Lately, I’ve been learning to appreciate white tea and its nuances. So, I wanted to compare two aged white teas and see the differences.
I will be comparing a gong mei and a shou mei from 2013. Based on the descriptions on the website, both teas come from the Fuding county in Fujian province and were stored in dry/natural conditions in Fujian from 2013 to 2018. The difference between gong mei and shou mei is that gong mei has more buds and a higher grade of leaves than Shou mei.
Since the teas were aged, I brewed them like I did with Zhen Tea’ Aged Shou Mei. I started with a 30-second wash, followed by a 45-second infusion and increased the time by 15 seconds intervals.
With all that being said, let’s go!
2013 Gongmei
Description: “The thick, soothing body of this tea is smooth and calming, with heavy dark fruit fragrances.”
Instructions: Gongfu style brewing
Review: The dry leaves were tightly packed into a cake and I could make out the leaves and fuzzy buds. It smelled of sweet, floral and plum and became sweeter after it was warmed in the pre-heated gaiwan. The leaves were chocolate brown and had a sweet fruity smell after the first infusion. The liquor was a light yellow with a floral, fruity, and hay smell.
30 second rinse: The liquor was a faint yellow with a sweet fruity and trace hay flavour
Infusion 1 (45 seconds): The liquor had a honey flavour, alongside hay, herbal and fruity sweetness. There was a faint lingering of bitterness at the tail end
Infusion 2 (1 minute): The liquor was a darker yellow colour with similar flavour as Infusion 1. The flavour was more hay-like at the end of the sip
Infusion 3 (1.15 minute): The floral notes have persisted along with the hay flavour. The liquor was a golden yellow colour like honey.
Infusion 4 (1.30 minutes): The liquor was faint
Overall, I really enjoyed the floral honey notes! This may be my first time trying gong mei and I need to find more (3.5/5 rating).
- Type: White tea
- Origin: China (Fujian province)
- Caffeine: Unknown
- Ingredients: Aged white tea
- Company: white2tea
2013 Shoumei
Description: “The soothing body of this tea is smooth and light, with fragrances that range from cinnamon and honey to red dates.”
Instructions: Gongfu style brewing
Review: The dry leaves were similar to the gong mei with large leaves and fuzzy buds. It smelled like hay and herbs. After infusion, the leaves were chocolate brown and had a fruity smell. The liquor started off amber yellow with a hay smell.
30 second rinse: The liquor was a golden yellow, and had a herbal and roasted taste. The taste lingered in the mouth
Infusion 1 (45 seconds): The liquor was herbal, hay and roasted with some astringency at the tail end
Infusion 2 (1 minute): The liquor was a darker yellow colour with a roasted smell. It had a thick mouthfeel that coated the mouth. It had a floral and honey note, with some roasted undertones which lingered in the mouth. There was also a bit more astringency
Infusion 3 (1.15 minute): In comparison to Infusion 2, the liquor was much thinner in texture. It was a golden yellow colour with fruity, hay and faint floral taste. There was a bit of astringency as well
Infusion 4 (1.30 minutes): The liquor was faint
The shou meis I’ve had in the past tended to be more hay-like, so I was surprised how roasted this tasted and how dark the liquor became. I wonder if that is due to the aging (3/5 rating).
- Type: White tea
- Origin: China (Fujian province)
- Caffeine: Unknown
- Ingredients: Aged white tea
- Company: white2tea
Final Thoughts
I have to say, it was nice to be able to enjoy each tea but also compare them side-by-side. I found the shou mei had more of a roasted note which I didn’t expect. I found I enjoyed the honey floral notes of the gong mei just slightly more.
When comparing teas like this, I find it really helps me hone in on the subtle differences. I can’t wait to compare more teas!
The question of the post: What teas should I compare next?
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