CLASSIFICATION AND DESCRIPTION. 85 



Black-leaf Congous. The dried leaf of the finer grades 

 is bold in make, yielding a dark, heavy liquor, lacking in 

 fragrance, but proving a desirable sort where body and 

 strength is required. The medium grades are rough and 

 open, the liquor, though mostly strong, is often "tarry," 

 and frequently sour when kept too long, while the lower 

 grades are thin in body and coarse in flavor, having 

 nothing to recommend them but their leaf, which is 

 generally free from dust. 



Oopack Grown on the banks of the Yang Tse, a 

 little above Hankow, is a " crapy" black leaf tea, evenly 

 curled, but somewhat bold in style. When freshly fired 

 they are flavory and aromatic, but become dull and 

 "brassy" as the firing wears off, for which reason it is 

 not a good tea to keep. If used quick, however, it 

 blends well with broken Assam, when thick and heavy, 

 the commoner grades being fairly smooth and sweet in 

 the cup, though coarse and rough in the hand. 



Oonams Are a class of tea somewhat resembling 

 Oopacks in style and draw, but preferable to the latter 

 approximating closer to Ning-chow in flavor. The dry- 

 leaf is also more evenly twisted, smaller and greyer and 

 the infusion fuller and stronger. 



Kin-tuck Is comparatively a new variety, but is 

 rapidly becoming one of the most important of the 

 Congou sorts, the quality of the choicer grades being 

 especially good, rivalling the finest Ning-chows, particu- 

 larly when the crop is good. 



Kee-mun Is another of the newest descriptions of 

 China Congou teas, possessing many of the characteristics 

 of Kin-tuck, to which it is closely allied. The dried leaf 

 varies considerably in style and appearance, some lots 

 having an evenly-curled and handsome leaf, while others 

 again are brownish and irregular; some of the earlier 



