Pai Mu Tan White Tea

Clear slightly pale cup with a fresh aroma and a smooth velvety flavor, with peach and floral notes, producing a very light, clear liquor. 

HEALTH PROPERTIES:  Very high in anti-oxidants

CAFFEINE LEVELS:  Low

TEA SOURCING:  China, Fujian Province

INGREDIENTS:  White Tea

ETHICS:  Ethical Tea Partnership and GMO free

THE STORY OF PAI MU TAN

Oh the 1890's! A positively smashing time to be alive. The decade was known for frivolity, lightheartedness and good times galore as the economy of North America grew at an unprecedented rate. It was a time of many firsts. Basketball was first played. The color mauve was invented. Sherlock Homes was first published and the first Boxer dog show was held in Munich. But the best part of the decade? For the first time in roughly a thousand years, China began exporting white teas! The reason for this change in the industry came after 1885 when varietals of tea were isolated to make Silver Needle and other specialty white teas like this Pai Mu Tan.

Prior to this development, there simply wasn't enough white tea to go around. White tea had been reserved for members of the Imperial Courts since the T'ang Dynasty (618-907 AD). The reason was simple. White tea was, and still is, considered a true tea because it undergoes so little processing. This fact, coupled with its delicate flavor meant that it was pure enough for the elite of society.  White tea is produced in small quantities, and is substantially rarer than the green and black teas that are most commonly consumed, hence its higher price.

The process by which the tea is made has largely remained unchanged for centuries.  The fresh leaf is delivered to the factory on foot, withered, lightly rolled and then dried naturally, with no further processing required. This Pai Mu Tan is an excellent example of this simple production.  The leaf is full and ranges in color from pale green to silvery with lots of nice tips. The contrast between the leaves gives the tea a very natural look that in turn gives way to a very pure, natural cup. Rounder and more full-bodied than Silver Tip grade, Pai Mu Tan produces a cup that dazzles with subtle layers of peach and floral notes. Brew a pot and raise a cup to the decade that started it all!

BREWING INSTRUCTIONS

BREWING INSTRUCTIONS FOR HOT TEA: Infuse one slightly heaping teaspoon for each 8 ounce cup with water brought to a rolling boil (85 Celcius) for 3-7 minutes.

NUMBER OF CUPS: 15-20 cups from each 50 grams of tea, with a single use of the leaves.  Loose leaf tea is traditionally infused 3 times, with a different flavor profile following each infusion.  Accordingly, each 50 gram bag can make up to 60 cups of tea.