2021 Shou Mei Dragon Ball (壽眉龍球, Shòu Méi Lóng Qiú, "Longevity Eyebrow Dragon Ball") - These single-pot 5 gram dragon balls (a small spherical cake of tea without a divot) are perfect for introducing someone (including yourself) to the taste of aged white tea without committing to a full bing. Shou Mei is a grade of white tea that is mostly leaves (as opposed to buds) and ages more quickly than finer grades like White Peony and Silver Needle, attaining a deep, rich flavor with notes of dried stone fruit and a honey fragrance. The liquor is red and has a sweet lingering huí gān 回甘 ("returning sweetness"). A great tea to put in your bag or pocket and make anywhere you find hot water, aged white tea can be brewed “grandpa style” and does quite well that way, as it does not get bitter with long infusions. This tea will continue to get better with age. As the classic white tea idiom goes: “one year tea, three years medicine, seven years treasure.”
1 Review
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Surprise Treat!
The nice people here at West China Tea threw a couple of these in with my latest order so I thought I'd do them the courtesy of giving my thoughts. First impression is an arugula kind of leafy-green pepperiness which I found to be quite distinct from other white teas I've had. More forest-y than floral, not so fruity. The leaves take a few steeps to open up and start to lose their potency somewhere around steep 10, so you get a good amount of good tea. I wouldn't recommend this to someone as a representation of what white tea is all about, but I think it's a really refreshing change-up and I'm glad they sent me two. I enjoyed the first and I'm sure to enjoy the second, but I don't know if I would buy a bunch since I really am after more of the honey and flowers white tea experience. I will say the color was darker than I was expecting as well almost a burnt sienna orange to go along with the deeper leafy character of this tea. If you are looking for a more robust tea than you might be getting with other white teas, I think this might be a good one to try and see how you feel about it.