Huang Jin Gui
Huang Jin Gui (golden osmanthus) is one of the four famous Anxi cultivars, alongside Tieguanyin, Ben Shan and Mao Xie, and the earliest to bud each spring. It is jade-rolled and lightly oxidized like its Anxi siblings, but its signature is a distinctively high, bright, osmanthus-like floral aroma that lifts out of the cup; that aromatic intensity is the whole point, and freshness preserves it.
Tightly rolled, jade-green balls that open into whole, supple leaves, with a striking high floral aroma even from the dry leaf. The cup should be bright, lively and fragrant, leaning floral and light rather than full and creamy, with a clean sweet finish. Body is naturally lighter than Tieguanyin, so judge it on aromatic clarity and lift, not weight. Dull, flat or stale-smelling leaf has lost the very thing that defines the cultivar.
Huang jin gui is an Anxi county cultivar from southern Fujian, made in the same rolled, lightly oxidized qingxiang style as the other famous Anxi oolongs. It is prized as an early-budding cultivar, often among the first oolongs picked each spring, and for its pronounced osmanthus-like fragrance, which is a cultivar trait rather than any added scent. Like ben shan and mao xie, it is generally more affordable than top Tieguanyin and is sometimes blended with or sold near it.
Gongfu: 5-7 g per 100 ml in a porcelain gaiwan, 90-95°C, first steep 30-40 seconds, ascending; the rolled balls open by the second steep. 6-8 infusions. Keep the water down to protect the high florals. Western: 3 g per 200 ml, 90-95°C, 2-3 minutes.
Huang jin gui runs €12-30 (about $13-32) per 100 g for everyday material, with better named-source lots up to €30-50 (about $32-54) per 100 g.
Prices reviewed June 2026
Tie Guan Yin (Iron Goddess)
The fuller, creamier, more orchid-refined Anxi flagship; huang jin gui trades that body for a higher, sharper floral lift.
Ben Shan
Another of the four famous Anxi cultivars, fruitier and rounder where huang jin gui is bright and high-pitched.
Mao Xie (Hairy Crab)
The fourth famous Anxi cultivar, lighter and more vegetal; comparing the trio shows how much of each tea is cultivar rather than processing.
Its osmanthus-like fragrance gives huang jin gui (golden osmanthus) its name, but there is no actual osmanthus involved: the aroma is entirely a property of the cultivar, which growers also value for budding early and extending the picking season.