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“Ok, so yesterday I was sipping the organic silver needle and loving it, but I thought to myself, I’m not sure I can tell the difference between it and the white peony. I didn’t want to do a side by...” Read full tasting note
“I found another sample packet of this from Teavivre and chucked the whole thing in to steep since my daughter visited tonight and wanted to have tea together. This was refreshing and lovely. The...” Read full tasting note
“Thankyou to Angel and TEAVIVRE for this wonderful sample! Dry smell: tastes like sweet hay and fresh grass Taste: I still taste the hay a little bit but there is certainly floral and sweet notes...” Read full tasting note
“This will be a sipdown when I return from Europe, as I have one sample pack left. At first I thought I wasn’t really going to be into this tea this afternoon. By smell it was very hayish and a bit...” Read full tasting note
Origin: Fuding, Fujian, China
Ingredients: Tea buds covered in white hairs, with one or two new leaves
Taste: A delicate, slightly flowery, sweet, lingering taste
Brew: 2-3 teaspoons for 8oz of water. Brew at 194 ºF (90 ºC) for 1 to 2 minutes (exact time depends on your taste – a longer time will give the tea a stronger taste and color)
Health Benefits: Just like Silver Needle white tea, White Peony tea undergoes minimal processing and so it retains all the antioxidants, vitamins and minerals that all white teas are renowned for.
Company description not available.
A lot of ideas got exchanged yesterday, and so in the spirit of an open mind, today I am steeping this in the shortest possible intervals. I have to confess, I was highly skeptical this would produce anything other than weak tea.
The first steep (about 5 seconds) had a bit more of a green, vegetal flavor than I’ve gotten from peony in the past. Less of the dry hay.
The second steep (also about 5 seconds) is much darker in color, since the leaves are more hydrated. The green has passed now, and this cup is all warm sun and dry hay. Always amazing to me how a tea can taste like something “dry” while having no astringency to it whatsoever.
Ugh, such a stressful day at work…so glad that it’s over…
Anyway, back to the tea, I needed something without too much caffeine, and I have quite a bit of this still sitting around, so why not? I filled up my tea ball a bit more than half way, and let it steep for 45 seconds in 175 degree water. The tea had a wonderful calming flowery aroma, which was just what I needed to unwind. The taste was reminiscent of smooth and delicate flowers, also great for unwinding, and the aftertaste lingered pleasantly on the roof of my mouth for about 40 seconds.
Also, the music I was listening to was a little piece by David Popper I heard on the radio while driving home. It’s called Gnomentanz, or Dance of the Gnomes in English.
Thanks for the music! Haven’t heard it in some time!
Love all of your music recommendations, by the way!
Thanks! I find that nice classical music mixes nicely with drinking tea. It’s just a great way to unwind after a long day. As for today, I was listening to Dvorak’s 9th, as conducted by Gustavo Dudamel:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eo1KHr-b-CA
Honestly, half the fun of this video is watching Dudamel really get into the music. If only the sound quality was a bit better, then it would be perfect…
This one was included as a free sample with my Teavivre order and it’s been poking about on a shelf ever since I found out what sort of tea it was. I’m not really the keenest white tea drinker in the world, to be entirely honest. I tend to get along with added flavour better than without.
The funny thing is that not that many years ago, so recent in fact that it’s documented here on Steepster, I thought BMD was the bestest thing ever. Ever! And then… I just kinda fell out of love with it without even realising it. I even went so far as to toss almost an entire tin of it the other day when I realised that I hadn’t even touched it in years, and that it was so old by now that I wouldn’t even be able to make myself give it away.
Honestly? I felt better for having just taken that particular bull by the horns and cleared out something that would otherwise just have stood there for ever. I even managed to use that same momentum to toss a couple of other things in that same sort of category. One of these days I really have to go through the tea corner and make some tough decisions on what is likely to get used up and what is likely to simply gather dust. I have to say it’s not a job I’m looking forward to, even though I know I’ll feel good about having done it afterwards.
Now, back to this tea. I debated with myself for a bit about whether to brew it western style or whether to attempt to semi-gong-fu it, but eventually decided on western style. As I discussed previously, I often feel that western style gives me a better, deeper sort of idea of the flavour profile at hand, not to mention the fact that drinking seven cups of a tea I felt a little dubious about from the beginning didn’t really sound super appealing.
I patted myself on the back when I saw that the brewing guidelines from Teavivre are actually for a western style cup.
When I opened the little envelope, I was struck by how brightly light green the leaves were. Green tea is usually bright green as well, but this was even brighter, and it was the same thing when they were wet after steeping and a few of them landed in the strainer. I recall a much more sort of brownish and greyish sort of green.
They had a vegetal aroma, rather spicy like Darjeelings and for some reason reminded me or pea pods, in spite of the fact that they smelled nothing like any part of the pea plant at all.
After steeping the tea has a darker sort of aroma, kind of vegetal and grassy. There’s also a strong aroma of something familiar that I couldn’t quite place. This is where I cheated and looked at what other people had noted there. I normally try to avoid this, as I feel it adds a bias to my own experience. If someone says they’ve found for example notes of melons in whatever it is I’m writing about, I end up sitting here trying my damndest to find those melons too. And if I then do find them, I’m never quite certain if I really think there is a note of melons or if I’ve been affected by someone else’s experience. But this time I needed some help with identifying that note.
So I used a lifeline and asked the audience.
A couple of people mentioned cucumber and that rang a bell. For me, though, it’s more along the lines of courgettes, but there isn’t really a very large difference there. Whether it’s cucumbers or courgettes I think is a question of association.
This note is enormous in the flavour as well. Courgette all over the place. Along with those there is definitely a grassy note again, but it’s not as spicy as in the arome and it’s staying in the background.
This cup of liquid courgette tea is probably not going to bring me back into the white tea fold. I just think that the black teas and the dark oolongs have a so much more interesting flavour than the green and whites. 7 out of 10 cups, I reach for a black tea and I don’t really expect that to change any time soon. The remaining three are typically oolongs.
It does however make me curious about a couple of other BMD samples I’ve got standing around. I’ve mostly found walnutty flavours in BMD in the past and I’m interested to see if this courgette business might happen in others as well.
Run into the problem of implanted suggestion in flavors all the time when doing cup pings of both tea and coffee with people. General courtesy holds that everyone slurp and spit without saying a word and even trying to hide facial reactions, but there’s always a few inexperienced tasters in the mix that go and jam a tasting note into your psyche before you’re done evaluating everything.
Fortunately, I’ve never had a courgette, so hopefully I won’t be tasting nothing but that in the white tea I’m working on ;P
By the by, did you know you can age Bai Mu Dan? Takes work – aged does not equal old – but it works better than a Qing Bing in my mind.
I have had the suggestion before now that you mention it. Perhaps it was even from you. I don’t think this was stored properly for it though. Too sloppy with tinning still back when it was new.
I got my box of tea from china today! Woot!
We have the pai mu tan from tropical tea company and I like this one better. The pai mu tan feels like the less interesting cousin to this one. I get a bit of cucumber and pepper ending with a note like alfalfa fields. I haven’t ever chewed on alfalfa but this tastes like they smell. I find it mildly sweet. Score! A good tea but I think I like the darker teas a bit more.
sometimes I steep my white teas at an even lower temp and I find I like them more… fyi :)
Thanks for the info! How much lower? I’ll give it a shot and see how it does. :D
You two are totally cheating and syncing your ratings :P
hahaha! It’s hard not to do it. We sit here as we are drinking it and talk about it so we totally get the same things from the tea as well. :D
I usually steep my whites gongfu starting at 180. I’ll say it again…….synchronicity my friends. :))
This is very tasty. I love how green the dry leaves look. Delicious sweet floral flavor. I’m detecting melon and cucumber. There’s something like pastry in this. A sweet bakery aroma. Num. I really love the smell. Very refreshing. I’ll let you know how the caffeine treats me. :D usually whites make me really jittery and headachy. Black give me an alert shakey buzz. funny how different caffeine affects me differently. This tea is worth it though!
I may have stated before but, my previous experiences with white tea have been lack luster. I am fairly certain that this is my first White Peony(Bai MuDan) as well. However the offerings that I have sampled from Teavivre have changed my outlook on white tea. I am liking more so than I like straight up green tea. I’m beginning to think maybe my previous attempts at white tea were fumbles at the goal line. The dry leaf is fuzzy like a peach with some buds mixed in. Pale yellow liquor. Much like the white silver needles the flavor is a little nutty, slightly vegetal. There were some floral notes too on a couple of sips as it cooled. At one point I thought that I caught a cinnamon note and cocoa note. I might be crazy on those but I’m also a tad congested lately. I am very much in like with the white teas that I have sampled from Teavivre. I may have to explore some more white teas now.
Tea sample provided by Teavivre for review
This morning I tried a long steep with a lower temperature to see if I like the flavour change any better.
I noticed it doesn’t have such a profound “tea” flavour, and it tastes more green obviously. With the second steep, I’m already preferring the higher temperature/lower steep time. The flavour is different with the temperature change, but not in a way I prefer.
I think it’s funny how differently my other Bai Mu Dan behaves with a low temp (it’s good). Perhaps I’ll have to try my CS stuff with a high temperature sometime. Anyway, I like Teavivre’s batch at 95 Celsius the most. I love the feeling Bai Mu Dan tea gives me, but it’s definitely more of a spring time thing for me.
I’m really surprised you like it when brewing at such a high temperature. I looked at the suggested 95 degrees Celsius, scoffed, and brewed it at 82 degrees Celsius instead. It just seems like using almost boiling water would scorch the leaves and leave a bitter cup.
I thought the same thing, mostly because sometimes tea companies suggest temperatures/steep times that are outrageous. But since the package came with 4 sample packs I decided it couldn’t hurt it once. And In my experience with the short and long steeps at 90 Celsius for this tea, it’s not bitter or offensive at all. I’ve liked the steep parameters Teavivre lists, so I think it’s worth trying it once with hotter water.
I might take you up on it. ;)
Tea of the late afternoon…..
First of all, “Happy Friday”! I am so thankful the weekend is here. Secondly, thank you to Teavivre for sending this sample along with my first order. (I will just let you know, that I am becoming a huge fan of this company!)
The tea: I have had white teas in the past, but they have mostly been flavored versions. And I probably sweetened them, too. This is a good one because it is good all on its own, no added flavors, no need to add sweetness. It is light and has notes that are both floral and slightly vegetal. It is lighter than my favorite green tea (Premium Dragon Well), and really reminds me of Spring. A very good offering, and since I need some white tea in my life, I will order this at some point. Definitely my favorite white to date. (I have had at least 2 unflavored whites, but they did not impress me much.)
Right about now, I should be asking what Teavivre puts in their tea to make it so good! I think it is excellent, fresh tea, and excellent service.
About 3 tsp tea (it is fluffy!) in a 15 oz mug, about 180 water for 2 minutes. No additions. (I love teas that are great plain!)
My previous experiences with white tea have been few and far between, and not particularly exciting. It’s not that I dislike white tea, I just like a less subtle tea experience most of the time.
Anyway, this tea is beautiful to look at. The leaves are very complete, dark green with silver, and fuzzy. They smell a little on the sweet side, and fresh. Previously, I’ve gotten all sorts of weird aftertastes with white teas, particularly Adagio’s. This just tastes delicious. I guess this is what white tea is supposed to taste like! It reminds me of spring, of being out in the grass and sunlight. There is a hint of vegetal green tea flavor, but I like it.
I don’t know if this was just a Georgia thing, but when I was a kid, there was this sort of wild grass that if you pulled the longest piece, there would be a tip on the blunt end that was white and edible. It tasted just like this.
This is what a satisfying white tea is like. Now I think I understand. I’ve just had bad white teas in the past!
Dry Leaf: Has a fresh grassy aroma with some sweetness.I was also able to notice a very soft wild flower aroma.
Wet Leaf: Has a vegetal aroma something I would associate with like a boiled leafy green but their is a subtle sweetness that is in the background.
Liquor: Has a bright and beautiful golden color.
Taste: Has a dry grassy flavor. I can even understand if someone says hay or straw like flavor.I also got a very gentle dryness in the mouth there is a nice sweet sensation that builds up in the mouth and goes to back of mouth.
Overall Opinion: I give this a solid 91. This tea had a fresher feel to it and had a nice showing of character and sweet build up in mouth.
Vessel: SAMA DOYO Gongfu/Kungfu Teapot. 10 grams of leaf to 220ml or 7oz. of water in inner cup.
Hey Jim. Nice to see you willing to try the short steep. I was drinking with a tea friend all morning today, and talking a bit about what we discussed yesterday. I was reminded of one thing I forgot to point out about the mentioned method. When brewing tea this way you should generally use more leaves and less water per steeping than you typically would for a longer steep approach. This typically means about 5 grams of tea for a 4-5 ounce gaiwan or yixing pot, versus the teaspoon of tea in an 8 ounce cup that is commonly done for “western style” brewing. I don’t know how much leaf to water you used here, but I’d suggest increasing the leaf and reducing the water if you’re not already trying that.
On another note, I don’t drink white teas very often, but I find they usually yield 3-5 good short steepings, unless it’s really high quality – in which case it might be good for 6 infusions. If you’re still feeling adventurous about this, I would recommend trying it with a more robust tea sometime, like an oolong, pu-erh or Chinese black tea. I’d be interested to know if your experience is different on a second attempt.
I already do a much larger leaf to water ratio than the Brit method, but I am not quite as generous with leaf as avid aficionado seem to be — mostly because I can’t cover the expense. I drink tea all day every day and I just can’t afford to be burning through 20 grams of leaf a day.
Oddly enough, after this third steep, I was able to revive these leaves and I’m on steep #5 right now. I think I just made #3 a bit too short. Once the leaves fully opened after #2, they needed more time to pull anything out (because #2 pulled out so much).
But that’s just the thing, JIm… I drink all day every day too, and I can steep out one 5-gram-full gaiwan of say a quality Teiguanyin all day if I want, even for two days sometimes…
Well, until I get past half a dozen steeps, that’s not happening, so… chicken/egg cart/horse, call it what you want. I can’t afford, right now, to waste tea.
The two of you should have a tea talk show. Your viewpoints are very different yet you are both correct. I tried the short steep with a Pu-Erh and I wasn’t enjoying it until I let it stew. I would think with a white tea or green a shorter steep is ideal. Although you both may disagree, I enjoy a cold water brew. I brewed the Handpicked Verdant Iron Goddess for 24 hours and the result was sublime.