User avatar
Jan 12th, '12, 21:14
Posts: 1591
Joined: Jul 21st, '10, 02:25
Location: Oz
Been thanked: 3 times

Bai Lin Jin Zhen vs Jin Jun Mei & Zhu Hai Jin Ming

by bagua7 » Jan 12th, '12, 21:14

I haven't tried the first one, which according to JTS:

Image


Fragrance : A pleasant fresh and refreshing "Hao Xiang (bud's aroma)" is offered by the dry leaves. It smells creamy and sweet with a touch of chocolate.

Liquor : The clear liquor has a bright red color with a thick and smooth texture.

Taste : The liquor is thick with a "greasy" feeling in the mouth. The sweet soup offers a creamy and pleasant floral flavor that is companied along with a soft chocolate note along with each brew.


Description of JJM (DTH):

Image


"Delicately twisted leaves with a high concentration of golden tips distinguishes this tea from other black teas. The quality of the tea really shines through in this absolutely gorgeous black tea. The tea itself is stunning in it’s beauty, with tippy golden leaves that smelled malty yet bright. This tea brews up into a deep mahogany color, that holds a very bold, deep and crisp flavor. Be wary of over steeping as this is a high quality tea that can get bitter if brewed incorrectly. A full-bodied infusion deep red with a honey-like sweetness, a subtle milkiness and light coppery finish. The tea has enough flavor to be interesting, without the harsh astringency of some other varieties of black tea. It has a very comfortable taste and does not need anything added to it.

This is authentic Jin Jun Mei from Junde Tea Industry in Wuyi mountain."

Zhu Hai Jin Ming (TeaSpring):

Image

"Being introduced in 1996, Zhu Hai Jin Ming is a fairly new black tea that originates from Zhu Hai, a small village located in Yixing County, in the southern part of Jiang Su province in East China. Zhu Hai village is renowned for its beautiful scenery and bamboo trees that grow in abundant quantities (its name actually means "Bamboo Ocean"). Although Jiang Su province has been a traditional black tea producing province for many years, none of its productions ever become well-known until Zhu Hai Jin Ming. In year 2001, Zhu Hai Jin Ming won the first prize for the Black tea category in the Fourth China Tea Competition. Some tea connoisseurs even go as far as saying this is the best black tea in the world. This is, of course a matter of opinion but this is a tea we believe you should try if you enjoy black teas.

Other names:
Zhu Hai Golden Tea, Bamboo Ocean Golden Tea

Taste:
Zhu Hai Jin Ming tea is smooth and mellow, with delicious chocolaty aroma and rich malty flavors. This is an excellent black tea on its own, but also blends well with sweetened milk for added flavor and complexity."

_______________________________

I am familiar with JJM, which is an excellent red, but I yet have to place an order for it. Maybe this is the time. I haven't tried BLJZ but looking forward to brewing this interesting red.

Same goes with the third red: Zhu Hai Jin Ming.

How do these reds compare to one another? Any similarities in aroma and flavour bearing in mind the leaves look almost identical in all instances.

Jan 14th, '12, 02:47
Posts: 1274
Joined: May 9th, '09, 15:59

Re: Bai Lin Jin Zhen vs Jin Jun Mei & Zhu Hai Jin Ming

by shah82 » Jan 14th, '12, 02:47

Fortunately for you, I've had:
Teaspring Zhuhaijingming
Teaspring YinJunMei
Camelia Sinesis Bai Lin Jin Zhen

The first delivers a relatively dynamic gongfu session, and only a so-so western brew. Lighter on the choco, a bit heavier on some floral elements, with a touch of dark fruits to round it out.

The second delivers a static gongfu session, and a pretty good western brew. Heavy on the choco, with whispy hints of smoke, and a strong sweet sensation. JinJunMei, as I understand it, is less stern, and more fruity

Bai Lin Jin Zhen is a pleasant and easy going black tea that has a relatively strong white fruits like apples element. Also some choco and wine.

As these things go, SE China blacks from the three coastal provinces are dramatically more expensive than they are really worth. My fave is definitely the ZHJM because it's more complex and engaging, but I'd rather buy Houde's taiwanese blacks. If you want to pay $30/100g of tea, they are much better buys. However, none of them really do choco or wine or anything heavy like that. Even so, the same money directed towards ultra premium Indian Assams will give more value for money if you want something heavier.

User avatar
Jan 14th, '12, 03:18
Posts: 70
Joined: Dec 22nd, '11, 21:22
Location: San Francisco, California

Re: Bai Lin Jin Zhen vs Jin Jun Mei & Zhu Hai Jin Ming

by Acaelus » Jan 14th, '12, 03:18

Just ordered some of the zhu hai jin ming. I'll tell you how it goes when it arrives.

User avatar
Feb 2nd, '12, 14:05
Posts: 70
Joined: Dec 22nd, '11, 21:22
Location: San Francisco, California

Re: Bai Lin Jin Zhen vs Jin Jun Mei & Zhu Hai Jin Ming

by Acaelus » Feb 2nd, '12, 14:05

Just tried the zhu hai jin ming. It's a nice black, very toasty and warm. For some reason it smells exactly like the Pi Lo Chun I have from Red Blossom, and this is a scent I've never smelled before, or know how to describe. However, it is not astringent in any way, and the dry leaves remind me of dark chocolate.

User avatar
Feb 3rd, '12, 21:05
Posts: 1136
Joined: Dec 2nd, '07, 17:53
Location: New York

Re: Bai Lin Jin Zhen vs Jin Jun Mei & Zhu Hai Jin Ming

by joelbct » Feb 3rd, '12, 21:05

[delete]
Last edited by joelbct on Feb 12th, '12, 22:55, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
Feb 11th, '12, 07:16
Posts: 1136
Joined: Dec 2nd, '07, 17:53
Location: New York

Re: Bai Lin Jin Zhen vs Jin Jun Mei & Zhu Hai Jin Ming

by joelbct » Feb 11th, '12, 07:16

Update: and the new winner of the 5 Tea Springs black teas I ordered is the Sichuan Gongfu, which has the most compelling flavor of the bunch. Not too much tannin, not too little, well balanced and pungent.

Zhu Hai Jin Ming is quality. Has some of the maltiness and high-tannin content of an Indian var Assamica black tea.

Teaspring's Lapsang is quality as well. Though I have not had a terribly wide range of Lapsangs over the years, this is probably the best. The smoke tastes like it came from more expensive wood... really ;)

I was not terribly impressed by the Bai Lin Yin Zhen, gave it a 75/100. "Tippy and peppery, but not in the same league a good Golden Yunnan. Bit of a medicine-ish taste."

About the TeaSpring Tan Yang Te Ji, I said: "A sophisticated, complex and subtle black tea. A bit Keemun-ish but less bold. Smooth, not powerfully malty like Assam or Yunnan. I had to brew it a full 5 minutes Western-style, 4-4.5 was not strong enough with my usual 1 stp per 6 oz water leaf ratio.

Notes of sweet shellfish-crab, fruit-plum, autumn leave scent."

+ Post Reply