White tea varieties excite me because I had no idea white tea could be so diverse. So far, I reviewed a few silver needles (only buds), some white peonies (bud and the first leave), certainly several shou meis (only leaves, no buds). This is a gong mei, it takes a position between white peony and shou mei. It is different from shou mei because it contains buds as they are visible on the photo. Gongmei differs from white peony since it is made from Qingzhong variety rather than Dabaicha or Shuixian, which is the case for white peony.
This tea comes from Chengyuan town in Zhenghe, Fujian with an elevation of 1000 meters. The temperature difference between the day and night is massive, and the humidity is stable. All of these make a perfect tea-growing environment, not only for white teas but also for green and black teas.
This tea is from the early days of April 2020. It was slightly sweet, floral, mineral with a little citrus kick. Delicious. I’d drink this every day (I know I say this for many teas that I like).
Tea Profile:
Type: White
Origin: Zhengde, Fujian
Harvest time: April 2020
Leave colour: Bright green leaves and buds with some visible fuzz
Liquor colour: Champagne yellow
Tea aroma: Floral
Tea taste: Delicate with mineral and floral notes with a citrus kick
Steeping/brewing: Place 6 g of tea leaves in a gaiwan and add water at about 95°C. Steep for 20 seconds. To each consecutive steeping add 5 seconds. You can steep up to 6-7 times.
Shelf life: Can be aged.