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“Many thanks to Pekko Teas to their very generously sized sample and offer!* It’s been awhile since I’ve had Bai Mu Dan/White Peony straight, back when I was exploring as many different grades and...” Read full tasting note
Country of Origin: China
Region: Fujian Province
Grade: Pai Mu Tan Grade #1 (a.k.a. White Peony)
Altitude: 2000 – 4000 ft above sea level
Manufacture Type: White Tea – naturally withered
Cup Characteristics: Clear slightly pale cup with a fresh aroma and a smooth velvety flavor. Delicate jammy notes
reminiscent of Keemun or a mild Bordeaux
Infusion: Pale yellow
Ingredients: Luxury white tea
This is the highest grade of white tea available before one enters the stratosphere in pricing for white teas such as Peony White Needle
Tea. Pai Mu Tan leaves are plucked from a special varietal tea bush called Narcissus or chaicha bushes. Secondly the leaves are not
steamed or pan-fired (the process used in green teas). The leaves are naturally withered and dried in the sun. If mechanical drying is
required it is a baking process at temperatures less that 40˚C. Thirdly only special ‘two leaves and a bud’ are selected. These leaves must
show a very light green almost gray white color and be covered with velvet peach fuzz down. White teas that are withered in conditions
that are too hot with become reddish and in conditions that are too cold they will become blackish. You will see on this Pai Mu Tan that
the tea maker struck the perfect balance between solar and indoor withering resulting in a perfect white tea.
Company description not available.
Many thanks to Pekko Teas to their very generously sized sample and offer!* It’s been awhile since I’ve had Bai Mu Dan/White Peony straight, back when I was exploring as many different grades and varieties of white tea mostly from Upton. It’s not something I would have picked out for myself now, but I’m glad for the opportunity all the same. I am always struck by the diversity of color, size and full/brokeness of the leaf. There are a few vibrant unfurled green leaves, many silver buds and lots of brown, olive and grey withered chopped up leaves.
I find White Peony to be both ugly and beautiful and am admittedly spoiled by whole leaf tea most of the time. This being said I do enjoy the herbaceous and woody personality Bai Mu Dan has compared to delicate Silver Needle. They remind me a bit of Darjeeling (and that’s the exact same reaction my friend had with this, her first White Peony) which also has a wonderful mix of color, but I find the company’s comparison to Keemun interesting, I’ve only had one unblended Keemun before so I can’t really speak to that, but I do get jammy.
I’m going to hold off on rating this one until I’ve had it a second time. I just guess I have a hard time seeing peony as a “luxury” tea and have a hard time justifying the price. but I don’t want to give it a low rating based on my bias. Still nice tea all the same!
