Review of Premium Grade AA Jin Jun Mei Fujian Black Tea of Wu Yi Shan

AromaFlavorValueTotal
9 of 105 of 55 of 597 of 100
SuperbExcellentOutstanding

I was curious to try this higher grade of a tea (the "Classic Robust Jin Jun Mei") that has become one of my favorites for daily drinking.

The dry leaf is similar but more curly and also visibly lighter in color, with a greater portion of golden tips. The aroma is very strong, initially of dried fruit and then very intensely of malt, and also with floral notes throughout. The smell leads me to expect an aromatic, strongly savory cup.

The cup is exquisite. Rich, thick, and naturally very sweet and savory. The aroma is intensely fruity and yet with great depth and complexity: there are notes of grain, flowers, and a slight smokiness. Often, higher grades of tea are too smooth for my taste, but this one delivers greater aromatic strength and depth while still having considerable body and strength.

The resteep was a bit peculiar and had several qualities I found unexpected. Relative to the classic robust tea, the later steeps of this tea were weaker in flavor and did not retain the impressively rich aroma of the first steep. However, there were some interesting aromatic notes in the second steep, and overall, drinking it was an interesting experience. The finish had some notes that remind me of aged Pu-erh. There were also notes of dried fruit, dates in particular, that came out more than in the first cup.

In the end, I brewed this side-by-side with the classic robust tea, and I found that although they were similar and I very much enjoyed both, I slightly preferred the classic robust tea. I do notice a difference between the two, and this one smells richer and better both in terms of the dry leaf, and the first cup, but I find that the aroma gives out more quickly than I like in resteeping, and in terms of the overall drinking experience I prefer the classic robust tea, which happens to be a bit cheaper, so it works out well for me.

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