Jin Jun Mei - Hand-made Mei Zhan Cultivar - 手工梅占金骏眉 (2026)
Tea Profile
Type: Black Tea (Jin Jun Mei 金骏眉)
Location: Feng Shui Guan 风水关, Wuyishan, Fujian
Altitude: Approx. 800 m
Harvest Date: April 4, 2026
Cultivar: Mei Zhan 梅占
Picking Standard: Single spring buds
Craftsmanship: Handcrafted and hand-rolled
The Story of This Tea
This 2026 Mei Zhan Jin Jun Mei comes from Feng Shui Guan, a high-mountain area within the greater Wuyishan range. The environment is clean and mountainous, with abundant vegetation, fresh water and mist-covered slopes that support slow spring growth and highly aromatic tea material.
Mei Zhan 梅占 is traditionally well known in Wuyi tea production, particularly for its naturally expressive floral character. When processed in the Jin Jun Mei style using only tender spring buds, it reveals a different side of the cultivar, combining its distinctive fragrance with the refined sweetness and silky texture expected from carefully made bud-focused black tea.
Only the earliest spring buds are selected. Each is plump and tender, and the tea is rolled by hand rather than shaped entirely by machine. The slight variations visible in the finished leaves are therefore a natural result of artisanal processing rather than a sign of inconsistency.
The finished tea brings together the floral character of Mei Zhan with the bright sweetness of fine Jin Jun Mei. It is elegant rather than heavy, with a clear liquor, refreshing fragrance and a distinctive sweetness reminiscent of rock sugar.
Aroma and Flavour
The fragrance is concentrated and distinctly floral, but one of the most interesting characteristics of this tea is where that fragrance appears. Rather than being strongest only in the lid or empty cup, the aroma is carried directly through the liquor, giving each sip a perfumed yet integrated quality.
The taste is pure and naturally sweet, with the clear crystalline impression of rock sugar. Soft mountain freshness keeps the sweetness lively, while the liquor remains smooth and refined rather than becoming heavy or syrupy.
The bright golden-red liquor is exceptionally clear. Across successive infusions, the floral character remains persistent while the sweetness becomes increasingly apparent, leaving the mouth clean, refreshed and gently perfumed.
- Aroma: Rich, concentrated floral fragrance carried clearly through the liquor
- Flavour: Refreshing, pure and naturally sweet with pronounced rock sugar clarity
- Texture: Smooth, silky and elegant
- Aftertaste: Long-lasting rock sugar sweetness with a fresh floral echo
- Liquor: Bright golden-red, remarkably clear and lively
- Steeping Endurance: 6–8 infusions
Brewing Guidelines
Gong Fu Style
- Teaware: Porcelain gaiwan for aromatic clarity, or thin-walled glass teapot to appreciate the colour of the liquor
- Ratio: 3.5–4 g per 100–110 ml water
- Water: 85–90 °C, ideally spring water
- Infusions: Brief rinse if desired; begin with short infusions and gradually extend through 6–8 brews
Western Style
- Teaware: Porcelain or glass teapot
- Ratio: 3–4 g per 250 ml water
- Water: Around 90 °C
- Steeping: 3–4 minutes for the first infusion; resteep 2–3 times, extending the brewing time slightly with each infusion
Why Choose This Tea
This 2026 Mei Zhan Jin Jun Mei offers an unusual meeting of cultivar character and refined black tea craftsmanship. Mei Zhan is more commonly encountered in Wuyi oolong, yet here its floral personality is expressed through carefully selected single spring buds and Jin Jun Mei processing.
The result is particularly elegant: concentrated floral fragrance, bright golden-red liquor, silky texture and a clean sweetness reminiscent of rock sugar. Hand-rolling adds an artisanal character to the finished leaf, while the high-mountain Feng Shui Guan origin contributes freshness and clarity.
For those who enjoy Jin Jun Mei but want to explore how a different Wuyi cultivar changes the style, this Mei Zhan version offers a distinctive comparison. It retains the delicacy and sweetness expected from fine spring-bud black tea while bringing a pronounced floral character that is unmistakably its own.