A friend recently hooked me up with this AWESOME tea. She had returned from China a few weeks ago on a Taoist trip. Her group of friends and one of my teachers have a relationship with a tea seller in Beijing. This tea comes from the tea sellers private stash. It is a very high-quality red tea (black tea) called Jin Jun Mei.
When I open the tea jar the leaves smell of honeysuckle in the late summer. Qi expands in the chest around the heart and then descends down through the digestive system.
Leaves
The leaves are large, dark and perfectly intact.
Aroma
Dry Leaf: When I open the tea jar the leaves smell of honeysuckle in the late summer. Qi descends from the head, expands in the chest around the middle dantian and then descends down through the digestive system.
Wet Leaf: The wet leaf smells very sweet and like honeysuckle.
In the cup: The mist that rises off of the liquid is thick and viscous. Its qi goes straight down through the head, chest, and belly.
Taste
1st brew (200 Degree, 10 seconds) Sweet, Malty &Honeysuckle Flower. The sweet flavor remains after drinking the first cup. Similar to the aroma, the energetic movement of the taste descends from the head, through the chest, and into the belly. After the qi moves down through the head it feels like it slows down in the chest. In the chest, there is a puffy vibration as it descends into the belly. After drinking the first cup I literally feel like I've taken a bunch of deep breaths. I feel calm and connected to the earth. Even after a few minutes the sensation and taste remain.
2nd & 3rd brew: In the second brew the sweetness is pronounced and there is a sharpness or clarity that the first brew didn’t have. Interestingly, the energy of the second brew is the same except that initially, I noticed a vibration in glands around my throat and thyroid area. Very unique as I haven’t noticed that sensation with any other teas.
Color
The color of the brew is beautiful dark amber.
My Thoughts
I feel really lucky to have stumbled upon this tea as I've never had such a high-quality Jin Jun Mei. This is a tea I will drink all day long until the decoction is clear and has released all of its essence. The energetics of this Jin Jun Mei, at least in my experience, is unique in that it affects all three dantians. Upper, Middle & Lower. The directionality is descending from upper dantian, through the middle and into the lower. This means that the energetic nature of this tea will support grounding the mind and the heart. Grounding the mind and the heart is experienced as the settling of the mind and emotions. In this state, one is present and receptive. As mentioned above it has a particular affinity for the middle dantian which contains the organ systems of the heart and lungs. Similar to the Xue Wu Ye Dang in tea sessions #3, the energy of this tea moves the qi in the heart and lungs. I would say that the Jin Jun Mei has more of an affinity for the heart though. After taking a sip the qi moved from the head into the chest where it slowed down before going into the belly. This is a tea to drink when feeling like you are in the clouds / stuck in your head or overwhelmed with thoughts or desire. It brings qi down from the head and grounds you into the earth with a pronounced heart qi action on the way down.
If I put the qi of this tea into words it would be something like “ Chill, I got you man. Everything is going to be Ok, Lets enjoy this moment as we’re not promised the next one”
This is a perfect tea for someone like me whose energetic nature is to be in the clouds. It will show you what it feels like to stay connected to the heavens but strongly rooted into the dense material realm of the earth.
