2019 Brave New Dawn (勇曙光, Yǒng Shǔguāng, “Brave New Dawn”) - is a 2019 pressed white tea from Fuding, Fujian. Made by master Li Yanmei, this 360 gram cake is made from the grade of white tea known as Bái Mǔ Dān 白牡丹, from which it gets its name. Fuding is the origin point of white tea, and it divides its teas into three main grades:
- Báiháo Yín Zhēn (白毫银针, “white hair silver needle"), often just called Silver Needle, which is made entirely from downy early-spring leaf buds and is the highest grade.
- Bái Mǔ Dān (白牡丹, “white peony"), the middle grade made from both mature leaves and immature buds.
- Shòu Méi (寿眉, “longevity eyebrow"), made mostly from the fully mature leaves of late spring with a low proportion of leaf buds.
Bái Mǔ Dān combines the sweet body and mouthfeel of mature leaves with the delicate fragrance of leaf buds. It ages more slowly than the leafier Shòu Méi, but develops more complex character over time as a result of its higher grade and diverse content. This tea was picked and processed in 2019 and stored in Li Yanmei's cedar-lined storage facility in Fúdǐng. The saying "One year tea, three years medicine, seven years treasure" describes the progression of white tea as it ages and grows in value. White teas that have aged for seven years are considered to have achieved their potential of complexity and depth. This mature cake is exceptionally fragrant, with notes of fruit leather, pale honey, and tamarind. It has a viscous mouthfeel with a soup ranging from a delicate gold to amber in color as it steeps. This tea is noteworthy for its strong qi, which has been described as grounding and euphoric.