I like white tea, but never seem to buy or drink much of it, possibly because I’m still unsure about the brewing parameters. Do you do long steeps at 175F, short steeps in boiling water, or something in between? The end result is that I tend to go with none of the above.
I decided to brew 5 g of this tea in a 120 ml teapot at 185F for 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 40, 50, 60, 90, 120, and 240 seconds, followed by a really long soak to get all the flavour.
The first steep has mild notes of hay, wood, soybeans, linen, apricot, and grain, and a wonderfully long aftertaste that intensifies the fruit. The second steep ramps up the flavours and weirdly makes me think I’m drinking pencil shavings. This is a sweet and woody tea.
As the session goes on, I get notes of banana, herbs, and minerals, and the tea gradually loses its intensity. I don’t get any cinnamon or spice notes.
This is a tasty white tea that I’ll enjoy finishing. Maybe I’ll even discover the right way to brew it.
Flavors: Apricot, Grain, Hay, Herbs, Mineral, Sweet, Wood
Preparation
People who liked this
Comments
I’m never quite sure what temp to brew whites at either… I usually do around 190F, 8g in 120mL
That’s a lot of leaf! Your teapot must be almost full.
Yeah with white peony its almost overflowing haha
I’ll have to try this method, though I’m sure there’s the potential for bitterness. My Teavivre Organic White Peony might be able to hold up to it, but this Feng Qing silver needle might get too astringent. Clearly, I need more whites to experiment with …
I’m never quite sure what temp to brew whites at either… I usually do around 190F, 8g in 120mL
That’s a lot of leaf! Your teapot must be almost full.
Yeah with white peony its almost overflowing haha
I’ll have to try this method, though I’m sure there’s the potential for bitterness. My Teavivre Organic White Peony might be able to hold up to it, but this Feng Qing silver needle might get too astringent. Clearly, I need more whites to experiment with …