Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: Peony Tea S.
Tea Description:
The White Peony from Fuding is one of the most popular authentic White Tea around with its sweet aftertaste and refreshing taste. Affordably priced, there is no better time to try this remarkable tea.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Up until a couple of years ago, I would have considered myself to be quite a novice when it comes to white teas, having only tried one or two up until that point. Since then, I’ve had the opportunity to try quite a few white teas, but still, I am learning more about it each time I try a new-to-me white tea.
It wasn’t until very recently (within the last year or so?) that I started to notice a distinct difference between Bai Mu Dan teas. Many (if not most) tea companies out there carry a Bai Mu Dan, but even though they have the same name, not all Bai Mu Dan teas are “equal.” And one thing that I’ve learned is that the dry leaf of a Bai Mu Dan will tell you a good deal about the quality of the tea.
For example, the tea leaves here are large and whole. There are varying shades of color to the leaves, starting from a very pale grey-white color, to a pale silvery-green, to a light tan. The leaves feel soft to the touch and are covered in tiny, white hairs (sort of like a fuzzy down). These different qualities tell me a few things: these leaves have been handled with a great deal of care and they are of high quality.
The color of the liquor is a gorgeous color – it’s almost alabaster. Even with as many white teas that I’ve consumed over the past few years, I think only a handful of them (at most) had such a pale color liquor. But that doesn’t mean that it lacks flavor.
The flavor here is delicate, but, it is so lovely. It tastes sweet and clean, reminding me a bit of hay and fresh sweet grass. It has a very smooth texture to it, almost like silk, and the finish is dry with a dry, sweet aftertaste that reminds me of the winter air. That cool, crisp “taste” of the mountain air in the winter … that is the taste that notice in the aftertaste.
It is an extraordinarily soothing tea: calm and serene. Even though I know there is caffeine in this, the delicate, luxurious quality to this tea inspires a sense of relaxation from within.
An excellent White Peony, this!
I’ve definitely noticed that as I try more samples of bai mudan, it can vary hugely both by flavor and appearance.
I also have noticed that in many cases, I prefer darker batches, but that I also tend to prefer batches with more intact, whole leaves.