Jin Jun Mei (金駿眉)

tea imagery: Phoenix

Jin Jun Mei is a bud-only black tea developed in Tongmu in 2005. Look for a combination of floral, fruity and honeyed notes. Unlike traditional smoked Xiaozhong, it is made without pine-smoke treatment.

History

The first batches were developed by Jiang Yuanxun’s team, which included tea maker Liang Junde. They selected individual buds from local tea plants. The buds are withered, rolled, allowed to oxidise and dried. Today the name appears on teas from different origins. If you want Tongmu tea specifically, ask where it was grown and who made it, then buy a small sample. An elaborate tin and a high price tell you little about the flavour.

The phoenix is an artistic motif for this card. The tea itself has a modern history, beginning with makers experimenting with bud-only material.

Terroir

Tongmu, Wuyi Mountains, Fujian: the tea’s birthplace. Varies by garden; ask the producer for a specific elevation. Tongmu has acidic mountain soils. Humid mountain climate. The original style uses local seed-grown tea populations. The name on a packet alone does not establish its origin.

Leaf

dry leaf: Small, tightly twisted buds. Tongmu batches mix dark and golden tones; they need not be entirely gold.

aroma in a warmed vessel: Flowers, sweet fruit and sometimes a light bread-like note.

aroma after brewing: Honeyed fruit aromas, with details varying by batch.

taste: Sweet-tasting tea with floral and fruity notes. Long infusions can bring out astringency.

finish: Taste it slightly cooled to compare sweetness, body and any drying sensation.

Properties

Traditional descriptions: Traditional classifications describe black tea as warming. This belongs to a traditional framework, not a medical prescription.

What to know: Bud material and processing affect composition and flavour. A tea’s name does not reveal its levels of individual compounds.

Over a cup of tea: Suited to tasting slowly in small cups.

Caffeine: Contains caffeine. Delicate flavour does not mean low strength or no effect on sleep.

How to brew

A gaiwan or small glazed 110 ml teapot. 3 g per 110 ml at 95 °C. Try freshly boiled water if the flavour is weak. Time for each infusion: 15 s, 15 s, 20 s, 30 s, 45 s.

When to drink

Morning or daytime. Year-round. To explore bud-only black tea. Plain biscuits; taste the first cup without food. Alone or at a small tasting

What to notice

Look at the dark and golden buds.
Smell the lid after pouring.
Compare the aroma of the hot and slightly cooled tea.

Questions and answers

How do you brew Jin Jun Mei?

A gaiwan or small glazed 110 ml teapot. 3 g per 110 ml at 95 °C. Try freshly boiled water if the flavour is weak. Time for each infusion: 15 s, 15 s, 20 s, 30 s, 45 s.

What does Jin Jun Mei taste like?

Sweet-tasting tea with floral and fruity notes. Long infusions can bring out astringency.

How much caffeine is in Jin Jun Mei?

Contains caffeine. Delicate flavour does not mean low strength or no effect on sleep.

What else should I know about Jin Jun Mei?

Bud material and processing affect composition and flavour. A tea’s name does not reveal its levels of individual compounds.