types with different teas and measuring all of the results is not easy when we are working full time and weekends are reserved for filming and editing. We are making some progress and we will have to collaborate with others to get there. Any thoughts and opinions are welcome!

[@MeiLeaf]

Hahaha I didn't know that there was a backlash. I have no problem talking about my experience with Grander. I find it strange that it is considered controversial just because it is not directly affecting the water mechanically or chemically. Ignoring frequencies and their effects is like saying that listening to music or sitting in the sunlight has no effect on us. It's all frequencies. Even more bizarre when it has been used in all kinds of industries worldwide (for decades) to save money. But bottom line is that if it improves the texture and taste of tea then it is not a matter of belief or ideology. It is simply a tool like all other teaware to maximise the experience.

[@MeiLeaf]

Yes you can reinfuse albeit for a slightly fewer amount of times compared with short brews.

[@JB-sz4wy]

English breakfast is a tea that could do with some estate class upbringing though it is not as good as a single origin estate tea maybe on average. One of the reasons why standard black tea sales are reported down in Britain is because of the quality of the black tea there, much of it marketed and sold or branded by a few companies like Tetley, Typhoo and PG Tips and other ones selling mostly low grades of mass market breakfast tea or pekoes. A whole leaf breakfast tea may get it back on the rolls again, and though around, we need to try some of those

[@babybalrog]

9:40 sounds like an oxidation issue, or evaporation. Maybe besides a air tight seal a vacuum seal would preserve more of those oils.

[@edmonddantes5104]

I bought some keemun from.a local tea merchant...the same you are drinking om your video. The tea merchant is in the states but sources from some local farms in China. I bought a half pound for $ 12.00 . the tea was good quality. A sweet biscuity Mao Feng. I plan on going back and buying their pu erh

[@tinahuttner7280]

So where I live our city has a water filtering system, then I’d steep it in a few degrees higher?

[@richardsalmon5452]

Nice video; I will vary my water temp to see what I like best. Off topic are u planning a video for reaching 30,000 subscribers. Great job 😀

[@doryman3]

Hops goes with anything!!!🍺🍺🍺

[@IROCK80551]

Great video! I've became a big fan of yours over the past few days. These videos are super interesting. I love watching them. I have a question for you. I no longer want to buy tea bags anymore, but only loose leafs teas. You've shown me the night there. I've also bought a couple loose leaf teas as well and the quality of them are so much better, they're amazing. If I lived in England, you better believe I'd buy from Mei Leaf. International shipping costs a lot for me though. As someone whom lives in the U.S, do you have any company recommendations for me to purchase high quality loose leaf teas from? I want to switch my box of teas bags, to loose leafs, but I don't know who to trust as far as buying teas from goes. I'd really appreciate your response! Thank you and cheers!

[@antonioj358]

es.aliexpress.com/item/Chino-3-a-os-de-Qimen-negro/32998628366.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.64be63c0nNQ97R Chinese tea.

[@antonioj358]

I checked, and seems they send to USA with an affordable (6 US dollar) shipping cost.

[@giorgioleo8962]

Ok today I went to the shop in Camden, and there wasn't any left. I had been craving for that tea Don, why? Why?? Great video as always btw

[@Troglor048]

I ordered some online right after the first vid and did not get the hand rolled one. :-( The non hand rolled one was pretty good though.

[@spartancticonsultoriait6356]

Hey! Camden is not where Shelby Family used to live? I'm watching the Peaky Blinders series 😁

[@susobhannath850]

U r really a Don of tea.. 👍👍❤️❤️

[@user-vq7mm1pq7q]

i asked my friend to link me a short vid about british tea and she sent me this. wonder what i'd get if i said long

[@PremiumUp]

Water boils at increasing lower temperatures as you higher. Calgary Alberta, Canada is 1045 meters and the water will not get any hotter than 95°c.

[@matthewjackson2656]

can you do Earl Grey tea?

[@andresiniesta9955]

The Switzerland of China is actually in Daocheng and Bi Peng Gou in Sichuan province. Lots of places around that area look absolutely stunning. Qinghai province is incredible as well.

[@feelz_4_dayz885]

do vids on assam and ceylon tea pls

[@faisalsalam4161]

Darjeeling teas too of course. South Asia has some of the best black tea in the world.

[@larrytischler570]

@@faisalsalam4161 for sure. Years ago the English breakfast teas switched to that region for source for a reason.

[@leightoncooke]

Keemun is essential for a true English breakfast blend.

[@PontusPresents]

What's up with the sound quality?

[@kjell159]

" *Now, mangos do contain myrcene. In fact, the pleasant aroma of this tropical delicacy is due in large part to this compound. But here’s where this theory runs into trouble - your average cannabis strain contains 2 mg of myrcene per quarter gram whereas an entire mango contains roughly 0.086 mg. That’s over a 23-fold difference! So, if cannabis already contains so much myrcene, how would eating a mango prior to smoking have any kind of a significant impact?* " The 'eating a mango 45 minutes before lighting up' thing is kind of a myth. Yes, mangoes contain myrcene, but it's a laughable low amount. Also, myrcene is - if it's a component of the essential oil of cloves at all, as I couldn't find it - only a very minor component of cloves (either buds -> actual cloves, leaves or stems): en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_of_clove Eugenol is the major component. Certain other herbs like lemon grass are relatively rich in it though: www.researchgate.net/figure/Chemical-composition-of-lemon-grass-essential-oil_tbl2_47741860 Lemon grass essential oil sample tested here contains about 0.8%, probably much more then cloves have. Although mostly made up of the two citral isomers geranial and neral. (Which give it its typical lemony aroma.) And 0.72% in this study: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3217679/ In cannabis it's usually the major component. (usually making up more then half of the terpenes) Other herbs where it makes up a small part are thyme (not much, at least not Thymus vulgaris), common sage, black pepper to some degree. Although black pepper gets claimed to actually soften a too intense, or too paranoid/anxious cannabis intoxication. Attributed to the beta-carpyophyllene, which we can guess, won't be the total story either as black pepper contains many more components then just beta-myrcene and beta-caryophyllene. *Your nose isn't a great tool to discern A SINGLE COMPOUND among many others.* Also interesting, albeit not in context of whole herbs (plants contain hundreds to thousands of different compounds, in varying concentrations): "On 3/24/2015, beta-Myrcene was added to California's Prop 65 list of chemicals known to the state of California to cause cancer or reproductive harm." And in the end, it's the dose that causes the toxicity. Every substance can be toxic when taken enough of, heck, even water. Hence, many commonly consumed plant compounds are bound to be carcinogenic here and there. And almost poisoning yourself with alcohol 1 day in a year, is on average still less worse, then say eating meat or smoking cigarettes every day of the year. www.true-blue.co/blogs/news/myrcene-the-mother-of-all-terpenes "The Couch Lock Phenomenon It is claimed that consuming myrcene increases the permeability of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), allowing for increased transport of cannabinoids into the brain. However, a deeper look into the scientific literature reveals a lack of support for this claim. What is true is that experiments have shown lemongrass essential oil (a myrcene-rich substance) to have powerful anxiolytic effects in mice, which means it’s an effective anti-anxiety treatment. Furthermore, myrcene is linked to what is known as the “couch lock” phenomenon. That is, it has strong sedative and muscle relaxant properties." And terpenes are quite apolar, they're hardly soluble in water. So hypothetically speaking, a big proportion of the terpenes you ingest through tea will likely be from the vapours. Seriously, Don should fact check stuff a bit more - what's the internet for? - instead of perpetuating stoner myths even further.

[@ruthannamarteifio2956]

As always----so informative! My knowledge of all things tea has deffo grown because of you two! Thanks so much!

[@douchebag3323]

That mango comparison is interesting. Are there any other tricks like that to educate the palate?

[@MeiLeaf]

Honey and grapes with Eastern Beauty. Elderflower syrup and Ya Bao. A couple for you to try.

[@douchebag3323]

👍👍👍

[@Mattstafford2009]

I like green teas and herbal teas but I can't seem to find a way to drink black tea without plastering it with sugar and/or cream :( Is there something I'm missing?

[@rizaradri316]

Everyone has a different palate. I can drink black tea without sugar

[@rec11fdc]

Why don't you source Assam tea, or other Indian teas? I'm just curious. I quite like Assam and Kenyan teas, but I don't see any info about them in your videos or page

[@vratkokabina8967]

Bit late answer but Mei Leaf sources only Chinese, Japanese and Taiwanese teas. Idk why but it's like that, he doesn't have anything outside of those countries. Probably because other countries are not that interesting and don't have too many experience with cultivating tea like for ex. China.

[@crazzynez]

Celine is so beautiful!!

[@kucingizuru]

Celline is the assistant professor

[@kucingizuru]

Tea professor.

[@mercurywoodrose]

celine did you get the green apple scent? thats pretty observant. are you training to be a tea seller? sounds like you have the talent. i sure dont.

[@ninacoughlan4835]

Amazing!

[@BARANSHAMPANSKY]

Apricot biscuit does exist, its called Hamantash.

[@jaaleleet]

fucking hell, you disapeared from my recommandation. i though you were on vacation but i actually missed 5 videos

[@6xArcaNumx6]

Don I love you, but you absolutely influenced Celine‘s thoughts here . Son of Dragon talking.

[@thecelticgiraffe]

unfortunately, I learned little from this video although I think you two are great!

[@doryman3]

Mark Jordan You already knew about the taste impact of hand-rolling and brewing this tea with lower temp? Wow, you are a king of tea heads!

[@heartdyedpurple]

I think your mao feng brought some aphids back with it

[@taifu13781]

Mango black tea is a popular combination

[@sarawilkinson6766]

Wait... Is that an Alice in Wonderland Gaiwan?????????? 😦🤤🤯

[@mario7027]

Those are Mei Leaf gaiwans that they sell on their website.

[@lucazanotta7349]

Man, let the very pretty girl side on you speek!

[@mattivirta]

good tea NOT NEWER destroy whit milk. only raw tea not newer stupid milk in to tea.

[@Prairie_Gypsy]

She’s annoying how she’s soo disconnected because of that phone.

[@thedisabledmermaid]

She was obviously seeing for phone for a reason 🙄 only one disconnected is u...

[@Tommy22898]

It’s to focus the camera/set timers for infusing

[@rq9622]

I wish you had shorter videos so that people in a hurry could also benefit from your expertise.