Jun Shan Yin Zhen (Silver Needle) Yellow Tea

This delicate yellow tea originates from Junshan, Dong Ting lake Hunan, featuring a aroma profile of beans, nuts, mint and a silky texture. When infused, the tea leaves stand gracefully upright in the teapot. Due to the 'yellowing' production process, the tea taste like a white tea with a more complex, warm character.

Junshan, Dong Ting Lake

The tea bushes in Junshan thrive thanks to dense fog produced by Dong Ting Lake, a moderate climate with high humidity, and the surrounding flora and fauna that enhance the environment. As a result, yellow tea leaves from Junshan are rich in amino acids with a thick and juicy shape.

Taste profile

Dry tea leaves exhibit a green-yellow hue with a savory, deep green aroma. The aroma palette includes notes of beans and nuts, complemented by a minty coolness and silky texture. The resulting liquor is transparent, presenting a delicate shade reminiscent of white grapes. The taste features minimal astringency and a lingering sweet finish.

Yellowing / Meng Huang

This Junshan Yinzhen is processed by applying a method known as 'yellowing' or 'meng huang (闷黄). While the leaves remain warm and moist, they undergo a process known as 'yellowing' by wrapping them in a special kind of paper. This technique allows the leaves to release and reabsorb moisture. The warm, humid, and enclosed environment fosters additional oxidation and may induce a slight fermentation. After a day or two, the leaves are unwrapped, and the process may be repeated until the ideal level of yellowing has been achieved. At last, the tea is dried, typically by baking it over low temperatures with charcoal.

History of Junshan Yinzhen

Historically, it is believed that during the Tang Dynasty, Princess Wencheng (文成公主) brought Junshan tea as part of her trousseau when she married into Tibet. Junshan Yinzhen became a tribute to the emperor starting from the Wu-dai period (907-960 AD), which followed the Tang Dynasty (618–907 AD), and continued to be esteemed during the Song, Ming, and Qing Dynasties. In the Tang Dynasty, it was referred to as “Yellow Tail Feathers” (黄翎毛) because, when brewed, the yellow buds, covered in fine down, stood upright in the glass, resembling yellow pinions. According to the book 'Cha Jing', also known as The Classics of Tea by Lu Yu, it was called “White Crane Tail Feathers” (白鹤翎), since this tea was cultivated at the White Crane Temple (白鹤寺). When brewed with water from the White Crane Well (白鹤井), it evoked the image of a white crane walking gracefully in the water. Additionally, due to its fine white down, it earned the name “White Down Needle” (白毛尖). Eventually, it was officially named Junshan Yinzhen during the Qing Dynasty.