Jingmai Autumn Shengtai sheng 2017

Jingmai Shengtai • 2017 Autumn – Fragrant, long-lasting, elegantly slender sheng

The tea is sourced from the natural tea gardens on the top of Jingmai Mountain; the picking was in the early to mid-autumn of 2017 (early September to mid-October). The processing is done manually, and the tea is pressed into a 357g disc. (Source: Farmerleaf – Autumn 2017 Jingmai Shengtai)

– Natural tea garden (shengtai), top of Jingmai Mountain • 2017. 09. – mid-10. • manual processing • 357 g disc

Autumn in Jingmai often produces more yellow flakes , so the makers have chosen a higher picking standard (1 bud / 2 leaves, sometimes 1 bud / 3-4 leaves) to obtain a cleaner raw material that requires little sorting. In autumn, 1 kg of selected maocha is typically made from 7 kg of fresh leaves (in spring it is about 5:1), so the selected raw material is also a production technological advantage.

Autumn teas can naturally be “redder” due to thicker stems ( sha qing wok heat treatment has a harder time penetrating the tissues); for this batch, the processing was fine-tuned accordingly to preserve the clean aroma and elegant sip.

Taste and aroma in the cup

• Scent: lively, clean, floral-sweet Jingmai volatiles, long-lasting cloud of fragrance.
• Sip: slimmer body, but silky flow; good staying power over many pours.
• Taste: sweet at the beginning, later slightly lively acid-bitter, which keeps the profile clean.
• Finish: long, fragrant, with a gradual sweetening ( huigan ), clear aftertaste.

Overall: the autumn Shengtai is slimmer than its spring counterpart, but it makes up for it in aroma; due to the 2017 weather, the astringency is a little more pronounced, but it is still a friendly drink and a particularly good "daily tea". It also matures nicely in the long term.

Processing and picking standards – why is it important?

• There are more yellow flakes in the fall season, so a higher picking standard (1 bud/2 leaves) helps to provide cleaner raw materials and reduce the need for subsequent sorting.
• The yield is lower at this time (about 7:1 fresh leaf: maocha ), resulting in a more concentrated, "pure" brewed tea.
• Due to the thicker stems, the slightly redder leaf color is natural – keeping this under control requires professional wok care.

Preparation suggestions

Gongfu (Asian style): 5–6 g / 100 ml, 92–95 °C. Short wake-up rinse optional. 1st–2nd pour: 8–12 sec, then 15–25 sec; later +10–15 sec / pour. Expect 10+ pours.

Western style: 3 g / 250 ml, 92–95 °C, 2–3 minutes. The same leaf can be infused 2–3 times.

Who do we recommend it to?

For those who love the clean, fragrance-driven Jingmai character and appreciate the airier, more elegant body of the autumn harvest – both for everyday consumption and for quiet, long tea drinking.