# Huang Jin Gui (黃金桂)

*Huáng Jīn Guì · Oolong · Fire*

**archetype:** Goddess in a golden robe

Guanyin's sister, who has put on a golden robe: a high osmanthus note, a bright honey aroma, a living morning clarity.

## History

Huang Jin Gui — 'golden osmanthus' — is the brother of Tieguanyin, also from Anxi. The bush ripens earlier than any other Anxi oolong (it has been called 'the first name of spring'), and the first harvest begins two weeks before Tieguanyin. The leaf is oxidised more lightly than Tieguanyin (15–25 %), the roast is very gentle — hence the characteristic high osmanthus note, brighter and lighter than the 'orchid' of its sister.

> It is said that the poor bride Lin Yan had no gold for her wedding; her groom brought her from the mountains a sprig of a tea bush with golden leaves. When she put the sprig in her hair, the wedding guests caught the scent of osmanthus. Ever since, the variety is called 'golden osmanthus' — it comes first to those who have little time to prepare, but much love.

## Terroir

300–700 m. red clay with sandstone and quartz. warm mists, mild winters, an early spring. The canonical gardens are by the villages of Huang Rong and Xiping. Because of its early ripening, the bush is less often hit by frosts — so Huang Jin Gui is steadier in yields than Tieguanyin.

## Leaf

- **dry leaf:** tight jade-green pearls with a clear golden cast; smelling of osmanthus and warm honey
- **warmed:** the warmed leaf — high osmanthus flower, acacia honey, a light pear
- **after pour:** after the infusion — osmanthus, honey, the warm air of morning, a thin floral pollen
- **taste:** osmanthus blossom, golden honey, ripe pear, a faint coolness; in long infusions a honey sweetness
- **finish:** long, bright, leaving an osmanthus echo in the throat

## Properties

- **TCM:** neutral-cool; opens the lungs, moves qi, supports the shen and the stomach
- **Modern:** rich in volatile esters and theanine; gentle stimulation, suits a sensitive nervous system
- **Cha qi:** light, rising, warm in the upper chest; felt as 'morning joy'
- **Caffeine:** moderate (30–45 mg)

## Brewing ritual

a white gaiwan, 110 ml; 92 °C; 7 g / 110 ml. 10s — the first gold: osmanthus, light honey; 9s — the peak: floral pollen, pear; 12s — the honey note — warm morning light; 18s — a long sweetness, a thin coolness; 30s — a late note: an osmanthus echo in the throat; 45s — a warm trail of golden morning.

## When to drink

morning and early day. spring and early autumn. when you want to rise without a jolt; on a joyful morning; at the start of a good day. acacia honey, pear, light pastry, white fish, fruit salads. morning for two; the start of a meeting with a friend; a home breakfast

## Tea meditation

1. Turn your face to the light.
2. Osmanthus is the scent of beginnings, not of endings.
3. Greet the morning with the first sip.

## Questions and answers

### How do you brew Huang Jin Gui?

a white gaiwan, 110 ml; 92 °C; 7 g / 110 ml. 10s — the first gold: osmanthus, light honey; 9s — the peak: floral pollen, pear; 12s — the honey note — warm morning light; 18s — a long sweetness, a thin coolness; 30s — a late note: an osmanthus echo in the throat; 45s — a warm trail of golden morning.

### What does Huang Jin Gui taste like?

osmanthus blossom, golden honey, ripe pear, a faint coolness; in long infusions a honey sweetness

### How much caffeine is in Huang Jin Gui?

moderate (30–45 mg)

### What are the effects of Huang Jin Gui?

rich in volatile esters and theanine; gentle stimulation, suits a sensitive nervous system

## Related teas

- [Tieguanyin](https://www.dao-cha.info/en/tea/tie-guan-yin)
- [Alishan Gao Shan](https://www.dao-cha.info/en/tea/ali-shan)
- [Dong Ding](https://www.dao-cha.info/en/tea/dun-ding)
- [Oolong](https://www.dao-cha.info/en/class/oolong)