A special combination of Honey Black approach on Jin Xuan Oolong reveals uncommon tea notes of honey and milk. This pairs beautifully with the woody-floral flavours and a sweet aftertaste.

Jin Xuan, also known as Nai Xiang [milky fragrance] actually just hints of milk and a buttery mouthfeel. It is a hybrid varietal developed in Taiwan in 1980, registered as Tai Cha #12, that has 20% higher yield than traditional varietals. 

The story of Honey Black, also known as Mi Xiang [honey fragrance], links to a 1999 earthquake in Nantou [Taiwan], when farms were unattended to and allowing one of the pests, tea jassids, to thrive. Rather than to waste the harvest, most of the bug-bitten tea were pushed to the market, which was so successful that it spawned other types of Honey Black. One type of Mi Xiang was recently auctioned off at a record high price of USD56 per gram, testament to its popularity.

The tea plant releases aromas that attracts spiders when bitten, & these prey on the jassids [leafhoppers]. This honey-like aroma is what sets Honey Black apart. The unpredictability of the jassids makes it difficult to use this approach, thus supply remains relatively limited.