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梅占金駿眉 Méi Zhàn Jīn Jùn Méi “Méi Zhàn Beautiful Golden Eyebrow”
梅占金駿眉 Méi Zhàn Jīn Jùn Méi “Méi Zhàn Beautiful Golden Eyebrow” 紅茶 hóng chá from 風水關 Fēngshuǐ Guān in 武夷山 Wǔyíshān, in northern 福建 Fújiàn province, China.
A take on a classic 紅茶 hóng chá (lit. “red tea”, “black tea” to Western tea drinkers), this tea is fully hand-produced, hand-picked and then hand-processed from the first Spring buds of a tea that is typically used for oolong to make a unique and complex Jīn Jùn Méi. The result is a sweet and mellow tea that contains flavors of sweet pomegranate and stone fruit, raw honey, cinnamon, baked biscuit, and brown sugar. The mouthfeel is rich and silky, almost creamy in texture, with a distinctive sharpness that lends to an additional layer of complexity. This tea exudes a cozy warmth and brightness, hinting at Spring to abate a cold Winter’s chill.
Brewing Suggestions
Méi Zhàn Jīn Jùn Méi “Méi Zhàn Beautiful Golden Eyebrow” is a variation on a classic hóng chá. Whereas typically, Jīn Jùn Méi consists of thin, curled buds, Méi Zhàn Jīn Jùn Méi’s buds are flatter, a bit thicker in profile, and more silvery, less golden in appearance. While they can be brewed strong, there is a pleasant sweet spot that exists with this tea that can offer balance between complexity, sweetness, and body.
I recommend using a thinner-walled porcelain or glass gàiwǎn or teapot for this tea (I tend to use a porcelain gàiwǎn or Japanese porcelain 宝瓶 hōhin). For lighter brews, a suggested 3-5 grams for a 120-180 ml (~4-6 oz) vessel, with the first steeping brewed at 85-95C (185-203F) for 1-1.5 minutes. For more robust results, consider increasing the amount of tea to 4-6 grams, and increase the water’s temperature to near boiling (~98C/210F), steeping for about 1.5-3 minutes.
Using a porcelain or glass vessel will allow the temperature to dissipate more rapidly than a clay vessel, producing sweeter tones in the final cup. For subsequent steepings, progressively increase the steep time and temperature. Optimally, this tea should produce eight or more delicious steepings, with gradual changes within each successive brewing.
梅占金駿眉 Méi Zhàn Jīn Jùn Méi “Méi Zhàn Beautiful Golden Eyebrow” 紅茶 hóng chá from 風水關 Fēngshuǐ Guān in 武夷山 Wǔyíshān, in northern 福建 Fújiàn province, China.
A take on a classic 紅茶 hóng chá (lit. “red tea”, “black tea” to Western tea drinkers), this tea is fully hand-produced, hand-picked and then hand-processed from the first Spring buds of a tea that is typically used for oolong to make a unique and complex Jīn Jùn Méi. The result is a sweet and mellow tea that contains flavors of sweet pomegranate and stone fruit, raw honey, cinnamon, baked biscuit, and brown sugar. The mouthfeel is rich and silky, almost creamy in texture, with a distinctive sharpness that lends to an additional layer of complexity. This tea exudes a cozy warmth and brightness, hinting at Spring to abate a cold Winter’s chill.
Brewing Suggestions
Méi Zhàn Jīn Jùn Méi “Méi Zhàn Beautiful Golden Eyebrow” is a variation on a classic hóng chá. Whereas typically, Jīn Jùn Méi consists of thin, curled buds, Méi Zhàn Jīn Jùn Méi’s buds are flatter, a bit thicker in profile, and more silvery, less golden in appearance. While they can be brewed strong, there is a pleasant sweet spot that exists with this tea that can offer balance between complexity, sweetness, and body.
I recommend using a thinner-walled porcelain or glass gàiwǎn or teapot for this tea (I tend to use a porcelain gàiwǎn or Japanese porcelain 宝瓶 hōhin). For lighter brews, a suggested 3-5 grams for a 120-180 ml (~4-6 oz) vessel, with the first steeping brewed at 85-95C (185-203F) for 1-1.5 minutes. For more robust results, consider increasing the amount of tea to 4-6 grams, and increase the water’s temperature to near boiling (~98C/210F), steeping for about 1.5-3 minutes.
Using a porcelain or glass vessel will allow the temperature to dissipate more rapidly than a clay vessel, producing sweeter tones in the final cup. For subsequent steepings, progressively increase the steep time and temperature. Optimally, this tea should produce eight or more delicious steepings, with gradual changes within each successive brewing.