On the tea review for today is Yunnan Sourcing’s 2013 Shou Mei White Tea Cake from Fuding. This cake is only $10! (not including Yunnan Sourcing shipping). I had this in my cart, then I took it out as I figured I had plenty of 5 year old Shou Meis in my stash. Then the cake showed up with my last Yunnan Sourcing order. Tea blogger power freebie? Either way, I didn’t pay for this cake. I didn’t know what it was as it wasn’t labeled, figured it was an aged white of some kind, then tea friends helped as they recognized the wrapper.
Leaf and Steeping Method
2013 Shou Mei White Tea Cake from Fuding has a soft dank and wooden floor scent. It smelled muskier on arrival. The cake somehow swelled up in the plastic bag it came in that I had to rip it open and repackage it. It must have had a hot and sweaty journey to Seattle.
I like my white teas at 1 gram per 20ml, boiling water gongfu style. The hot steeped leaf smells like fallen autumn leaves starting to go off.
Tasting of Yunnan Sourcing’s 2013 Shou Mei White Tea Cake from Fuding
First and Second Infusion: The age of this 2013 Shou Mei is just enough to take the green off, but still has the youthful soft and linen flavours. The Shou Mei has honey, a bit dried mandarin orange (without the tart), baby powder, and funky wood aftertaste like a humid stored tea.
Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Infusion: The flavour developed more and it tastes of stronger forest floor that evapourates after each sip. I love aged white tea but the oolong drinker in me wants aftertaste. With the tea opened up, 2013 Shou Mei White Tea Cake from Fuding is a bit green, mineral, and honey, but mostly of that pile of leaves in November/December that have turned into mush under the tree. Fall has the best smells and this is part of why I love aged white teas.
Yunnan Sourcing 2013 Shou Mei White Tea Cake from Fuding tastes consistently the same for these infusions, holding strength and notes as I steep away.
Ninth, Tenth, Eleventh, Twelfth, Thirteenth, and Fourteenth Infusion: 2013 Shou Mei got sweeter. It’s honeyed but also that forest floor fun and wood taste. I’m infusing these infusions at around 5-20 minutes each with boiling water and they are not dry or bitter. The Shou Mei is pretty smooth, sweet, and aged tasting for easy drinking.
After 13 infusions I was having difficulty as I could smell the tea leaves had plenty, but this small gaiwan was just not paying off the flavour as good as my bigger thicker walled gaiwan or tea pot. At this point, I could easily stove boiled the rest of the tea to get it all out. You own resteep results will vary depending on the vessel or if you use a warmer.
Comments
You cannot beat $10 for 100 grams for a 2013 aged white tea. More often at this price point, I’ve played the amazon/ebay game and got a white tea that was much greener which was likely not the aged as claimed to be. Yunnan Sourcing’s 2013 Shou Mei White Tea Cake from Fuding is smooth, sweet, and a reliably consistent tasting tea. I would highly recommend this tea for someone wanting to own a cake or taste aged white teas with little money down. This is also a good daily drinker too. For $10 you can buy a couple to hide away for further aging.
As a con, from someone who drinks quite a bit of aged white tea, 2013 Shou Mei is not as complex as something higher end, but that’s pretty obvious as it’s a $10 tea.
(freebie with order)
