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White Peony白牡丹

bud-and-leaf · Fuding, Fujian, China

White Peony is a bud-and-leaf white tea from Fuding, Fujian, China. Brew it at 90°C with 5g of leaf per 100ml of water; expect up to 9 short infusions in a small gaiwan or teapot. No rinse needed.

Quick facts

Origin
Fuding, Fujian, China
Category
White tea
Cultivar
Fuding Dabai, Fuding Dahao
Oxidation
none
Roast
None
Water temp
90°C
Leaf ratio
5g / 100ml
Infusions
up to 9
Rinse
No

Tasting notes

White Peony is what Silver Needle wishes it could be on a weekday. The mix of buds and open leaves extracts fast — faster than it looks like it should — so you flash the first few steeps or you get a sharp vegetal bite that steps over the fruit. Five seconds is not a typo. At 90°C, done right, the cup smells like apricot skin and orange peel and tastes like melon left out in the sun. There's a creaminess mid-palate that distinguishes good Bai Mu Dan from the supermarket version, where the leaves were dried too fast and it ends up tasting like dusty hay. Watch the color: a proper cup is pale gold, not brown. If it's brown you overbrewed. The tea is forgiving up to a point, then abruptly isn't. Aged Bai Mu Dan is a different tea entirely — honey, dried stone fruit, a little wood.

Flavor profile

Fuller and more assertive than Silver Needle, with a noticeable fruity sweetness — apricot, melon, and orange blossom come through clearly. The body is medium, slightly creamy, with a pleasant vegetal backbone. Aged versions shift toward dried fruit, honey, and gentle woodiness.

Terroir

Coastal hills, subtropical climate, 400-800m elevation

Cultivar: Fuding Dabai, Fuding Dahao

Brewing

  1. Steep 1: 10 seconds
  2. Steep 2: 10 seconds
  3. Steep 3: 15 seconds
  4. Steep 4: 15 seconds
  5. Steep 5: 20 seconds
  6. Steep 6: 25 seconds
  7. Steep 7: 30 seconds
  8. Steep 8: 40 seconds
  9. Steep 9: 50 seconds

Leaves unfurl quickly — keep early steeps short (5-10s) to avoid bitterness. The mix of buds and leaves extracts faster than pure Silver Needle.

Aroma & taste

Aroma

  • orchid
  • orange blossom
  • fresh melon
  • hay

Taste

  • apricot
  • cream
  • melon
  • vanilla

Processing

  • withered
  • sun-dried
Start brewing White Peony

Sources