Jin Jun Mei Black Tea

Jin Jun Mei is an innovative branch of Wuyishan's Lapsang souchong, made wholly from single buds picked in Tongmu Pass and nearby high-altitude gardens; the dry leaves are fine and golden-black, the liquor golden-bright, with intense floral, fruity and honey aromas and a long, sweet aftertaste.

Jin Jun Mei was created in 2005 at Tongmu Pass by a team led by Jiang Yuanxun, 24th-generation bearer of the Lapsang souchong craft, breaking with tradition by using only buds and ushering in a new era of premium Chinese black tea, praised as "the gold of black tea."

Brewed with water just off the boil at about 90°C and decanted quickly, it yields more than a dozen infusions, to be savoured for its floral-honey fragrance and mellow body, a top choice among Wuyishan tea tables and gifts.

Its golden-black all-bud leaf, intense honey-floral-fruit aroma and long sweet finish are what set Jin Jun Mei apart from traditional Lapsang souchong.