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Longevity Eyebrow寿眉

leaf · Fuding, Fujian, China

Longevity Eyebrow is a leaf white tea from Fuding, Fujian, China. Brew it at 95°C with 5g of leaf per 100ml of water; expect up to 10 short infusions in a small gaiwan or teapot. A quick rinse is recommended.

Quick facts

Origin
Fuding, Fujian, China
Category
White tea
Cultivar
Fuding Dahao (Big Hair)
Oxidation
light
Roast
None
Water temp
95°C
Leaf ratio
5g / 100ml
Infusions
up to 10
Rinse
Yes

Tasting notes

Fresh Shou Mei is fine. Aged Shou Mei is why people buy Shou Mei. Year one it tastes like gentle hay and a little flower — pleasant, unremarkable, the kind of cup you forget. Give it five years and something shifts: the liquor darkens, a jujube note arrives from nowhere, and there's a medicinal-herbal back end that reminds you this used to be considered more remedy than beverage. Boil the water without apology. Aged leaves need full heat or they stay flat, and a quick rinse actually helps here because compressed cakes need to be woken up. Brew it in a clay pot if you have one — the porosity rounds off any stray sharpness. The cup should be mahogany, not muddy; if it looks like weak coffee the leaves are tired or the compression was too heavy. Watch for dried plum and wet stone. That's when you know it's worth keeping.

Flavor profile

The most rustic of the Fujian whites. Fresh versions are mellow and gently sweet with lingering floral notes. With age, it transforms dramatically — developing jujube, brown sugar, dried plum, and medicinal-herbal depth. The Chinese saying goes: one year tea, three years medicine, seven years treasure.

Terroir

Coastal hills, subtropical climate, 300-600m elevation

Cultivar: Fuding Dahao (Big Hair)

Brewing

Rinse: A quick rinse opens the large, sometimes compressed leaves and helps the first steep extract evenly.

  1. Quick rinse — pour off immediately.
  2. Steep 1: 10 seconds
  3. Steep 2: 10 seconds
  4. Steep 3: 15 seconds
  5. Steep 4: 15 seconds
  6. Steep 5: 20 seconds
  7. Steep 6: 25 seconds
  8. Steep 7: 30 seconds
  9. Steep 8: 40 seconds
  10. Steep 9: 50 seconds
  11. Steep 10: 60 seconds

Aged Shou Mei can take full boiling water — it deepens the jujube and medicinal character. Fresh Shou Mei benefits from slightly cooler water (90-95°C).

Aroma & taste

Aroma

  • jujube
  • dried flowers
  • hay
  • brown sugar

Taste

  • brown sugar
  • jujube
  • dried plum
  • wet stone

Processing

  • withered
  • sun-dried
Start brewing Longevity Eyebrow

Sources