After what felt like a long brutal summer, we are finally heading into autumn here in Korea and I’m so ready! I’m ready for colorful leaves, cozy sweaters and warm cups of tea. I love tea! In fact, whenever we travel I always make sure to bring back some of the local tea. Unfortunately, the last time I was in China I totally forgot to pick some up. Luckily, recently Umi Tea Sets was kind enough to gift me a bag of Keemun Black Tea.

I opened the bag of Keemun black tea and the sweet and fruity aroma hit me hard. I was tempted to eat the leaves right out of the bag. I didn’t… but I thought about it.

For my first pot, I brewed it with a few brown sugar crystals so I could keep the flavor simple. The tea had a gorgeous red color to go with its nice rich flavor. Personally, I liked my next pot when I brewed it with milk and a bit of honey. The milk enhances the flavor of tea leaves and it tastes perfect for colder weather.

When it’s brewed with water with a bit of sugar, it’s a nice midday or afternoon tea. But brewed with milk and honey, it’s a nice “sleepy-time” tea that’ll calm your nerves and soothe you after a long day. Seeing as how I’m more of a coffee person during the day, the milk tea has been perfect for warming the chillier nights.

Umi also sent over an adorable little ceramic poetry teapot (茶字壶). The writing says 煮沸三江水 同饮五岳茶 in Chinese, which I was told means something like “we can make friends from different places by drinking tea.” I love that! It was such a kind gesture and such a lovely addition to my ever expanding collection of teapots.

If you’re looking for some teas to warm up your autumn and winter, I definitely recommend checking out their website. I personally prefer black teas (since they pair so well with milk), but they have just about every type of tea I can think of. I can’t wait to try more!