"Golden Eyebrows" Jin Jun Mei Black Tea

One crisp morning, wise Lao Cha and his young disciple sat beneath an ancient pine, sipping freshly brewed Jin Jun Mei. The disciple took a sip, his eyes widening.

– Sifu, – he asked, – how can this tea be so elegant and perfectly balanced — sweet like wildflower honey, yet with that gentle maltiness?

Lao Cha chuckled softly, stroking his long beard. – Ah, young one, balance doesn't just happen by chance. This tea comes from millions of tiny, tender buds, handpicked with care in the Wuyi Mountains — where the rocks and mist are in perfect harmony.

– So the mountains do all the work?

Sifu laughed. – The mountains help, but the tea farmers' care creates that perfect balance. Nature provides the stage, but it's the hands and experience of the tea master that creates the magic.

The disciple nodded, sipping again. – I see. It is teamwork — nature and humans working together.

Compared to other black tea varieties, Jin Jun Mei (金駿眉), which translates as "Golden Eyebrows", is one of the most recent developments – it appeared as late as 2005 with the idea to create a premium, high-end red tea using only the buds - like it's often done with green and white teas. Until then, the most predominant red tea from the Wuyi Shan area was Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong (better known in the West as Lapsang Souchong). 

Once released, Jin Jun Mei became so popular that it upturned the entire industry. Many farmers ceased producing Zhengshan Xiaozhong, turning to the new contender instead and making it one of the most cherished red teas on the market today. 

Our Jin Jun Mei is growing at the heart of Wuyi Mountain in Fujian. Growing in the scenic village of Xingcun, 600 meters above sea level, this tea combines the harmony of nature with traditional craftsmanship. Xingcun is part of the Wuyishan National Scenic and Natural Conservation areas. It is a core region of the Wuyi Shan World's Natural and Cultural Heritage Site. Known for its picturesque landscapes and rich biodiversity, the area produces some of the best Hong Cha found in China. It is within the town's area that lies the famous Tong Mu Guan, the birthing place of China's first red tea variety, Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong.

This Jin Jun Mei is entirely hand-picked according to a standard of only full tea buds. It takes between 60,000 and 80,000 tea buds to produce just one jin (500g) of this remarkable tea, picked at the time when the tender buds overflowed with flavor. Our Jin Jun Mei is made from the Meizhan variety (梅占), which is known for its robust, fat buds. The dry tea leaves are uniform, plump, and even.

When brewed, Jin Jun Mei oozes a golden yellow, transparent tea soup. The aroma is complex and layered, with notes of fruit, honey, and field flowers blending together to create a refreshing, rich fragrance. This tea has a smooth, nectary sweet flavor that lingers pleasantly in the mouth long after the last sip. The intense yet refined sweetness is a result of both the traditional processing and the tea's high-altitude origins in Wuyi Shan National Nature Reserve.