Shou Mei is a leaf-dominant picking compared to the buddy Bai Mudan. This means that the deep aromas and flavors come through before the textures. The age on this tea is already giving it some of the herbaceous complexity reminiscent of Chinese medicine shops that defines “vintage” white teas. Notice ginger and mint in the aftertaste, with brown sugar sweetness and dark fruit dominating the palate.

When it comes to white tea cakes, Mr. Wu’s approach is critical to creating teas that will age and get better and better over time. The key is his high airflow low heat technique. Without applying high heat to stop oxidative and enzymatic reactions by fixing the tea, Mr Wu leaves the tea open to slow steady change and growth.