Compare two teas
Side by side across seven dimensions. There is no verdict and no winner — the purpose is to understand the difference, not to be told which to buy.
TeaHQ has written about this pair
Five black teas that share a processing route and almost nothing else. Anyone who has decided black tea is one flavour has met one of these and generalised from it.
- Where it is from and what leaf
- Dian Hong: Yunnan, China. The same large-leaf stock that becomes pu-erh.Keemun: Anhui, China. Small-leaf sinensis, and a tea invented only in the 1870s.
- What makes it distinctive
- Dian Hong: High bud content, giving sweet-potato sweetness with almost no grip.Keemun: A cocoa-and-pine sweetness that no other origin reproduces.
- Commonly described as
- Dian Hong: Sweet potato, honey and cocoa; thick and low in astringency.Keemun: Cocoa, pine, dried plum and orchid; softer than any Indian black.
- Brewing
- Dian Hong: 90 to 95 °C. Bud-heavy grades go bitter at full boil.Keemun: 90 to 95 °C, three minutes; also rewards gongfu.
- With milk?
- Dian Hong: Not traditionally — there is no astringency for milk to cut.Keemun: Takes a little without collapsing, and is more interesting without.
- Who may prefer it
- Dian Hong: Anyone who dislikes astringency — the gentlest of the five.Keemun: Anyone who finds Indian blacks too sharp but wants real depth.
In summary: Dian Hong is the easiest of the five to enjoy without milk and the best starting point for someone who has only met breakfast blends. Assam is the reference for what 'malty' means. The others are each doing something specific enough that liking one predicts little about the rest.
Point by point
| Dimension | Dian Hong | Keemun |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Black tea · fully oxidised | Black tea · fully oxidised |
| Production | In order: Withering → Rolling and shaping → Oxidation → Drying. bud and one leaf and spring harvest. | In order: Withering → Rolling and shaping → Oxidation → Drying. bud and two leaves and spring harvest. |
| Origin | China — Yunnan | China — Qimen |
| Flavour | sweet and chocolate. full bodied, smooth and rich in the mouth. Aroma: sweet potato, cocoa, malt, dried longan. Moderate in character. Moderate in intensity. | chocolate, woody and smoky. medium and smooth in the mouth. Aroma: cocoa, pine, dried plum, orchid. Layered in character. Moderate in intensity. |
| Brewing | Western brewing (teapot or mug): 1–1.5 g/100 ml at 90–95 °C, first steep 180s. Gongfu brewing (gaiwan): 4–5 g/100 ml at 90–95 °C, first steep 8s of 6 authored. Mug infuser brewing: 1–1.5 g/100 ml at 95–101 °C, first steep 180s. Cold brew tea: 1–2 g/100 ml at 4–10 °C, first steep 21600s. Flash-chilled iced tea: 2–3 g/100 ml at 90–95 °C, first steep 90s. | Western brewing (teapot or mug): 1–1.5 g/100 ml at 90–95 °C, first steep 180s. Gongfu brewing (gaiwan): 4–5 g/100 ml at 90–95 °C, first steep 10s of 5 authored. Mug infuser brewing: 1–1.5 g/100 ml at 95–101 °C, first steep 180s. |
| Cultural context | Bud content drives the price, and 'golden tips' grades vary enormously in how much bud is actually present. A high proportion of gold in the dry leaf is visible, and is the one quality signal a buyer can check without brewing it. | Not recorded for this tea. |
| Who may prefer it | Someone who wants presence without being dominated and wants to enjoy it on the first cup. It tolerates an imprecise brew and is traditionally drunk plain. | Someone who wants presence without being dominated and wants to enjoy it on the first cup. It tolerates an imprecise brew. |
Nothing above is a recommendation. The last row describes the drinker each tea suits, using each tea’s own authored fields and the same sentence structure for both, so neither can be framed as the safe choice.