Chinese White Tea

Types

There are four main types of white tea, ranked by amount of buds.

  1. Silver Needle
  2. Baimudan aka White Peony
  3. Gong Mei
  4. Shou Mei

Gong Mei has more buds than Shou Mei which typically has more larger leaf/lesser grade leaf to bud ratio. Baimudan will have more bud to leaf ratio than Gong Mei.
Silver Needle is all buds, so highest grade.
But Shou Mei become valuable as it ages.
~ Beto

Aging

1 year tea,
3 years medicine,
7 years treasure.
~ Chinese Saying

Aging “lower grade” white tea is a common practice. I see teas sold at around the 5 or 6 year mark. At 7 years, a tea is considered an old white tea.

The color of a good aged white tea liquor is like amber, bright and oily; its taste is full, the mouth is smoother, and the sweetness and viscosity will gradually increase.
~ A Questionably Translated Website

The white tea used for aging is usually Gong Mei or Shou Mei, since they are mostly leaves. I have seen aged Baimudan. It seems Silver Needle is rarely aged as it’s so limited in production and sells immediately.

Tastes great when they mix blends, but wrap your shit up to age it.
~ Michael Angelo