Wild Bud芽苞
wild-bud · Dehong / Lincang, Yunnan, China
Wild Bud is a wild-bud white tea from Dehong / Lincang, Yunnan, China. Brew it at 90°C with 5g of leaf per 100ml of water; expect up to 8 short infusions in a small gaiwan or teapot. No rinse needed.
Quick facts
- Origin
- Dehong / Lincang, Yunnan, China
- Category
- White tea
- Cultivar
- Camellia crassicolumna (wild species, possibly ancestral to modern tea)
- Oxidation
- none
- Roast
- None
- Water temp
- 90°C
- Leaf ratio
- 5g / 100ml
- Infusions
- up to 8
- Rinse
- No
Tasting notes
The first thing to understand about Ya Bao is that it barely counts as tea. These are wild buds from forest trees that predate cultivated Camellia sinensis by a long way, and they drink like something between a conifer tip infusion and a stone-fruit tisane. Pine resin on the nose, dried apricot in the mouth, a faint ginger warmth on the back of the throat. No bitterness, ever — you can forget about a steep for ten minutes and the cup will still be drinkable, which is both a feature and a trap. It means beginners can't mess it up, but it also means you stop paying attention. Push the temperature toward boiling and the resinous side sharpens into something almost savory; drop it to 80°C and the apricot comes forward instead. The buds look strange in the cup, like small unopened pinecones. They're a break from tea habits, not a substitute.
Flavor profile
Barely recognizable as tea — more like a wild herbal infusion. The flavor is bright, sweet, and resinous with strong pine needle character, dried apricot, and a savory-floral finish. Never becomes bitter even with extended steeping, making it extremely forgiving to brew.
Terroir
Tropical to subtropical, 1200-1800m elevation, wild forest environment
Cultivar: Camellia crassicolumna (wild species, possibly ancestral to modern tea)
Brewing
- Steep 1: 20 seconds
- Steep 2: 15 seconds
- Steep 3: 15 seconds
- Steep 4: 20 seconds
- Steep 5: 25 seconds
- Steep 6: 30 seconds
- Steep 7: 40 seconds
- Steep 8: 50 seconds
Very forgiving — almost impossible to overbrew. Higher water temps (90-95°C) bring out the resinous pine character. Lower temps (80°C) emphasize the sweet apricot side.
Aroma & taste
Aroma
- pine resin
- dried apricot
- wildflower
- hops
Taste
- pine needle
- apricot
- marzipan
- ginger
Processing
- sun-dried
Sources
- https://www.yunnancraft.com/en/ya-bao/
- https://tching.com/2017/05/review-ya-bao-wild-tea-white-puer-buds/
- https://verdanttea.com/what-is-yabao-part-two-wild-type-qianjiazhai-form-vs-species
- https://meileaf.com/tea/elder-white/
- https://pathofcha.com/products/wild-tree-buds-yabao-gushu-raw-pu-erh-tea
- https://www.curioustea.com/tea/white-tea/ya-bao-silver-buds/