An aged tea composed entirely of pure white loose-leaf buds. This aged white tea has been plucked, withered, pan fried and sun dried creating a more obvious and assertive flavour than conventional white teas.
Please be aware that whilst this tea resembles a recognisable white tea, Bai Hao Yin Zhen (Silver needles) from the Fujian province, the processing methods are very different. White teas are simply picked and dried whereas this aged tea has undergone sheng processing and fermentation through a sun drying process.
White aged tea only appeared in marketable quantities around 2000. This is a great choice for new and seasoned dark tea and pu er drinkers.
Origin: Lin Cang, Yunnan province, China
Flavour profile: Exotic | Sweet | Floral
Harvest: Spring 2014
Processing: Only the best buds are selected for processing and mild fermentation, before sorting a second time. The tea is then withered, pan fired and sun dried resulting in a flavour profile that is different and more assertive than conventional white tea.
White bud aged tea is hand-harvested from tea plants grown in Yong De county of Lincang Prefecture, near China’s border with Myanmar.
The Bai Ying mountain range in the Lin Cang area of Yunnan province is renowned for its diversity of wild, transitional, and cultivated tea plants.
The Lan Cang (Mekong) river runs through the Bai Ying mountain into a deep canyon. This supports a favourable terroir for tea cultivation with plenty of sun, cloud cover, fertile soil, and a temperate climate.
Elevation: 1400m
White bud aged tea is generous, full and complex. It has delicate malt flavours and lingering orchid tail notes with subtle bamboo and mineral notes, typical of a young Sheng.
White bud aged tea pairs well with poultry and salty foods. This aged tea will also pair with mild and plain flavoured sweets. Try white bud aged tea at the conclusion of a very rich or heavy meal or with some shortbread.
Leaf appearance: Uniform silver plump needle-like downy buds
Aroma: A delicately sweet aroma reminiscent of freshly dried straw and subtle fruit notes
Liquor colour: Honeyed yellow with a pale-green