Spring is definitely here so I try to switch things up a bit by not drinking hei cha (黑茶) all the time. I tasted a good silver needle a few days ago so another white tea seemed like the way to go. I picked a sample ANMO kindly gave me; it was their 2016 Fuding White.
If you want to read about other teas from ANMO, click one the following links:
- 2014 Jianyang Lao Bai White Tea
- 2015 Jianyang Lao Bai White Tea
- 2016 Jianyang Lao Bai White Tea
- 2017 Jianyang Lao Bai White Tea
- 2013 Sunsing Aged Tree Shou Pu-Erh
- 2010 Yiwu Ancient Trail
- Wuyi Yancha Tieluohan
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2016 Fuding White
The 2016 Fuding White is, as you might have guessed, a white tea / bái chá (白茶) from Fuding in Fujian province. This small 100g teacake mainly consists of bigger leaves that were harvested in 2016.
The dry leaves are big and I also see stems and buds. The colours range from brown, to green and beige. It almost looks like Autumn! The aroma has a candy sweetness to it with some hints of summer fruits.
It’s still sweet when smelling the wet leaves, but it’s different. The candy notes have moved to the background and I’m getting more notes of red fruits. The colour is mostly brown/dark olive green and the leaves are fairly large. Also a good amount of stalks.
Tea Tasting
- Water 90°C
- 5g for a 100ml shiboridashi
- 1 rinse
- 6 infusions
Infusion 1 (20 sec): subtle flavours at the start. Although the flavours are subtle, the liquor feels thick and juicy. There is a lingering sweetness that dominates this infusion and I’m also picking up some roasted notes. It feels like the fruitiness from the aroma has changed into a roasted fruitiness. It’s a soft infusion, but a lot is going on!
Infusion 2 (25 sec): when this one coats my mouth, the sides of my tongue are producing a lot more saliva. Light notes of roasted fruits and it’s less sweet. The focus is more on the roastedness and on the red fruits (like cranberries). This one feels like taking a walk through a meadow in April. Strong aftertaste going on as well.
Infusion 3 (30 sec): the colour is becoming darker each infusion. The fruits are still there and it’s also slightly astringent. It’s sweet, but the sweetness is less full; it’s more at the surface and the sweetness doesn’t go as deep during this one.
Infusion 4 (40 sec): the colour looks so yummy! It’s a deep and warm yellow. I’m getting some fruity notes with a tiny bit of sweetness. The fruitiness is also noticeable in the aftertaste, but you have to focus to fully experience it. The flavours are full and juicy again.
Infusion 5 (50 sec): it’s less sweet and fruity and I’m getting some more notes that remind me a bit of hay. It’s not really hay, but that is what comes closest. What is remarkable for this infusion is the aftertaste. I didn’t really get a sweetness when drinking it, but the aftertaste has some candy to it!
Infusion 6 (long): no big changes in flavours, it’s still really enjoyable. It’s sweet, but there are also some light sour notes going on. Nothing too intense as it adds a bit of character to the infusion. I’m usually not a big fan of flavours like this, but it’s just a tiny bit so it adds a nice touch. These sour notes go on into the aftertaste.
Don’t know where to buy tea online? I made a page on the website with over 200 online shops and I keep updating it regularly. You can check it over here.
Conclusion
This is another great tea from ANMO. The session started out fairly subtle, but the flavours were good already. The combination of sweet and fruity worked really well, and I even got some sour notes during the sixth infusion to add some complexity to the brew. In general, the aftertaste of this tea was really good after some of the infusions. You feel that this one has been aged for 4 years, but it still has a freshness to it that you won’t find in a lot of older aged whites. This one offers the best of both worlds, in my opinion.
If you want to try one of these mini teacakes for yourself, you can buy it over here.
