Jin Jun Mei Imperial Grade Black Tea

Jin Jun Mei ("Golden Eyebrows") of imperial grade is a loose-leaf black (red) tea from Fujian province. The tea was invented and first made in the late 2000s by the Zhengshantang company (正山堂). The Chinese realised how much foreigners loved this fine black tea from Fujian, yet the maker managed to patent neither the name nor the growing region.

Why it pays to be careful

Enterprising colleagues from regions neighbouring Fujian (and some far from it) started making their own teas and passing them off as Wuyishan Jin Jun Mei. Some even began calling Golden Eyebrows a Zhenghe Gongfu Hong — as if the two were the same thing. Zhenghe Gongfu Hong has been known since the 19th century and has nothing to do with Wuyishan Golden Eyebrows: a good tea, but not Jin Jun Mei.

Another story from suppliers: unscrupulous makers imitate Golden Eyebrows by roasting cheap tea with icing sugar, which gives it the telltale sheen and sweetish aftertaste.

Flavour profile

• Meadow flowers and fruitwood
• Almond and caramel
• Honey and vanilla
• Dried and fresh apricot, blackcurrant
• Fresh orange in the finish

Formats

A 7 g taster, plus 25 g, 50 g, 100 g and 200 g — from a single tea session to a months-long supply.

Packaging

Doypack: kraft paper bag with a clear window and a zip-lock seal.