white peony king

type: white

origin: china

region: fujian fuding

caffeine: light

price level: $$$$

White Peony King, or Bai Mu Dan Wang, is the grand cru of White Peony tea. From the middle of March through the first week of April, the tea producers who farm the gardens in the hills above Fuding town in Fujian province are downright obsessive about the weather. Timing is everything. They need to catch the prime plucks of tea leaf during brief windows of sunshine amid the generally foggy and misty coastal air. They closely monitor the growth of the tea plants as they emerge from winter dormancy in a flush of new tea leaf buds and leaves. The earliest plucks, taken literally in the very first few days, are reserved for Fuding Silver Needles and White Peony King. This vintage of White Peony King has a delicate golden infusion with a silky, umami rich body and aromas of peach blossom, magnolia and blonde honey.