Questions on Jinjunmei Tongmuguan Red Tea

[chrl42]

1. JJM should be prepared in lower temp to other black teas.

2. That's funny. Real JJM comes from Tong Mu village (the village where used to produce Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong)..the quantity available is not many and they only select early spring leaves..that's why they are expensive.

According to Baike, they select leaves from 1,200~1,600 altitude of China national reserve..like the way they classify in Taiwan...


You are right that they extend the value of name to many available products aside the origin. Feeling from the skin, I don't think you could get a real JJM for less than 100usd/100g (wholesale value)..

Well the gifter "claimed" that it cost him 500 USD for this small tin... or so he claims

Is JJM also smoked? -- being that it is a lapsang souchong.

78

No..instead it has 'shaking' procedure called Yao Qing. They shake in a machine during 10 hrs.


Furthermore, lap sang sou chong and zheng shan xiao zhong is not the same. You will find many unsmoked Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong in China.

[Se7en8ight]

Thanks for the clarification

At least now I know Jin Jun Mei should not have a smoky flavor

So what I must have is Yin Jun Mei... it's still quite good nonetheless sweet, thick, velvety, smoky, and fruity yum yum!

[MEversbergII]

About a year back, I got a few small packets of JJM from a member here in a trade. I doubt they are strictly Tong Mu village product, but they were great none the less. I've still got one in the stash, probably should make that sometime.

I've never seen Yin Jun Mei; will have to research that further. If it is like a lightly smoked JJM, however, I'm sure I'll love it as I am a fan of Smoked Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong / Lapsang Suchong (and the unsmoked variety as well, though I've only had it from TeaHong).

I've been considering this one here: Yunnan Sourcing's Imperial Grade Jin Jun Mei. It claims to be from Tong Mu, and I don't have any reason to doubt Yunnan Sourcing (he has demonstrated he "knows his stuff" in the Pu'er world), but Yunnan is not Fujian. The price is also not high, though that's their Chinese store and shipping may be a bit up there.

M.

[ploutos7]

I just ordered that JJM last week. I'll tell you what I think when I get it.

[MEversbergII]

Do tell!

M.

[saotome]

I have bought Nonpareil Jin Jun Mei Golden Eyebrow Wuyi Black Tea from Dragon Tea House. It cost $30 per 100 g. They say:
This is authentic Jin Jun Mei from Junde Tea Industry in Wuyi mountain.

Can be real JJM for this price? Have somebody try it? What is the difference in taste between this and same real JJM?

[bonescwa]

Jin Jun Mei is a gimmick so sure, why not

[Evan Draper]

If the tree falls in the woods and no one is around to hear it, it doesn't make a sound.
If you don't open the box, the cat is simultaneously alive and dead.
If you can't tell the difference between "authentic" and "inauthentic" tea then there is no distinction.
Unless you are a reseller, in which case may God have mercy on your soul.

[saotome]

How can I tell the difference if I never tried "authentic" Jinjunmei? I have bought a tea and I want know if this is a good stuff, or there is something much better. If authentic is much better then I want try it.
If I am an expert I would not ask, I would help others.
Thank you for the theories of cat and tree, very pragmatic.

[Evan Draper]

There is always something better.
And then again, nothing is ever better.

[shah82]

Jinjunmei's attraction comes from using wuyi varietal in wuyi protected area--that basically means that the point of Jinjunmei is to have some of the qualities of wuyi yancha in a black tea. Chocolaty, spicy, with a long mineral finish. If your tea does this to some reasonable extent, assuming you know what a long mineral finish is, then it doesn't matter whether it's a fake or not. Then again, anything that has those qualities are likely to be extremely expensive today, if it's anything like famous.

[chrl42]

The place of JJM is where Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong comes from...I differ to say it should be closer to high-quality Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong.

And it' belongs to sort of high altitude...so I don't expect it to come out bitter easily...but please correct me if I'm wrong