The first Qimen of 2026 and to no surprise its a Xiang Luo.
Xiang Luo refers to Qimen (keemun) that are rolled in a snail like shape. This type of Qimen generally uses later picked leaves so the flavor is stronger.
Like most Qimens, this Xiang Luo can have a variety of different flavors depending on how you brew it. When I first brewed it I used boiling water and the flavor was a simple, bold and very chocolatey. What I liked about it though was it was a more cocao sort of chocolate flavor and not the malty chocolate flavor.
I brewed it again below boiling and while the flavors were still bold the chocolate note was dialed back and out came a floral aroma. This is not a very complex Qimen, but the simple straight forward flavors make this tea a simple pleasure to drink.
Personal rating: 7.5/10