What White Are You Drinking

[Ethan Kurland]

SILVER TIPS: Organic leaf-buds from me via Nepal: Beautiful, narrow, straight tea from light to medium dark green provide a subtle, delicate drink that is light in the mouth & builds flavor in aftertaste. Many drinkers enjoy pleasant cha-qi in the head quickly into the first round & this feeling as well as the aftertaste lingers. Quick steeping provides enough flavor to satisfy; while much longer steeping produces a deeper green taste that is uniquely non-vegetal but approaches that sort of strength. Especially good for drinking in quantity at one session or in having more than one session during a single day.

[hopeofdawn]

Finished up a Moonlight white tea from Qi's Fine Teas in Portland--very delicate and lovely flavor, lasting through at least 6-7 steeps. Stored in the freezer per the vendor's recommendation--she said while the tea would age well, if I wanted to keep the fresher fruit and melon notes in the tea, that was the best way to do it. So I carved out a space in my freezer for a dedicated tupperware container for such teas--so far it seems to be working.

[Victoria]

Finished up a Moonlight white tea from Qi's Fine Teas in Portland--very delicate and lovely flavor, lasting through at least 6-7 steeps. Stored in the freezer per the vendor's recommendation--she said while the tea would age well, if I wanted to keep the fresher fruit and melon notes in the tea, that was the best way to do it. So I carved out a space in my freezer for a dedicated tupperware container for such teas--so far it seems to be working.

Is that Moonlight a white Darjeeling? Also, regarding freezing, are you just scooping out loose frozen leaves from a lidded container and putting container quickly back into freezer, like one might do with coffee? I wonder how the frozen leaves taste and steep differently, would be interesting to reserve a few leaves at room temperature to do a side by side.

[hopeofdawn]

Finished up a Moonlight white tea from Qi's Fine Teas in Portland--very delicate and lovely flavor, lasting through at least 6-7 steeps. Stored in the freezer per the vendor's recommendation--she said while the tea would age well, if I wanted to keep the fresher fruit and melon notes in the tea, that was the best way to do it. So I carved out a space in my freezer for a dedicated tupperware container for such teas--so far it seems to be working.

Is that Moonlight a white Darjeeling? Also, regarding freezing, are you just scooping out loose frozen leaves from a lidded container and putting container quickly back into freezer, like one might do with coffee? I wonder how the frozen leaves taste and steep differently, would be interesting to reserve a few leaves at room temperature to do a side by side.

Sorry for taking a while to reply--still getting back into the habit of checking the forums regularly! No, the Moonlight white is a Chinese tea from Xishuangbanna. They list it as a 'raw puerh', though I think that may just be marketing. Here's the full listing for it: https://qifineteas.com/collections/tea/ ... w-puer-50g

As for the freezing part--when they told me about their storage recommendation, I was a bit dubious, because of what I'd read here and elsewhere, that freezing would attract condensation into the tea whenever the package was opened. Which led to a very long discussion with the proprietor's husband, a biochemist and former executive chef (a really interesting guy who is VERY enthusiastic about tea). His take was that unlike coffee, where the outside of the bean could thaw but the interior still remain frozen, and pull in extra water as a result when it was refrozen, tea leaves are not as thick and therefore any condensation from pulling out the package for a short time would be minimal, sit on the surface of the leaf, and not affect the taste of the brew.

Right now I have the tea in the zip-sealed mylar bag it came in, inside a large flat tupperware container in the freezer, and only pull it out long enough to scoop out frozen leaves into the pot before I put it back. I generally don't wait for the leaves to thaw--I just dump near-boiling water right over the top, and it doesn't seem to degrade the taste or the aroma. It would be interesting to do a side by side though!

They also did mention I could keep this at room temperature for aging, and it would start to taste more like a typical aged white. But then I would lose those lovely fresh melon notes, which I really like, and was one of the reasons I bought the tea.

[debunix]

Fuding Bai Mu Dan from Yunnan Sourcing, floral, fruity (peachy), delicious.

[d.manuk]

I'm drinking the 2019 Bai Mu Dan from Wuyi Origin.

Straw, floral, pollen.

[DailyTX]

Hi White Tea drinkers,

I took a leap from the pu erh thread and landed here haha. I wonder if anyone know US vendors who sell good shou mei, gon mei, or bai mudan?

Thanks

Dailytx

[d.manuk]

I’m almost through my bag of Mu Dan Wang King of Bai Mu Dan 2015 from Wuyi Origins. This is the best white tea I’ve had in years, I’d have a hard time telling this apart in a blind tasting vs a silver needle I think (this is all bud pickings).

Very sweet and satisfying

[Leafhopper]

Hi White Tea drinkers,

I took a leap from the pu erh thread and landed here haha. I wonder if anyone know US vendors who sell good shou mei, gon mei, or bai mudan?

Thanks

Dailytx

Have you tried Seven Cups? I tried some shou mei from them few years ago, and it's to date one of my most memorable white teas I've had (mostly a sheng drinker though.) Not sure if it's still as good. I have also had bai mu dan from them. It was a good daily drinker!

Today I'm drinking a 2017 W2T Turtle Dove. Aged pretty well so far! I like that it's very compressed; super justifiable to store and age.

[Victoria]

Enjoying Thunderbolt Tea’s 2019 Margaret’s Hope Moonlight, 1st Flush White SFTGFOP1. Even though this is last years first flush, it may even be bolder and richer now due to slight oxidation occurring in the closed aluminum pack. It is delicate and malty with notes of fruit and young flowers. Viscous as well, with that je nes e qua Darjeeling first flush white profile. I hopefully will be able to buy this white silver tip again next year. This year it was unfortunately unavailable, as were many other first flush Darjeeling teas, due to Covid19 interruptions in harvesting. Steeped at 5g/ 170ml/ 183f/ 4min. in a thin and very dense wood fired Konishi Yohei 180ml kyusu.

[DailyTX]

Hi White Tea drinkers,

I took a leap from the pu erh thread and landed here haha. I wonder if anyone know US vendors who sell good shou mei, gon mei, or bai mudan?

Thanks

Dailytx

Have you tried Seven Cups? I tried some shou mei from them few years ago, and it's to date one of my most memorable white teas I've had (mostly a sheng drinker though.) Not sure if it's still as good. I have also had bai mu dan from them. It was a good daily drinker!

Today I'm drinking a 2017 W2T Turtle Dove. Aged pretty well so far! I like that it's very compressed; super justifiable to store and age.

@Leafhopper
I have no experience purchasing from Seven Cup. I am also mostly pu erh drinker, once a while I would brew some yan cha. Lately I have been learning about aged white tea. I’ll take a look at Seven Cup. Thanks

[faj]

I am having Yuuki-Cha's Japanese white tea this morning. Steeped 4g in about 120ml of water, 75C/25s, 30s, 50s, 65s, then 80C/80s, 80C/120s. When dry, the leaves barely fit in the 140ml Shigaraki teapot I used.

This tea has leaves that look like they have not been physically processed much if at all. The leaves absorb very little water during infusion. Despite this being a Japanese tea, there is a strong and direct resemblance to the Baihao Yinzhen I had in the (not recent) past, with flowery aromas plus something that reminds me of white wine. It has that delicate-but-powerful profile I remember, with a slow attack that develops and persists. Quite pleasant actually. The tea feels multi-faceted, with nice viscosity, just the right hint of acidity. Good synergy with the teapot I would say. Surprising stamina, with even the 5th steeping being lively.

I do not remember liking the Baihao Yinzhen I had in the past all that much, at least not enough to make it a regular purchase. It has been a long time since I had some (before I joined the forum), and I have improved my steeping technique and teaware since then. This tea leaves me with a better impression. Though a close relative, it seems more balanced, with the flowery notes being better integrated in the whole. Not a tea I would have daily, but for sure a nice tea for a quiet Sunday morning session.

[Victoria]

A friend kindly shared with me this a few of this years Thunderbolt Tea’s 1st flush Darjeeling. Today I enjoyed Arya Pearl a white that is the highest quality organic graded at SFTGFOP1. Wet leaf aroma of sweet peas and asparagus. Liquor has elegant, light vegetal, baked bread notes. Reminds me of a high quality LongJing layered with that special Darjeeling White profile that I have a hard time describing. Steeped close to vendor rec. 5g/180ml/180f/5.30min in Yohei Konishi 190ml kyusu.

[klepto]

2012 Cumulus Shou Mei, gong fu style brewed at 205F:

Aged white teas are very durable much like puerh. I around my 7th steeping the qi was hitting the top of my head and my face.
I felt very relaxed and my eyelids were heavy. So relaxed that I was refilling my electric kettle and I poured too much water in.
The liquor was thick and coating. The flavors were like floral, light honey with a walnut nuttiness that had me scratching my head.
There was not a ton of complexity but it was very refreshing and tasty.

I had read something interesting about the characteristics of a fine tea. I can paste if any are interested, but it talked about a tea
that slides down your throat without you having to force it down. Check.. If there is a bite after swallowing the tea then it is low quality..
I tried just opening my throat and before I could think to swallow it was already down..
There were other characteristics like coating the throat and a relaxing qi.. check check..

All in all, very enjoyable.. I have some 2016 Peony King White Tea that I will try tomorrow.

[joelbct]

Had Vahdam's 'Darjeeling Pearl' today.

I've had some spectacular Darjeeling First Flush White's from Vahdam before, incl that Arya Pearl, which I thought perhaps this would be, but this particular batch was unspectacular. Not bad, just, for the price I was hoping for better. I picked 6 Darjeelings on this order that arrived today, I'm sure some of the others will be make up for it. That's always the necessary gamble with Darjeeling, it seems.