This was another of my recent white tea sipdowns. I think I finished this one around the start of last week. On a related note, I am finally getting into white teas. They do not seem to get a ton of love here on Steepster, so expect more white tea reviews from me in the future. Even though I have had Bai Mudans that have looked better, this one produced an absolutely fantastic gongfu session.
Clearly, I prepared this tea gongfu style. After a quick rinse, I steeped 6 grams of loose leaf and bud material in 4 ounces of 194 F water for 5 seconds. This infusion was followed by 17 additional infusions. Steep times for these infusions were as follows: 7 seconds, 9 seconds, 12 seconds, 16 seconds, 20 seconds, 25 seconds, 30 seconds, 40 seconds, 50 seconds, 1 minute, 1 minute 15 seconds, 1 minute 30 seconds, 2 minutes, 3 minutes, 5 minutes, 7 minutes, and 10 minutes.
Prior to the rinse, the dry leaf and bud blend produced aromas of cedar, pine, cinnamon, hay, and smoke. I also noted a very subtle honey presence. After the rinse, I noted new aromas of roasted peanut, malt, and straw. The first infusion brought out a hint of lemon on the nose. In the mouth, the tea liquor presented delicate flavors of cinnamon, hay, smoke, straw, lemon, honey, and malt that were underpinned by even subtler notes of pine, roasted peanut, and cedar. The following infusions saw a stronger lemon presence emerge on the nose alongside subtle scents of cucumber, zucchini, and lettuce. Stronger lemon and cedar notes made themselves known in the mouth alongside new mineral, zucchini, cream, butter, lettuce, and cucumber notes. There were also some fleeting hints of asparagus, pear, and vanilla that occasionally showed themselves. The final few infusions emphasized lingering notes of cream, lemon, malt and minerals that were backed by impressions of straw, hay, cucumber, zucchini, pear, and vanilla.
Quite honestly, this was one of the most aromatic and flavorful teas of this type I have ever tried. It also displayed wonderful body and texture in the mouth. Unlike many classic white teas, it came off as lively, playful, and engaging as opposed to restrained and fragile. If you are not sold on traditional Chinese white teas and do not feel they have much to offer, seek out this tea. It will very likely change your mind.
Flavors: Asparagus, Butter, Cedar, Cinnamon, Cream, Cucumber, Hay, Honey, Lemon, Lettuce, Malt, Mineral, Peanut, Pear, Pine, Smoke, Straw, Vanilla, Zucchini
