White Peony Tea - Supreme Grade

Uh oh, I’m in trouble! I already have it in the back of my head “I’d love more of Mandala’s teas, they are fantastic”, its close to my birthday, I kind of wanted their tea thermos, then I decided to crack open a sample to review.. which lead me to browsing the shop some more, which enticed me to buying that thermos. Why not add some tea while I’m at it.. and more tea. Hmm, this White Peony is good, maybe I’ll try another of their whites. Hmm, that other tea looks good too, add to cart x3. Gah, stop looking and just proceed to the checkout!!!

This White Peony, whoa! Fat leaves! Very good quality and gorgeous tea to look at and steep! Nice complex, though light, flavors of buttercup floral, oak, birch with a creamy texture.

Full review on my blog, The Oolong Owl. Really nice pics of this tea too! (though, I really need that macro and prime lens for my camera) http://oolongowl.com/white-peony-mandala-tea-oolong-owl-tea-review/

I’m not sure if this is the White Peony I’m drinking, but it’s the only one I see listed under the Mandala tab, so I’m putting my post here!

This is from the Here’s Hoping TTB. It’s a sample, labeled 2013 White Peony. Although white tea isn’t always my thing, it’s very nice, a pleasant departure from my obsessive black tea drinking, & really has a refreshing quality to it. It’s not as bland as some of the whites I’ve had, or else I’m just getting more tuned into to the subtleties of the white tea world finally? Probably not.

I have never had a White Peony Tea from Yunnan province, only from Fujian, so I was very interested in trying this version from Mandala Tea. Bai Mu Dan has a ratio of two leaves to one bud and so is more full-bodied than Silver Needle; and this particular batch has a wonderful depth of flavor and some unexpected pleasantness, but I get ahead of myself.

It has been very warm here, typical for December in Miami and I needed something light to brighten my spirits. I brewed this up in my glass gaiwan so that I could enjoy the beauty of the leaves and pale color of the brew. Approximately 5 grams or 1 heaping teaspoon in a 150ml (5 ounce) gaiwan.

1st steep: Spring water at 170 F for 90 seconds. (slightly longer than recommended) Very pale color, slight aroma of oak, wonderful light flavor that seems to be a combination of hazelnut, oak and vanilla. Subtle, complex and very refreshing!
2nd steep: Spring water at 170 F for 90 seconds.
Slightly more intense color and aroma. Flavors have deepened and lean more toward the woodiness, but with a surprising sweetness and flavor of dried apricot. You really get the terrior of Spring in Yunnan.
3rd steep: Surprise! Most White teas can’t yield much from a third steeping, but these leaves just keep on giving. This time I did 2 minutes with 185 F water, and the brew was really nice. Smooth, slightly sweet and still nice flavor. Just to try, I steeped the leaves one more time with a pinch of dried osmanthus flowers. Still nice!

One of the nicest things about this Bai Mu Dan is that it doesn’t have the slightly bitter bamboo flavor that so many of the others have. A really nice treat!

Spring 2018 tea
I steep my white teas hotter than most of them call for at 205F. I find I like them better at the higher temperature. Time 2-3 min each steep.
I like this tea, but it’s not very complex. It’s soft and thick, heavy in the mouth. I get creamy lemon and some vanilla. I really enjoyed the creaminess of the tea. Taste is consistent throughout all three steeps.

I simply have to start this off by saying that this tea is awesome! I know I say that about most of the teas I drink, but this one was ESPECIALLY GREAT!! I received a sample of this tea along with my tea thermos from Mandala Tea. When I smelled the dry leaves, my first reaction was “Dried apricots!”. I brewed this up in my tea thermos, and drank it on my way to work (about 30 minutes of sipping). It tasted slightly woodsy (maybe nutty) and fruity (apricots, I think). This tea didn’t get the slightest hint of bitterness, and it retained its sweetness for the entire length of this long steep. Most of the green teas that I have made in my tea thermos are incredibly bitter for the first steep, then become less bitter in the following brews. This tea was amazing from the get go! I made 3 thermos-fulls and they were all as tasty as the last. I think that this tea shall be my go-to tea for my thermos!

I have tried a lot of white Peony tea and this one smokes them all. I was extremely impressed with this tea. The amount of white fur and fluffiness of the full leaves are incredible. I don’t know how this tea would be better. It was very fresh!