Bai Mu Dan 2021

Bai Mu Dan, "white peony" in Mandarin, is one of the four classic white teas of Fujian, traditionally loose-leaf. This example takes a different path: the leaves and downy buds have been compressed into small 4-gram squares and left to age. It's a lesser-known but long-standing Chinese tradition, one where compression and time transform the tea's delicate freshness into something deeper, honeyed, and remarkably enduring, much like fine white tea moving through the years toward a life of its own.

Crafted by Mr. Zhang Zheng Ku, a long-standing partner of Camellia Sinensis in Fujian, this vintage was pressed in 2021 from the Fuding Da Hao cultivar, the classic white-tea variety of the region. The seductive appearance of each mini-cake owes as much to the mastery of the pressing as to the quality of the leaves themselves.

The infusion opens refined and unhurried, with sweet notes of dried tropical fruit and spring honey. Subtle herbal nuances follow, reminiscent of tall grasses in midsummer. Generous and thirst-quenching, the cup carries beautifully across multiple infusions.