Love White Peony Tea - Teasource
Tea : Fujian White Peony
Producer: Teasource
Website: Fuijan White Peony
Website description: Strong, yet cozy. Dark leaves signal “terranean” potential. Timber and shrubbery in aroma. Light in weight, but textured in mouthfeel. Cup character of leaf pile and warm toast.
Produced June 20, 2022 by Mr. Huang Hai Qiang in Fuding city of Fujian province – the home of white tea. It’s a “Bai Mu Dan” (translation “White Peony”) white tea which is defined as a 1 bud, 2 leaves pick. This particular lot was made from the Fuding Big Hair cultivar growing at approximately 1,500 feet. It’s withered fully in-house and after drying it’s rested one month before roasting it. Roasting white tea is not common, but the additional step removes some of the grassy character and gives it a slightly fuller and toasty appeal.
Brewing Specs
- Water: 32 oz
- Temperature: 80 F outside in direct sunlight (Sun Tea technique)
- Steep Time: 4 hours for 3 gm
My Review System: https://artofthepair.com/tea-overview/
Iced Tea Technique
- All iced teas are brewed using direct sunlight for a minimum of 4 hours.
- Only 3 gm of tea is used per 32 oz / 1 Quart of water .
- Once tea is brewed, it’s strained and placed into refrigerator to cool to under 40F (typically overnight).
- Samples are evaluated without ice, fruit additions (such as lemon) or additional sweetener.
- Iced tea is consumed within 24 hours of brewing.
My Overall Impression (Score of 85.0%)
When I opened the package, I was not sure how the brew would turn out. These leaves are exceptionally big (as you can see in the picture). When I placed this outside, the leaves floated for the entire time brewing. When I pulled it in to strain, that’s when I gave it a quick shake and it darkened. I would not shake it prior…it may become too tannic.
I was exceptionally happy brewing this in the sun. Each sip brings more and more of the flavor out, making it quite enjoyable. I normally brew this hot since its delicate, but it stands up cold. What I love about this tea is the constant small changes that you will find while sipping. And I would sip this slowly to get all of the tea’s full effect.
The price as of 6/29/23 is $9.60 for 2 oz (w) or 56 grams.
Broken down:
- 56 gm / 3 gm for steeping = 18 brews
- 18 brews from package = app 53 cents per brew (4 – 8 oz servings)
While this initially may seem high, let’s look at the brew servings. After dividing out for 4 servings at 8 oz, the cost per cup is 13 cents per 8 oz serving. Definitely affordable and amazing value.
Aromas
- Opening the package, the large leaves are very dry and musty (reminded me of fall) with mossy, alfalfa notes but the peony aroma is strong.
- It shows some additional floral, hints of hops and citrus.
- Once brewed, the musty notes carry over but are very muted. The floral and peony notes shine through the profile and are very delicate.
Flavors
- The sweetness is dry with great body and structure throughout. The acids are medium in strength with similar tannins. The tannins grow stronger as the tea warms up.
- The flavors are toasted malt over the profile followed by dried parsley, snow peas and zucchini.
- This is dusted with hints of dried citrus zest, dried apples, some black pepper, and mace. I love the touch of toasted almonds and floral notes which are faint but add immense character.
- The delicate notes are palate refreshing along with the dusty texture.
Scores
- Aromas (4.1/5)
- Flavors (8.5/10)
- Overall impression (4.4/5)
- Total score = 85.0 percent (17.0/20)
Foods to Pair and Why
- Anytime, I have a beverage with this type of delicacy, I want to drink it by itself. I’m always afraid that an improper pairing will mess it up.
- Tonight, I’m making a Farro Salad with fresh garden tomatoes, basil, parsley, and shucked sugar snap peas to pair with this. I will keep the vinaigrette light (using rice vinegar) to match the acidity tones, but I want to focus on the earthy qualities of the tea. The salad should pair with the mouthfeel and body as well.
- A fresh Squash /Spring Pea salad with feta and blood orange infusion. I made this earlier in the week from Milk Street using a hint of blood orange olive oil. The freshness of the peas, matched with the creamy feta, works well with the earthy tea flavors, sweetness, and acidity levels.
- This one came out of my brain as I walked the garden. Lightly poached salmon served over fresh salad greens and a rose petal infused dressing. My roses are coming in and look beautiful and taste great. Bruising the petals and steeping these in either a light sherry vinegar or vodka for a few hours to bring out the aromas and flavors would be a fun change. The salmon and petals would match with the tea’s acidity, some nuances of flavor, body, and mouthfeel. I need to try this soon.
