What Black Are You Drinking

[GaoShan]

I haven't had many versions of Jin Jun Mei, but the Meng Ding JJM I'm drinking from Camellia Sinensis this afternoon is one of the rosiest I've experienced. I get a heady rose fragrance that lasts for a good eight steeps, along with the malt, honey, and dark chocolate I usually pick up in JJM. The body is nothing special, but as someone who likes florals, I'm enjoying this tea. I almost took the plunge on the Zhengshantang JJM this spring, but didn't want to pay $3/g. Based on @Sunyata's review, maybe I should wait until 2026.

[Sunyata]

I haven't had many versions of Jin Jun Mei, but the Meng Ding JJM I'm drinking from Camellia Sinensis this afternoon is one of the rosiest I've experienced. I get a heady rose fragrance that lasts for a good eight steeps, along with the malt, honey, and dark chocolate I usually pick up in JJM. The body is nothing special, but as someone who likes florals, I'm enjoying this tea. I almost took the plunge on the Zhengshantang JJM this spring, but didn't want to pay $3/g. Based on Sunyata's review, maybe I should wait until 2026.

I still think the 2025 is a better quality than the 2019 (which is quite lackluster mouthfeel/thickness), except the flavor. Nonetheless, I have samples of the 2022, 2023 and 2024 on the way. Will see how they fare.

Gosh, am I a considered a Zhengshantang expert now?

[Thundercleese]

IMG_20251114_115520.jpg (419.38 KiB) Viewed 2390 times

Masu Pinewood from One River Tea, from a zini dragon's egg from @Siyutao

[debunix]

Daxue Jiadao's Qihong Songzhen from Huangye, a delicious tea that I drank off and on during a busy kitchen session yesterday without taking notes. I remember it being fruity, subtle, without bitterness, and the fine thin dried leaves kept trying to slip through my filter in the teapot even after they were hydrated because they were still so small and the little glass teapot has relatively large holes... so a very fine standard of plucking.

[GaoShan]

Daxue Jiadao's Qihong Songzhen from Huangye, a delicious tea that I drank off and on during a busy kitchen session yesterday without taking notes. I remember it being fruity, subtle, without bitterness, and the fine thin dried leaves kept trying to slip through my filter in the teapot even after they were hydrated because they were still so small and the little glass teapot has relatively large holes... so a very fine standard of plucking.

I also enjoyed this tea and I think I have some left! As I recall, this is a wild-grown Qimen, though they also have a regular Qimen as well.

[Victoria]

Nailed it! A perfect steep with @Ethan Kurland Jun Chiyabari Himalayan Orange. This tea can be steeped many ways -hotter cooler, more time less time, more leaf less leaf. Just now 4.6g/120ml/195f/45sec is stellar. I’m at the end of a pound-plus bag I received from Ethan years ago, no degradation, no plumby notes. Guess that’s what makes black tea stand out, it can be stored a very long time with almost no loss in quality.