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White Tea · 2018
2018 Fuding Gong Mei White Tea
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An eight-year mini cake from the same Fuding farmer who supplies our Silver Needle. A softer, daily-drinking version of the chocolate-aroma direction.
Estimated delivery Tuesday, 12 May
Why this tea
- 01
Same farmer as our 2018 Silver Needle
Same farm, same aging conditions, different leaf processing
- 02
Eight years of aging
Past every Fuding aging threshold. The leaf is settled and the cup is in everyday-drinking territory
- 03
The same sweet direction as the Silver Needle
The aroma points the same way as the headline tea, just without the volume
- 04
Mini-cake format
Each cake is a single brewing session, used whole
Our Note
We told her how much we liked the chocolate aroma on her Silver Needle, and she pulled out this Gong Mei. The aroma isn't as loud, but it's pointing in the same direction. The Silver Needle is for special occasions. The Gong Mei is what we would drink most days.
— Daniil & Alisa
What is Gong Mei White Tea?
Gong Mei sits between Bai Mu Dan and Shoumei in the Fuding white-tea ranking. The leaves are picked later than Bai Mu Dan and graded for slightly larger leaf material, but with more bud content than a Shoumei would carry. Aged Gong Mei sweetens in the same direction Fuding white tea is known for, with a fuller body than aged Silver Needle and a cleaner finish than aged Shoumei.
This 2018 mini cake is from the same farm as our aged Silver Needle and our other Fuding whites. Eight years of aging has softened the leaf, settled the cup, and brought out a faint sweet aroma that sits in the same neighbourhood as the chocolate note on her Silver Needle, only quieter.
Oxidation
Stimulation
Fermentation
Body
Tasting Notes
Soft honey, faint sweet aroma, gentle round body. Quieter than the Silver Needle but pointing in a similar direction.
Brewing Instructions
Amount
1 pack / 200ml
Temperature
90-99°C / 194-210°F
Infusions
Up to 15
Infusion Time
15 sec (+5 sec every new infusion)
Needs Rinsing
Yes
Origin
Origin
Fuding, Fujian, China
Cultivar
Da Bai
Elevation
500 meters
The farmer brought this one out after we'd been talking about how much we liked the chocolate aroma on her 2018 Silver Needle. She wanted to show us where else in her stock the same direction showed up.
The Gong Mei was the answer. The aroma is much quieter than the Silver Needle. It won't startle anyone the way the chocolate note does. But it's pointing in the same direction, and the cup is built for everyday drinking rather than for the occasional careful session.
Aging & Storage
Eight years has settled the cup into the sweet-honey direction Fuding white moves into with age. Another four or five years will deepen it further toward dried fruit.
Keep the cake in its sealed wrapper, in a cool dark cupboard, away from heat, light, and anything strong-smelling.
Sourced Direct
Direct from the farm
Bought in person from the farmer who made it, on a yearly sourcing trip to China.
Tasted before bought
We taste every lot ourselves before we buy, often against alternates from the same village.
Small lots, single origin
Every tea is named by its village, farmer, and harvest year. Never a warehouse blend.
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The headline tea from the same producer
2018 Fujian Silver Needle White Tea
The aged Silver Needle with the chocolate aroma, from the same farm and the same aging window. The Gong Mei is the everyday version of where the Silver Needle goes for a careful session.
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