International shipping really screwed me on the August White2tea club package – I got it in late November. Something about August packages that were really slow. Now I’m catching up. When I drank the September club it referenced these teas, so finally, it is time!
Today is the long awaited August White2tea club. This one I was pumped for as it has an exclusive white cake!
2021 Everyman’s Baimudan
The leaves smell of weedy paper. The leaves are incredibly light.
My ratio is the usual 1gram of leaf per 20ml, steeped at a boil. After an infusion, the leaves refresh to a fresh, lightly floral grass.
First, Second, Third, and Fourth Infusion: Everyman’s Baimudan is incredibly buttery and oily, with a soft sweet grassy, milky and floral flavor. The second infusion sharpens in flavor to linen, amber, and powdery honey tulips. Interestingly, the third infusion shifts again to weedy, tree resin, with a fresh honey floral finish.
Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Infusion: Extended infusions here. Everyman’s Baimudan is strong woody sap resin and bitter vegetable stew. The final infusions lighten to a zesty floral, but grow in bitterness and finally break into dry textures.
Everyman’s Baimudan is not Fuding but also shows a good, almost fresh, white tea. Despite not being as fresh as intended, this tea still has excellent complexity and floral notes.
Moon Bear White from 2021 August White2tea Club
A bud heavy Yunnan white tea cake, let’s go! The leaves smell a bit of a smokey sweet scent, like honey and charred wood.
After a rinse, Moon Bear White smells charred, astringent vegetables. If I didn’t know, I would think this is a puer off the scent, but all the buds in the leaf def show something is amiss.
First, Second, and Third Infusion: Moon Bear White has an interesting blur between sheng and white tea. It’s has a thick and pillowy texture as well as a buttery balmy finish. The flavor starts light and stone fruity, juicy stems, with faint linen, buckwheat, and pan char note. The aftertaste slips softly to a creamy rock sugar with toasted honey wheat.
Not the prettiest steep too, this tea comes out quite cloudy.
Fourth and Fifth Infusion: Moon Bear White is astringent here. This white tea is a little picky to infuse with all the delicate buds. 200F/ 93c might have been best once the leaves opened up.
Moon Bear is tangy stone fruity, bitter charred peppers, with a bittermelon floral honey finish, that brightens and sweetens in the after taste. It’s strangely addictive and mysterious. I’m also feeling hella wired like I have enough energy to chase a Canada goose.
Sixth and Seventh Infusion: The last infusion of Moon Bear White is super bitter, tasting of boiled to stew green pepper, bittermelon, and cilantro. It’s a balmy feeling, but dry to shrivel up my esophagus. The final infusion sips in sweet astringent wheat, before settling into bitter and dry.
There’s something about Moon Bear White that reminds me of experiencing sheng puer way back when I started drinking teas. It’s different than other bud heavy/only white teas from Yunnan I’ve had so far. It’s mysterious, engaging, but a fussy steeper. I’m happy to of gotten this tea, a bit different than what I was expecting.
