B-CN-008

Jin Jun Mei

金骏眉

Tender bud high-mountain black, from Wuyi, China.

Black tea

Jin Jun Mei is strongest on sweetness, smoothness and aroma intensity. Typical tasting words: honey, orchid, peach, date, sugar cane. Created in 2005 in Tongmu village by master Liang Junde alongside visiting Beijing tea merchants, sparking a luxury black tea boom in China. Considered the pinnacle of Chinese black tea, requiring tens of thousands of individual hand-plucked buds per kilogram.

Also known as Golden Beautiful Eyebrow and Jinjunmei.

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The profile

Taste, 0 to 5

sweetness5bitterness0astringency1umami2brightness3body3smoothness5aroma intensity5finish length5

Flavour families, 0 to 5

floral4fruity4vegetal0marine0nutty0toasty0malty1honey5spicy0woody1earthy0smoky0creamy1citrus0stone fruit2tropical0cocoa1caramel2

Facts

Origin: Wuyi, China
Plant: Camellia sinensis var. sinensis, Tongmu Xiao Zhong
Harvest: Early spring (April)
Elevation: high
Oxidation: 85 to 95%
Roast: very light
Leaf: needle
Price band: luxury
Availability: specialist
Ageing: a little
Forgiving to brew: 4 of 5
L-theanine: high

Made by: plucking tiny buds, then withering, then rolling, then controlled oxidation, then baking.

Caffeine

A cup of Jin Jun Mei carries a typical estimate of 55 mg of caffeine, within a range of 40 to 75 mg depending on leaf amount, water temperature and steeping time. Figures are estimates for a 240 ml cup. Better earlier in the day if you are sensitive to caffeine. The caffeine planner turns this into a daily total.

How to brew it

Method	Leaf	Water	Steeps
Western, 250 ml	3 g	88 to 92 °C	3 min, 4 min, 5 min
Gongfu, 100 ml	5 g	88 to 93 °C	Rinse, then 10 s, 15 s, 20 s, 30 s, 45 s, 60 s
Cold brew, 250 ml	3 g	Fridge	8 to 12 hours

Up to 9 infusions. Scale for your own pot with the brew calculator.

Drinking it

morning
afternoon
morning
afternoon
meditation
social

Pairs with pastry, fruit and sweets. Milk: no. Iced: no. Sweetener: no. Good for beginners: yes.