Old-Growth-Wild White Teas - Shou Mei (2022 Harvested)

This Shou Mei white tea is harvested in May 2022 in Bai Ma Gang tea garden. Shou Mei, also known as Longevity Eyebrow, is made from the latest harvest during the spring season, which contributes to its unique characteristics.  The leaves are larger and thicker compared to other white teas like Silver Needle or White Peony. After harvesting, the open leaves are naturally sun-dried, resulting in a mix of brown and deep green colour with rustic appearance.

AGING AND FLAVOUR DEVELOPMENT:

This Shou Mei has been compressed into a 100gcake shape and aged for 2 years in London. The aging process has allowedto develop a deepyellow infusion with astronger sweetness compared to fresh tea, butwithout loosing too much fresh characters.  The slight matured flavours offers a well-balanced and rich taste profile.   Just like our other White teas, the Shou Mei can continue to age, further enhancing itsflavours and complexity over time.  It would be better to keep the whole cake if you wish to age.  

TASTING NOTES

Dryleaves aroma: dry wood, or dry mountain forest earth floor.  Wet leaves aroma: natural fruity sweetness. Palate: Bright, lively and sweet.  Deep, rich infusion withsuper smooth and round mouthfeel. Light sweet aftertaste.  

TEA ORIGIN

Bai Ma Gang, Fuding County, Fujian Province, China

TEA GARDEN AND TEA BUSHES

Camellia Sinensis Sinenesis, Da Bai cultivar, average tea bushes age is 60 years.

Like our other white teas, these three white teas are also produced by Master Ye Fang Yang, one of China’s foremost experts in white tea production. Master Ye has always believed in organic farming method, and he believes that white tea should reflect the local terroir and ecosystem on which it is grown but also the purities of tea. Apart from managing his existing organic tea gardens, in the past decade, Master Ye has also been interested in searching deserted tea gardens and wild tea trees in the local mountain regions. The mountain of Bai Ma Gang was his latest finding in 2014, a large, deserted tea garden with many wild-grown tea bushes located in the centre of the Bai Ma Gang area. Since then, Master Ye has been taken over of the area and cleared out the weeds and bushes, but without interfering the wild tea bushes.

When Juyan was first introduced the teas from this tea garden, she loved each grade. They are all phenomenally delicious with various notes of hay, stone fruit, forest characters and wild roots. Instead of only choosing one tea, Juyan bought the top three grades to show how a white tea could develop such individual character with the different harvesting time - check out the Old-Growth-Wild Silver Needleand Old-Growth-Wild White Peony (1st Grade). They are wonderful teas for brewing in a big cup or gong fu brewing and enjoy them anytime in the day.