Sleepy Hollow | Black Tea

The fragrances of vanilla and cigars saturate the texture of a gentle fog. The cup recalls cardamom, brown sugar, and nutmeg, yet comes back to the present with a bright, attentive finish. The product of old lands with long memories.

This “Jin Jun Mei” style black tea was produced April 9-11, 2026 by Mr. Li Jilin in Caodun Village, Wuyi City, Fujian Province. It’s a bud only pick of the Mei Zhan cultivar growing at approximately 1,700 feet. The production techniques are incredibly sophisticated for a black tea. The room is heated by burning the charcoal of the pagoda tree (Sophora Japonica) during the withering process. The rolling of the leaves begins on a machine – gently – slowly raising pressure until the inner juices emerge, and then finished by hand. The fermentation takes up to eight hours with oxygen levels artificially increased to facilitate the process. The results justify the efforts. 

For more excellent teas by Mr. Li Jilin check out Jasper, Ruby, and Ancient River.

This tea was previously called Jin Jun Mei.