Jin Jun Mei

Mild and smooth, with a swelling richness, this Jin Jun Mei was selected for a floral profile that nonetheless remains balanced in the cup. The long and partially-furry buds, a cross of the Tieguanyin and Huang Dan cultivars, engender a lily aroma, a touch of ginger on the tongue, and just the right amount of malt. Though it falls on the delicate side of the black tea spectrum, a hint of salinity and a certain savoriness in an almost oily liquor create an addictive tea one can continually return to, and the richness of the aroma knows no bounds: cinnamon and star anise, red fruit becomes berries, becomes tomato… Perhaps better, in this case, to forget tastes and just enjoy the mélange.