There are many processing steps that occur after the leaves have been plucked, and, in fact, the post-harvest processing of tea is the single biggest factor on the style and flavor of the tea. For instance, the exact same tea can be processed to become a green, white, oolong or even black tea. We feature several tea styles at Mammoth Espresso, but in this post I want to provide an overview of our white tea lineup.

Brewing Shou Mei gongfu style

So what is white tea? The simplest explanation is that white tea is one that has been withered for several days and then dried. The long withering allows white teas to develop their characteristic heavy floral aroma. Like green teas, white tea is minimally oxidized. When teas are allows to oxidize heavily, they become darker in color and their flavor character changes. For example, black teas are heavily oxidized.

What you see below is our current roster of white tea. All are available by the cup, and most are also available in a retail package for home brewing. You’ll see a corresponding year next to each tea. Similar to a fine wine, these teas have been made for the long haul, and have been specially produced to allow for natural aging. Unlike wine, these teas can be tasted now and continued to be stored and sampled every so often as you please. With additional aging, these teas will develop additional character.

Turtle Dove, 2017

Turtle Dove is a pressed white tea from Yunnan Province, China. The tea has a thick body, soft mouthfeel and a unique natural fragrance. Look for notes of honeydew and white grape.

A look at our Turtle Dove white tea

Old Whitey, 2016

Old Whitey was made using the large leaf tea variety, which is used in making puer tea, but then processed as a white tea similar to a Fujian Shoumei. This tea is heavy and sweet with big floral notes and hints of date.

Hot Brandy, 2016

Hot Brandy is an experimental tea blend consisting of both white and black tea material. It is visually caramel in color, but drinks with the characteristic melon and floral qualities of a white tea.

Hot Brandy also makes an excellent iced tea

Shou Mei, 2014

Shou Mei is a tea produced in Fujian Province, China. This Shou Mei includes larger leaves with a mix of buds, and a heavier than average soup. Shou Mei is picked after the selection of Bai Mu Dan, and the more mature leaves lend to a higher intensity of flavor and darker color.

Bai Mu Dan, 2013

Also known as White Peony, Bai Mu Dan is a white tea from Fujian Province, China. It is a popular style of white tea made of young tea leaves and many unopened leaf buds. This Bai Mu Dan has a fresh fragrance, and a wispy, soft floral character.