This tea comes from the Nanping City which lies in the north of Fujian Province in the west of Ningde. The look of the dry leave did not look particularly appetising. Still, the fact that they were all green indicates that they were either fried or dried under shade rather than the sun.
Despite its Shou Mei and the number of buds it contains is not a lot, this tea offered a vibrant minerality. Much more than expected. I would have thought that it was white peony or even silver needle if I did not see the leaves.
The deep flavours (as far as white tea is concerned) in the taste is because this was a spring tea and it was plucked in April. Also, I think this tea has the highest levels of stems I have ever seen in a white tea. Maybe this had influence in the tasting profile, which was much less floral compared to higher grades of white tea produced in the same region.
Overall, a pleasant tea to drink in the summer, and it is definitely more cost-effective than other whites.
So, not overly sweet white tea but it was still rich in terms of the aromas and tastes. I reckon it would be even more impressive in several years if aged appropriately. For me, it felt more comforting than silver needle tea, perhaps this is because it is more affordable, and its taste is quite amenable. I can drink this tea every day, this is the bottom line I think.
Tea Profile:
Type: White
Origin: Nanping, Fujian
Harvest time: April 2020
Leave colour: Vivid green with some visible silver fuzz
Liquor colour: Yellow
Tea aroma: Floral
Tea taste: Mineral with some floral undernotes
Steeping/brewing: Place 6 g of this tea in a 100 ml gaiwan and pour water at 90°C. Rinse the first steeping after three seconds. Infuse the leaves for 10 sec for the second steeping and add 5 sec to each consecutive steeping.
Shelf life: Can be aged.