Unusually fragrant when opening the bag, it smells so much like hot cross buns, which is what I’ve experienced in a few other aging whites, but the intensity here is striking. Yeasty rolls, red fruits, icing sugar, citrus; cinnamon undertone but definitely not a distinct note.
Warming a rinsing brings in full force a potpourri of flowers both fresh and dried, more differentiated citrus notes, honey and whiffs of something like myrrh.
The tea does well with shorter and longer steeps in a gaiwan, my preference lying in the latter. Very hot water is needed to reveal the depth of aromas and flavors. The floral aroma slips underneath the first sips which are at first sweet with nectar and tangy with citrus. A full, underlying woody and dried autumn leaf character mingles with red fruits and apricot. A muted caramelized sugar note keeps the tea from going too woody or leafy. Citrus zest notes are prominent in the finish and continue to grow. The bottom of the cup smells so rich and sweet, like molten, bubbling sugar just beginning to brown.
I’ve also brewed this western a few times with pretty long steeps, 5, sometimes 10 minutes. The redfruits and citrus become muted and the tea becomes very syrupy sweet and woody. The syrupy sweetness reminds me of Costa Rican agua dulce.
It’s a good aging white with no flaws. Long-lasting tea, high energy but not too strong. A tea I could see myself buying another sample of but not a whole cake.
Flavors: Apricot, Bread, Brown Sugar, Chrysanthemum, Cinnamon, Citrus Zest, Dry Leaves, Geranium, Honey, Incense, Lemon, Nectar, Peony, Perfume, Powdered Sugar, Red Fruits, Sugarcane, Sweet, Tangerine, Tangy, Thick, Vanilla, Wet Wood, Wood, Yeast
A weighted comfort blanket for the tongue! I need to dig out my sample of this tea, which was also generously sent by Derk.
gmathis, did the dry leaf smell anything like hot cross buns, or something similar? Glad this one didn’t taste like warm mop water. Thinking about it, I can see how people could interpret white tea flavor profiles as such.
Leafhopper, you’re pretty much a flavors person right?
Derk, yes, I’m more of a flavours person. I tend not to get body sensations from tea, though I do appreciate viscosity in some oolongs. I hope I’ll notice the satiny body in this white tea since it sounds so nice.
gmathis does have a way of describing comforts, doesn’t she? I don’t remember how much I sent you Leafhopper, probably not enough for both gongfu and western, which is where the texture of this tea shines. Either way, I hope it’s a decent introduction to aged whites.
I did this western (you know I don’t have the skill or patience for gongfu) and I’ve had two really nice long steeps so far (5 minutes, then 8) and in between I did notice something a little yeasty in the scent of the leaves themselves. What really impressed me was that satiny texture.
Derk, I don’t remember how much you gave me. Hopefully it’s enough to steep it both ways!
Did you use a Brown Betty?
That was for gmathis. Looks like we’re posting at the same time again, Leafhopper. If I can manage this summer to drink through my White2Tea pu’er enough to place another order, and if anybody is interested, I’d be willing to buy a cake of this for splitting. It’s a nice fool-proof white tea to have around.
Derk, I’ll let you know what I think of it. I noticed that White2Tea still has it in stock.
Warm mop water? Hahaha. I think I’ve had a similar experience with some whites, though, but have found a handful of good ones!
I just put leaves in nice large steeping basket.