It was a perfect time to drink a special tea as I just caught time and beautiful view at sunset.
I had white tea which I received as part of a sample set. It turned out to be shou mei, the lowest grade of white tea from Fuding in Fujian. I could also see some broken leaves, which did put me off a bit. But then the taste was so fresh and delicate. I forgave them. The taste is characteristically mineral and crisp with subtle sweetness and floral notes. I am feeling more confident now about white teas, and this one was shouting fuding to me. I was not sure of the grade, the seller confirmed that it was shou mei. I checked the prices of this tea, and it was very affordable. I think it is excellent to afford such fresh white tea at a reasonable price. Silver needle from the same harvest and area would perhaps cost 10 times more, and this tea still carries the freshness of pure buds.
These days my love for white tea is at the top. So much so that I cannot stop drinking anything else and survive with aged and fresh whites. The variety does not seem to be that rich but actually, especially with old whites and different regions trying different recipes. Even, little twists to processing white tea (like sun drying or shade withering) have a tremendous effect on the flavours and fragrances. Therefore, I do not think I’d be bored at all by just drinking white.
Tea profile:
Type: White
Origin: Fuding, Fujian Harvest time: 2020
Leaf colour: Tones of green and brown with some visible fuzz Liquor colour: Yellow
Tea Aroma: Floral
Tea Taste: Slighlty sweet, crisp with minerality and florality
Steeping: Place about 4 g of this tea in a gaiwan or teapot and add hot water around 95°C. After rinsing the leaves, you can steep for 10 seconds and add 10 second to each consecutive steeping. You can re-steep this tea multiple times.
Shelf life: Can be aged
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