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“Bai Mei is a stunning tea to both look at and drink. The dry leaves are made entirely of silver-green tips that are hand sewn to form six-petaled flowers, similar to plum blossoms. Though the...” Read full tasting note
“Been drinking this at work the past couple weeks. It’s definitely very subtle (though the leaves themselves smell sweet before infusing). My first two cups were disappointing, but i think that was...” Read full tasting note
This adorable white tea is made from white buds gently formed into round stars. They brew up into a light colored tea with hints of sweetness.
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Bai Mei is a stunning tea to both look at and drink. The dry leaves are made entirely of silver-green tips that are hand sewn to form six-petaled flowers, similar to plum blossoms. Though the aromas are very light, Bai Mei is more assertive and more vegetal than other white teas. It smells of the faint sweetness of roasted leeks, shifting to honey after a few minutes.
Slurping the tea into the mouth, it’s body is soft and subtle. Bai Mei gently suffuses the mouth with roasted vegetal notes, along with the floral qualities of lily of the valley.
Bai Mei captures the beauty of Chinese art teas, teas whose leaves are manipulated to form charming shapes. Bai Mei comes form China’s central Hunan province, where tea is an ancient art form. White tea has been made there – some would say perfected there – for centuries. The region produced small amounts of white teas during the Qing dynasty, but it was only in the late 1800s that white teas emerged from the area in significant amounts.
Bai Mei means “White Eyebrow,” which is a little what the large tips look like when they are loose. Bai Mei is handmade by skilled workers, usually women, who sew six long buds together with string, then gently flatten them out to shape the connected buds into flowers resembling plum blossoms. When submerged in hot water, the flowers plump up to release a delicate sweet brew with the faintly sappy flavors of classic, refined white teas.
Been drinking this at work the past couple weeks. It’s definitely very subtle (though the leaves themselves smell sweet before infusing). My first two cups were disappointing, but i think that was just because i wasn’t used to such a subtle tea. Now i think i’m learning to appreciate a good cup of white.
This can definitely be infused for longer than the recommended 3 minutes, i usually do 5-6 even on the first infusion (and much closer to boiling than i would most whites), because it’s such a nice leaf it certainly does not get bitter. I’ve accidentally left this tea infusing for much too long and still found it only barely astringent.
After getting my palette accustomed to this tea, i’ve found that even Mutan (Bai Mu Dan) tastes vegetal. Give this leaf some time, and a few infusions, and you’ll see what i mean.
Love the history in this!