I've been debating how to feel about this tea for a while because I bought several ounces of this tea and the non-competition grade Honey Jin Jun Mei at the same time a month and a half ago.
Do I love it? Absolutely, the taste is comparable but there is slightly more depth to the competition grade. I think that I'm more sensitive to the tannic qualities of these teas and use a yixing tea pot but aside from that I appreciate that these teas are very flavorful and rich. But I think what makes this tea so special compared to the "regular" Honey Jin Jun Mei is that it's a very early harvest, you can see all the fuzzy trichromes on the buds and in the brew.
Which means this tea is chock full of caffeine, if I drink this tea I am able to go long stretches without sleeping, and I'm happy to reach for it when I need to. It was drinking this tea that I learned to better respect that different teas have a time and a place to be consumed. While I think this tea will keep you stimulated, awake, and focused almost like coffee would, it doesn't come with the horrible crash. I think on a tea like this I could put my body through whatever cruelty and agony this world would have to offer and brush it off like it was nothing, I struggle to find the words to describe it but time and time again this tea helps me push through the impossible.
I think people sensitive to caffeine shouldn't drink this, but this is also the best coffee analogue for anyone switching over to tea. You obviously should sleep too, but wow this was the first tea I had that made me feel "tea is drugs", it's more than just taste and texture. It's the psychological state you can experience, how happy or meditative you can feel in the minutes after consumption. There are teas for feeling calm, and there are teas like this that honestly I could recommend to friends struggling with the Adderall shortage.
