In my last post I shared with you some information about Jin Jun Mei.   I was fortunate enough to have this tea gifted to me from my brother- in- law who frequently travels to China for work.

Dry leaves…

The dry leaves were a fusion of subtle red, golden yellow and a dark brown that was almost black, with an abundance of russet gold tips. The leaves were short in length and were curly stick shaped. Their aroma was sweet – malty and molasses like with a touch of cinnamon, with an attractive bakery tone.

https://www.tealyra.com/loose-tea/black-tea/jin-jun-mei

Steeping…

I brewed gongfu style, using 4 grams of tea with 6 ounces of water. The water temperature was 205 degrees C.  The first steep was for 30 seconds and for each additional steep I added 5 seconds.  You will have to experiment, depending on your brewing method and how strong you prefer your tea.

 1st Infusion…

Was a beautiful bright amber color, perfectly clear and transparent, with a distinctive bright golden ring around the edge of my cup. The aroma was multi-layered – sweetly malty, with a very, very slight floral scent, and maybe butterscotch.  The liquor was full bodied, with a mouth filling taste. It was sweet, floral and had a fruity acidity to it. Floral notes (orchid?) were in the finish and it was mildly astringent. The sumptuous flavors filled my entire mouth and nose and then lingered pleasantly.

2^nd Infusion…

Produced a slightly darker shade of amber than the 1st infusion. The aroma lost no strength or character and remained sweet and slightly floral. The body was still full, with the same mouth filling taste. The fruity acidity dissipated some in this infusion, leaving the malty taste more dominant.

3rd Infusion…

Produced a liquor a slightly lighter shade of amber than the second infusion. The aroma was less strong on the sweet scent, and more dominant in the floral scent. The body remained full, with a same mouth filling taste. The taste also lightened on the sweet note and was more dominant on the floral note, with the fruity acidity light, but noticeable. The floral finish and aftertaste remained with the astringency dissipating some. This infusion had the best balance out of these three infusions. It was a perfect blend of sweet and floral scents and tastes. It was a very high quality third infusion.

It was perfection in every aspect. Rich, smooth, and silky, with a well -rounded mouth feel together with very long lingering pleasant finish. In the end this rare black tea from Fujian province was incredibly deep, rich, and aromatic. It had a beautiful appearance, both in the leaf and in each infusion. It had a natural sweetness – it was smooth and had a complex symphony of flavors – sweet and fruity tastes alongside floral hints. Jin Jun Mei is the kind of tea you’ll instantly fall in love with.  I loved it!  For me it’s off our scale -a 10!

Rating Scale

All teas will be rated on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 for dislike and 5 as love:

1. Dislike (I didn’t like the tea and would not repurchase)
2. Passable (I didn’t dislike the tea, but I didn’t think it was very good)
3. Average (I didn’t find it good or bad and would drink it again)
4. Good (I liked it but it and may repurchase)
5. Love (I enjoyed it lot and would repurchase)

Next…K is for Kyusu