Jun Shan Yin Zhen

Honored as the king of Yellow teas and one of China’s Ten Famous Tea, this rare and precious yellow tea was sent to Russian President Vladimir Putin as China’s National Gift earlier this year (2006). The tea originates from Jun Shan Island (also known as the Island of Immortals) of Lake Dong Ting in Hunan Province. The yearly production of this tea is very limited, using only before and early Qing Ming harvest. Tea leaves picked after this period were processed into other teas such as Jun Shan Mao Jian and Jun Shan Lu Cha. Jun Shan Yin Zhen was an Imperial Tribute tea back in the ancient days, and is also well-known as Chairman’s Mao favorite tea.
In recent years, it is getting increasingly difficult to obtain authentic Jun Shan Yin Zhen. Processing this yellow tea requires great skill and effort. Hence many tea masters prefer to use the green tea processing methods instead as not only is it easier, but the finished product have a much better appearance. These teas are often sold as Jun Shan Yin Zhen even though they are technically known as Jun Shan Qing Zhen. To ensure its authenticity, a number code is included with each can of Jun Shan Yin Zhen (printed on the foil bag). This code is provided by Jun Shan Tea Co Ltd, the company who now owns all the tea harvest from Jun Shan Island, and can be verified at their website – http://www.yinzhentea.com.cn/cx.asp.

Other names:
Mount Jun Silver Needle

Taste:
Delicate aroma with a hint of floral notes. The taste is smooth, light and sweet at first sip but finishes with a fleeting smoky taste. This smokiness is only apparent in the first infusion and is not offensive at all. If anything, we feel that it actually adds character to the tea and makes the sweetness stands out even more in later tasting. After a few cups, you will still be able to feel the light sweetness in your mouth.

Appearance:
Jun Shan Yin Zhen consist of thick, needle-shape tea buds that look dry and almost like an aged tea. However, this is all due to the processing method – the tea is very fresh, as you can obviously tell from the taste.

Origin:
Jun Shan, Hunan Province