Nan Mei Wild Tree Buds

Gongfu!

As always, I found this session settled into the familiar and comforting notes of pine sap, rosemary, and cedar that I just adore from yabao but with a beautiful freshness and lighter body and liquor than the shou pu’erh I generally turn to for those resinous forest-y notes. Both are good, but I’m suuuuppperr guilty of wanting to have a couple different options in my tea stash so I can match to my mood – and this was perfection!

Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/Chpn6LcpoF-/

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3cMfzxH3ys

I received this tea as a free sample in my last Camellia Sinensis order. I followed the instructions on their website, steeping 4 teaspoons of leaf in 120 ml of 175F water for 30, 20, 40, 70, 120, 160, and 300 seconds.

These downy white buds are unique. The first steep is herbaceous, with notes of sage, basil, and other cooking-type herbs. There’s an underlying earthiness and sweetness that sort of balances it out, but the herbs are the dominant flavour. The second 20-second steep is quite like the first, but the third introduces more complexity as the sweetness increases. As a previous reviewer mentioned, the creaminess and sweetness make it taste kind of like marshmallows.

By the fourth steep, I can understand why the website states that this tea is spicy. The sage and other herbaceous notes, however, are still pretty overpowering. The tea peters out by the seventh steep, though I suspect I could pull a couple more out of it.

While I won’t be reaching for this tea regularly, it was fun to try. It has a much different taste profile than other white teas.

If you could package up the feeling of summer and camping into a tea, this would be it. There is the smokiness of the campfire, which gradually merges into a smoky bacon note. There’s a hint of sweet corn, which I find so typical of white teas. Finally, and most surprisingly, there’s a strong marshmallow note with a hint of chocolate. S’mores in a cup. The notes are subtle, to be sure, and I don’t think this tea would be for everyone, but I rather enjoyed it.

What a delicious smell! Not so far from flowers. I didn’t like it at first but the more I try it, the more it grows on me. I can now really enjoy its subtle tastes. I don’t reach for it often enough.

January 2015

From Nan Mei Valley, Lincang Region, China.
Absolutely Gorgeous, spicy-scented, velvety-soft, wild downy buds.
Brewed Western style at 165F. I tasted this at five minutes and it was starting to gain some lovely flavor so I steeped it for a total of 7 minutes.
The liquor is spicy-scented with notes of citrus, fresh-grated nutmeg (which is lighter and more fresh than already grated jarred nutmeg).
These wild whites are some of my favorites!!!!!!!!!!!!! So cool in appearance, scent, and of course taste!!!!
Brewed, the wet buds take on a deeper green color with accents of brown on the edges and a spicier scent.
The flavor is honey, fresh nutmeg, touches of orange zest. Very fresh and delicious. I love these wild whites in the morning, so cleansing and delicious!!!

Second Steeping – this has one more brew in it and I steeped for same temp and amount of time and it still tastes lovely!!

8/20/14
I have been aging this one and I brewed some Western style today at 165F for 5 minutes. Boy has this progressed well! It is sweeter and creamier. The spice notes are still present but it is getting a great mouthfeel and more depth. Love!
I live in a very dry climate so this one is aging well for me.