Xinyang Mao Jian
A Henan green tea of thin, downy, tightly rolled needles from one of China’s most northerly tea regions. The short growing season and cold winters are the traditional explanation for its concentrated, brisk character, which is sharper and more mineral than the softer greens of the south.
Character
Sharper and more mineral than the classic Zhejiang greens, with a chestnut sweetness underneath a briskness that survives slightly careless brewing. The fine downy leaf clouds the liquor, which is normal here rather than a fault.
- Flavour
- Nutty, Vegetal, Mineral
- Aroma
- Fresh
- Mouthfeel
- Medium, Drying, Astringent
- Complexity
- Moderate
- Notes
- fresh chestnut, green bean, mineral, light smoke
- Aftertaste
- Brisk and clean, with a returning sweetness.
Moderate intensity: noticeable weight or grip, but neither dominates the cup.
Provenance and production
- Origin
- China
- Oxidation
- Unoxidised
- Harvest
- First flush
- Processing
- Withering → Kill-green (fixation) → Rolling and shaping
History
Production in Henan lapsed after the Song dynasty and was re-established around 1910 using techniques brought from further south. The province sits at the northern climatic limit of viable cultivation, which is why the industry has been discontinuous.
Brewing
Western brewing (teapot or mug)
1.5–2.5 g/100 ml · 75–85 °C · 1 authored infusion
Grandpa style
0.5–1 g/100 ml · 75–85 °C · 1 authored infusion
Gongfu brewing (gaiwan)
3–4 g/100 ml · 75–85 °C · 4 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.
Common mistakes
- Reading the cloudiness from leaf down as a sign of poor quality
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.
- Jin Shan Cui Ya
Both needle-shaped Chinese greens from areas outside the famous producing provinces. Neither is well known and both are sometimes sold under better-known names.
Similar sensory profile
Shares controlled flavour, aroma and mouthfeel descriptors. A looser match — two teas can share descriptors and still taste nothing alike.
- Duyun Mao Jian
Shares 6 descriptors with Xinyang Mao Jian: vegetal, mineral, nutty, drying, astringent and fresh.
- Vietnamese green tea
Shares 6 descriptors with Xinyang Mao Jian: vegetal, mineral, astringent, drying, medium and fresh.
- Sencha
Shares 5 descriptors with Xinyang Mao Jian: vegetal, medium, drying, astringent and fresh.
- Aracha
Shares 4 descriptors with Xinyang Mao Jian: vegetal, medium, astringent and fresh.
- Bulang sheng pu-erh
Shares 4 descriptors with Xinyang Mao Jian: vegetal, mineral, astringent and fresh.
- Enshi Yu Lu
Shares 4 descriptors with Xinyang Mao Jian: vegetal, nutty, medium and fresh.
- Gunpowder green tea
Shares 4 descriptors with Xinyang Mao Jian: mineral, medium, astringent and drying.