Tea: 2024 King White Peony (Mudan Wang 牡丹王)
Type: White Tea
Harvest: Spring 2024
Press Date: Spring 2024
Region: Panxi, Fuding, China
Producer: Master Qiu
Tasting Notes: Sugar Doughnuts, Cream, Cinnamon, Bee Balm, Stewed Nettles
This item is a small 7 gram single-session pressing of the larger similarly named 100 gram cake: same material, same maker, same press date. We offer them individually or in sets of three. This is the first time offering these white tea cakes in mini form, so we are very excited about this new shape and style!
When the leaves are placed in a warm brewing vessel, the sugar-sweet fragrances of fresh baked cake or doughnuts rises to greet us when we open the lid after shaking the vessel slightly. There is the classic note of cream or cinnamon lingering in the background, which will intensify as this tea ages. When hot water is added, this sweet fragrance gives way to something more vegetal like bee balm or bergamot with a deep umami body that reminds us of stewed greens.
The brew itself is a clean pale gold and while the liquor is thirst-quenching and savory in the mouth, it is also pleasantly thick. This thickness is one of the key things we look for when sourcing white teas, as it is in our opinion what will allow a tea to age well, if it has a strong body, the fragrances will be absorbed into the tea soup itself instead of lingering purely on the leaves or in the nose.
This tea brews well at boiling temperatures, but also changes in texture and flavors as the kettle water cools.
It really is a luxury daily drinker!
We recommend brewing this tea in a gaiwan or porcelain teapot. Our brewing ratio is typically 6 grams of tea to 100-120ml of water in flash-fast infusions. We enjoy using boiling water when brewing our whites, but experimenting with cooler temperatures can create a more textured cup of tea.
