This rich and full tea is a perfect introduction for those new into the world of white tea. It will certainly satisfy also long time fans looking for rich, rather than delicate, white tea.
The freshness of vegetation and cut hay harmonize well with the gentle notes of baked yeasty bread and the delicate fruity touch. The faint fruity tinge might remind you of juicy white grapes and of the smell of ripe apricots.
Shou Mei is a tea with depth. A white tea that sheds the typical delicate persona that many of them have for richer flavor profile.
For best results in gongfu cha, brew in the traditional gaiwan.
Among the six tea classes, white tea is the easiest to described, but not the least difficult to produce. The fresh leaves are withered outdoor in the shadow and indoor in rooms with good air circulation. The leaves usually air-dry naturally, although sometimes baking is required to completely remove the moisture. Especially in the Yunnan province, some white teas are sun-dried instead.
Green tea is different than white tea. Green tea is scalded right after the harvest to prevent oxidation. White tea oxidizes during withering and is not heat-treated to stop oxidation. The different processing of white tea results in a delicate liquor, with none of the astringency and grassy undertones typical of green tea.
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