Bai Mu Dan

Sweet and creamy – buttery and light! Pleasant and thirst quenching. Pure and Crisp. It has a very clean taste and would probably be one of my favorite UNflavored WHITE teas! Nicely done Teas, Etc!!!

I got this as my sample from Teas. etc. when I ordered the assam that was the Select some time ago, and am only just now getting around to trying it. The leaves of this white tea are pretty crispy-crunchy and actually surprisingly green, which is a slight change from the silver needle and the Downy Sprout that I’ve gotten more accustomed to. There are still little white fuzzies, but they aren’t nearly so thick or prevalent here.

It still produces a very good cup of white tea. Not my favorite, but good. Once steeped, the tea feels exceptionally thick and heavy in the mouth. I’m not surprised that this white has a more ‘green’ and vegetal flavor than the other whites I have given the appearance of the leaves; I think it’s from this greenishness that the most notable quality of the tea stems. As I’ve been sipping I’ve been thinking, ‘salty’…but it’s not salty in a way that would compel me to describe the tea overall as salty…it just contains a note that seems to lean in that direction, which surprised me, as anything of the sort is notably absent in my other whites. Curious, I went and looked up their description of the tea, and it seems they’re characterizing this quality as ‘sweet cream butter’, which I think is probably reasonable…butter isn’t necessarily salty, but it does have some traces of that same aspect, and that must be what I’ve found here. The almost viscous heaviness of the tea seems to texturally underline that sweet-cream-butter description.

It’s pretty heavy for a cup of white tea. I don’t know that I would find myself craving this more than the flavor-saturated sweetness of the Downy Sprout I have. I’m glad that I have more sample left though. I think I’ll need to try it again to see whether or not it’ll grow on me or wear me out.

Steep Information:
Amount: 2.9g / ~3 tsp
Water: 500ml 185°F
Tool: Breville One-Touch Tea Maker BTM800XL
Steep Time: 3 minutes
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: floral, vegetal
Steeped Tea Smell: sweet, floral
Flavor: vegetal, floral
Body: Light
Aftertaste: vegetal
Liquor: translucent yellow-green

I think perhaps it needed 4 minutes.

Resteep: 500ml 185°F 4 minutes

Nope 4 was a bit bitter, maybe 3:30

A nice light cup of tea, but more perfume-y than I like.

Rating: 3/4 leaves

Blog: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2011/10/teas-etc-loose-leaf-white-tea-bai-mu.html

I think I’m finally getting back into my tea tasting routine. I’ve missed having a cup multiple times a day. I think I’ll be able to drink more hot tea if I have a fan blowing in my direction! This was the tea I picked for this evening. In the sip, I’m getting vegetables (almost grass), with a bit of that characteristic white tea taste. Overall, it’s quite a light cup. I must admit that I am so disappointed that my cup lacks any of the rich sweet cream or butter it claims to have. The only thing resembling butter is a bit of a salty finish to the sip. It’s smooth, simple and a bit refreshing. I just don’t understand how the description could be so very off — or maybe I did something wrong? Either way, I was a bit disappointed as I was expecting something different.

Followed vendors steeping, but 3 minutes always seems a bit long for a white tea. Leaves are like many other white teas, with their furry edges, but there are also pieces of dried green leaf included. Body is excellent. Initial aroma was surprising, very pleasant, more than vegetal, but I wouldn’t say buttery. However, as the tea cooled, the buttery taste did come through.

I decided to use my gaiwan for this BMD. It was my first time using one for white tea so I was beyond eager. After boiling my water, I set the kettle down to cool a bit before warming up my gaiwan and cups. There was also no need to rinse this tea.

The first brew was a rather short one, at about a minute. In my opinion it was definitely the best infusion. This Peony had a soft vegetal taste and lingering sweetness. The liqour came a pale green, as it should. It was exquisite to say the least.

For every successive infusion I added about a minute to the steeping time and kept the temp at about 190 F. I was able to get 5 successful brews from this white tea before I knew its time was up.

I looking forward to drinking this tea again, and I will be trying different brewing methods to see which is best for me. Highly recommend this tea, in particularly for the price! Great everyday white tea.

I really enjoyed it. I got the buttery green taste that the description hints at. I thought it had a unique flavor that is a little different from other Bai Mu Tan’s, so keep that in mind for what you’re looking to drink.

It struck me as very high quality, with a few of the complex flavors I’d expect from Silver Needles, but yet richer and deeper. It’s not as fruity as other white teas I’ve had — and that can be a good or bad thing, depending on your taste.

Also came with a bit of a punch of caffeine.

This is a lovely tea. The buttery aspect is very much there; there’s a rich, sweet scent that rises from the hot tea and the taste is reminiscent of artichoke hearts dipped in butter, and faintly sweet creamery butter at that. I agree with the reviewer that says there’s something reminiscent of a salty feel hovering around the periphery without anything actually being salty about the taste itself, which is an aspect I particularly like. On the second infusion of this tea I can detect a ghost-like sweetness which is present as the faintest of aftertastes. Drinking this is really a lovely and pleasurable experience.

Has a very grassy/alfalfa smell dry. A lovely, light, vegetal taste. Some astringent bite to it, but I found it lessened as the tea cooled.