Our series of old-tree Yunnan Whites continues with this banger! Rich in full spectrum White tea aromatics and physical in potency - this is an extraordinary White Tea potion.
First a quick catch-up on this series. For the past four years, we have been sourcing a White tea with a difference. It needs to be made from old Yunnan forest trees which are usually reserved for making Raw Sheng PuErh. This gives the tea terroir-based complexity that is off the charts in terms of taste and physical effects.
Floating Lotus is the fourth in this series and it is a very special tea - shouting its credentials at full volume with impactful aroma, a thick and tingly mouthfeel, complex yet delightful flavour and a bright buzzy body sensation.
The trees to make this tea are estimated at between 150-200 years old. These are the oldest trees that we have ever used for our Whites and are pretty much Gushu material.
The mountain is Nan Nuo. A renowned area for producing vibrant and multifaceted PuErh with a distinctly tropical forest quality. In recent years, this area has been pioneering White tea production despite the obvious risks (you can't charge quite as much for Whites as you can for PuErh in general).
A look at the cake is your first hint that this could be a complex brew - multiple colours, shapes and textures intermingle in a beautiful tapestry.
The smell of the leaf is divine - bright and singing with blueberries, marzipan, dried mint and cream candy, yet with a rich undertow of warm milk, malt and honey.
In the mouth, the liquor is velvety and thick and floods the senses with sweet comforts - milk, honey, apricot jam and syrupy sap. These are then layered with dancing herbal notes of thyme, mint and fig.
This is a tea to indulge in deeply.
Floating Lotus then leaves you with a buzzy, luminous, glowing energy.
An impeccable White which showcases all that is wonderous about this series. I can only dream of how precious this tea will be as it ages and I am busy squirreling away a few tongs!
Floating Lotus is one of Don's favourite teas of the year:
