Spectacularly balanced Bai Mu Dan Wang (White Peony King) which has all of the soft, syrupy elegance of a Silver Needle while adding the texture, fruits and gentle green notes of a White Peony.
White Peony King differs from the more standard White Peony due to the fineness and timing of the picking. In general, Bai Mu Dan (White Peony) is made using the 2nd (and maybe 3rd pluckings) of the Spring harvests and consists of a bud and up to two to three leaves. White Peony King is a finer picking - a bud and up to two leaves. Technically, White Peony King can be further split into two descriptions. Pickings with practically all buds with one tiny leaf (White Peony King) and pickings with buds and two leaves (White Peony Exceptional).
The timing of the picking matters. I generally consider that a tea can only be called White Peony King if it comes from the 1st or 2nd pluck of the year (I hear some producers say that it must come from the first plucking but opinions differ).
Whatever the technical details, you should expect White Peony King to be a much finer picking with more buds (which are very fluffy) than your conventional White Peony.
BUT, the perfect balance of buds to leaves is certainly a matter of taste - more buds and finer picking does not necessarily mean better tea. In fact, I tend to avoid White Peony King which is too fine plucking - I find that it loses the essential character of White Peony and seems to veer too much into the territory of Silver Needle.
The King Peony is a perfect balance for my tastes - bringing together the finesse and creamy richness of Silver Needle with the fruit, nuts and texture of a White Peony.
