Jun Shan Yin Zhen

Even at first glance, you know you’re in for something rare: slender, spear-shaped buds in deep olive green, each wrapped in a delicate silver down.

This tea comes from Junshan Island itself—the cradle of yellow tea, where it has been crafted for centuries without interruption. Cultivation is limited to a handful of tiny plots, and the annual harvest is correspondingly small.

The dry leaves give off the scent of sweet hay, lifted by a faint peppery spark. In the cup, it recalls green tea yet without the grassy edge—deeper and more savory, with notes of artichoke and tender asparagus tips. A gentle sweetness runs through it, balanced by a subtle sour freshness reminiscent of green bamboo.

With each infusion, a lively texture emerges: a pepper-like tingle unlike anything I have encountered so clearly in another tea. From the fragrance of the dry buds to the very last sip, that sparkling sensation remains vivid and surprising.

As the liquor fades, the pepper softens into a clear, refreshing aftertaste, leaving a lingering impression of aromatic butter—gentle, elegant, and clean.

True to its yellow tea nature—it gradually mellows with time, trading brightness for calmness.

Written by Gabriele

2026 sourcing

In 2025, unable to source from our usual farmer, we turned to Junshandao itself. The tea, produced from local seed-grown plants, is crafted entirely from small buds and undergoes a short meng huang of about two days—softer and lighter than that of Mengding Huang Ya. The result: no green-tea grassiness, but instead the characteristic sparkling, peppery texture that defines authentic, top-grade Jun Shan Yin Zhen.
For our 2026 sourcing, we set out to find both the larger, fuzzier buds we had sourced in earlier years and the greener, more authentic buds from the island. In the latter, we found the superb character of last year’s batch once again, while the larger and fuzzier buds continued to disappoint: stale on the palate and lacking complexity and depth. We therefore decided to source only the island buds again this year—but we have not given up on the other style. Next year, we will taste both once more, hoping to eventually bring both teas to your cup for a truly worthwhile comparison.