Gold Needle (Mi Xiang Jin Zhen) Dian Hong Red Tea 2026, 25g | Lincang, Yunnan

Gold Needle (蜜香金针, Mi Xiang Jin Zhen, "honey-fragrant golden needles") is a premium Yunnan red tea (known in the West as black tea) made entirely from golden tips. The name says it plainly: slender buds that turn bright gold once processed, carrying a natural honey fragrance. Grown in Lincang, one of Yunnan's three great tea regions and the heartland of Dian Hong red tea, this is the fresh 2026 harvest, offered loose in 25 g packs.

A bud-only red tea is smooth and naturally sweet, with none of the briskness of leafier black teas. True to its name, the lead note is honey, over the soft malty-sweet warmth typical of a good Dian Hong. The all-tip material gives a refined, gentle cup rather than a strong, tannic one.

The liquor pours a clear, bright amber to reddish-gold, smooth and rounded on the palate with a clear honeyed sweetness. It steeps well across several infusions, staying mellow and sweet without turning sharp, and is forgiving whether brewed gongfu style or in a Western pot.

A smooth, honey-sweet and approachable red tea that drinks beautifully on its own, no milk or sugar needed. An easy everyday cup with a touch of refinement thanks to its all-golden-tip composition, and a fine introduction to high-quality Yunnan Dian Hong.

Tea profile

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