This lovely baimudan has been stored in a beautiful pewter caddy since 2003! Very limited amounts of this tea are available. One sip of this tea and you'll know it really is from 2003. There is a lot of misrepresented white tea on the market, so this tea serves as an excellent benchmark for a quality aged baimudan!
Baimudan really ages well because of the larger, coarser leaves. Over the last fifteen years, the leaves have developed a warm, aged oolong-like aroma. After the rinse, I get scents that remind me of a Chinese apothecary, which is a highly desirable aroma in an aged tea.
This Chinese medicine note carries over into infusion one, and the liquor also has a very welcome hint of citrus to it. This tea is smooth and warming. It definitely reminds me of a good aged oolong, but is more delicate, but not subtle as far as the flavor it has to offer!
This tea also has excellent calming energy, which I always hope to find in a good aged tea. This baimudan definitely does not disappoint!
There is also a flavor note I can't quite put my finger on in this tea. I will have to try it again (and again!) to try and identify this note.
In later infusions, I get aged black tea notes as well, some of which remind of me of Assam teas, but without the astringency and bitterness! I found similar notes in the '88 QingBing remake I've had aging here over the summer, but the Assam notes are less prominent in this baimudan.
This is a very special tea, and won't be around for long. Please do give this tea a try if you're curious, as I expect it to sell out quickly!
