Zi Juan black tea
Black tea from Zi Juan, a purple-leaf Yunnan cultivar selected at the provincial tea institute. The colour is anthocyanin pigmentation and the cup carries a distinctly dry, faintly grape-skin character not found in ordinary Dian Hong.
Character
Drier and more berry-like than standard Yunnan black, with a slightly astringent grape-skin edge that comes from the cultivar.
- Flavour
- Fruity, Woody
- Aroma
- Stone fruit, Malty
- Mouthfeel
- Medium, Drying
- Complexity
- Moderate
- Notes
- grape skin, dry berry, malt
- Aftertaste
- Dry and berry-like.
Moderate intensity: noticeable weight or grip, but neither dominates the cup.
Provenance and production
- Origin
- China
- Region
- Yunnan
- Oxidation
- Fully oxidised
- Harvest
- Spring
- Processing
- Withering → Rolling and shaping → Oxidation → Drying
Authenticity: Purple tea is a cultivar characteristic. It is not a separate category of tea and no property beyond flavour is claimed here.
Brewing
Western brewing (teapot or mug)
1–1.5 g/100 ml · 88–93 °C · 1 authored infusion
Gongfu brewing (gaiwan)
4–5 g/100 ml · 90–95 °C · 5 authored infusions
No caffeine estimate is authored for this tea. TeaHQ does not infer one from its category, because category predicts caffeine poorly — matcha and gyokuro carry more than many black teas.
If you like this
Grouped by why they were suggested, strongest reason first. Nothing here is a blended score — a suggestion appears under the best reason that exists for it, and never under a weaker one as well.
Editorially linked
Someone wrote down why these two belong together. The note below is theirs.
- Kenyan purple tea
Two purple-leaf teas from different continents and different breeding programmes. Both are cultivar characteristics rather than a category, and neither carries a claim beyond flavour here.
Similar sensory profile
Shares controlled flavour, aroma and mouthfeel descriptors. A looser match — two teas can share descriptors and still taste nothing alike.
- Anamalai tea
Shares 5 descriptors with Zi Juan black tea: fruity, woody, medium, malty and stone fruit.
- Nepal black tea
Shares 5 descriptors with Zi Juan black tea: fruity, woody, medium, drying and stone fruit.
- Assam first flush
Shares 4 descriptors with Zi Juan black tea: woody, medium, drying and malty.
- Darjeeling muscatel
Shares 4 descriptors with Zi Juan black tea: fruity, woody, medium and stone fruit.
- Darjeeling second flush
Shares 4 descriptors with Zi Juan black tea: fruity, woody, medium and stone fruit.
- Kenyan orthodox black tea
Shares 4 descriptors with Zi Juan black tea: fruity, medium, drying and malty.
- Malawi black tea
Shares 4 descriptors with Zi Juan black tea: fruity, medium, drying and malty.