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Jiu Qu Hong Mei "Red Plum" Black Tea | Yunnan Sourcing Tea Shop

Jiu Qu Hong Mei "Red Plum" Black Tea

by Yunnan Sourcing Tea Shop
$6.25 - $170.00
$6.25
$6.25 - $170.00
$6.25

Jiu Qu Hong Mei is sometimes Jiu Qu Oolong, and is a relatively unknown black tea produced in the Da Hu Mountain area not too far from the West Lake region of Zhejiang. Jiu Qu Hong Mei (九曲红梅) means Red Plum from Jiu Qu, and is called "Red Plum" because the the tea soup is a lovely red and the taste and aroma of the tea reminds one of plum fruit. There is also a thick honey and apple taste with little or no astringency at all. The aroma is strong and heady with a pleasant character.

Jiu Qu Hong Mei originated in the Jiu Qu area of Wuyi Mountain. It was brought to the West Lake area of Zhejiang by a farmer from northern Fujian who moved north and settled in the Da Hu Mountain area to grow this tea. Gradually the popularity of this varietal grew as other local growers began to cultivate and process this tea.

Whether the Jiu Qu Hong Mei is picked at the right time or not is related to the quality of the tea. Before and after Guyu is the best, the quality is lower when the garden is opened before and after the Qingming Festival. The picking standard of Jiu Qu Red Plum requires one bud and two leaves to develop; it is made by finishing, kneading, fermentation, and drying (baking). The key is fermentation and drying. Jiu Qu Hong Mei is called Jiu Qu Hong Mei because of its red color and fragrance. It has a sweet taste and warms the stomach. Jiu Qu Hong Mei Tea has been produced for nearly 200 years. It became famous more than a hundred years ago. As early as 1886, it won the Panama World Expo Gold Medal, but it's a relatively unknown tea, especially compared to West Lake Longjing Tea.

Harvest Time:  mid-April

Region:  Da Hu Mountain area of Zhejiang

Altitude: 400 meters

Overall rating: 4.6 / 5 from 20 reviews.

AI Generated Review Summary

Summary topics

Review topics: [taste, sweetness, tea, astringency, leaves, notes, cha].

Review highlights

Reviews

Worth trying for fans of hong cha

"A pleasant enough hong cha, quite light and subtle. The leaves are very fine and tippy. The tea soup has a noticeable acidity, almost no bitterness, and a very mild astringency. There are some fruity notes on the palate, the aroma is pleasant overall if a bit thin, and this particular batch lacks body to back up the aroma in my opinion. That may be typical of jiu qu hong mei, this is the first one I've tried. Glad I tried it, not sure I'd order again. If you enjoy very light, easy drinkers this could be a tea for you."

— David W. (3/5)

Artisan tea

"Shocked the taste buds with flavour . Full bodied . Well made with care . Sweet and plum taste . I really like this tea !! You must have some of this to treat yourself ."

— Bob J. (5/5)

Favorites

"One of my favorite teas from here that I continue going back to because it is rich and without bitterness."

— Byron R. (5/5)

Can't get enough of the stuff.

"This is a gem! The description is spot on, I can say this is certainly a rare cultivar that surpasses any expectations of an oolong turned red. Incredibly potent, yet clear notes, the applejack pie, the crisp crumb, the sweet and sour apples, it all comes together beautifuly. I've only seen something like this in Georgian teas, but not as refined, not as balanced and certainly not as available. Even though I bought a lot of this good stuff, I'm afraid it'll run out the quickest."

— Daniel (5/5)

Wasn’t what i expected

"This tea didn’t hook me like most other teas i have bought from YS. Its not a bad tea at all, just not a very unique flavor to me. Quality leaf and fast delivery though, as always!"

— Bryan D. (4/5)

A complex & unique red tea

"Once again, it is hard to improve on the description that YS provides on their product page. No "poetic license" required to immediately discern why this tea is called "Red Plum." It has some of the most prominent fruit flavors I've tasted in my many years of drinking tea. The apple note is there but mainly on the back of the throat after one swallows. The plum hits you immediately. It manages to be both sturdy and subtle at the same time. Very little astringency. A most unique and excellent tea."

— William L. (5/5)

Red plum black tea

"Rich velvety flavor. Earthy, robust."

— Douglas C. (5/5)

I love this tea

"I love this tea"

— Gleb F. (5/5)

Excellent

"- Excellent tasting. - very little bit of astringency. - Slight plum taste and honey. But no apple taste for me."

— Mark A. (5/5)

extremely relaxing!

"this tea is a wonderful one for winding down in the evening or relaxing in the morning or at any time of day. it smells deliciously of real honey and plum and brews into a beautiful reddish-gold tea with fruitiness and a mild sweetness that pairs so well with the warm spice flavors that you also find in it. it feels like a warm blanket!"

— fin (5/5)

Q&A

I'm a little confused by the description. It starts out saying this tea "originated in the Jiu Qu area of Wuyi Mountain" and was brought to Zhejiang from there, after which its popularity spread. But at the end it says the cultivar is Longjing #43. Is that stale text from editing something else, or did I miss something? Is this tea Longjing Hong or is it made from some imported Wuyi cultivar from Jiu Qu?
The listing has been corrected. Thanks for your eagle eye!
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