Gong Mei 2018

Gong Mei, "tribute eyebrow", is one of the four classic white teas of Fujian, made from more mature leaves than its better-known sister, Bai Mu Dan. That maturity is precisely what makes it such a natural candidate for aging: where younger white teas are prized for their delicacy, Gong Mei carries the depth and structure to gain complexity over the years. This tablet was pressed in 2018 from the Fuding Da Bai cultivar, the classic white-tea variety of the region, and has been quietly settling into itself ever since.

Crafted by Mr. Zhang Zheng Ku, our long-standing partner in Fujian (also the producer behind our Bai Mu Dan 2021), the tea comes as a compressed cake of leaves and buds. One small chunk gives a generous infusion, enough for two full cups (500 ml).

The liquor pours a rich, ochre yellow with a syrupy, thoroughly satisfying texture. Completely free of bitterness, the cup opens with fruity flavours of dried plums, then unfurls into pleasant, subtle notes of hay, tobacco, and camphor. A quietly beautiful expression of what time can do to a well-made white tea.