Misunderstandings about White Tea Shoumei? This article will help clear them up
Shoumei's position among white teas
has always been an awkward one
because some people always assume its quality is average
yet the truth is not like that at all!
Text | Xiaobai
01
In the past, tea friends would always ask Xiaobai a question like this: why is there a tea like Shoumei among white teas?
When I heard it at the time, I felt completely baffled. What was wrong with Shoumei, and why would anyone raise such a question?!
Later I learned that it was because Shoumei's appearance seemed too ordinary in the eyes of some tea friends, which caused their misunderstanding.
But among white teas, Shoumei belongs to the high-yield group, so as long as tea friends walk into a tea shop, it is hard to avoid running into it!
Moreover, Shoumei really is not what everyone imagines it to be, so today Xiaobai is going to make a proper defense for it.
02
What characteristics does Shoumei have?
After comparing it with Baihao Yinzhen and Bai Mudan, Shoumei really has nothing to say for itself in terms of appearance.
One bud and three or four leaves, plus a thick, sturdy tea stem - this whole appearance is simply synonymous with the word "rugged," giving people the feeling of a tough guy.
Just like Old Bai, who runs around tea gardens all year round and also looks very rough, but that does not mean the inside is rough too~
Shoumei also has many strong points.
The first is of course its yield. As a white tea picked in both spring and autumn, its yield is very high.
A picking period of more than 20 days in spring and more than 60 days in autumn is completely proving its strength to people!
The second strong point is that Shoumei's price is very affordable.
Because its yield is high, its price is inevitably more attractive. If tea friends do not believe it, they can compare its price with Yinzhen and Mudan and they will discover it.
Not only that, Shoumei's taste and aroma are also highly representative!
03
The aroma of new Shoumei
Aroma can be said to be one of Shoumei's most distinctive features. Its aroma is very high and lasting, and the aroma in different seasons is completely different!
Shoumei from the spring tea period gives a more elegant aroma, with pekoe fragrance and floral fragrance like small wildflowers in early spring.
It can always bring a fresh and refined posture without you realizing it!
This is actually related to its growth cycle, because the growth cycle of spring Shoumei is relatively short.
At the same time, Yinzhen and Mudan come before it, so its aromatic substances are somewhat fewer!
But autumn Shoumei is different, because its growth cycle is relatively long, so the accumulation of material components will definitely be greater.
In this way, when tasting autumn Shoumei, its aroma is also more deep and fragrant, and all kinds of floral scents can always occupy your entire nasal cavity in an instant!
04
The taste of new Shoumei
Because Shoumei is picked in spring and autumn, there are some differences in taste between them.
The taste of spring Shoumei gives a feeling of freshness, smoothness, and clear sweetness, because spring temperatures are not yet high, so the tea leaves receive relatively less sun exposure.
Therefore, after comparing it with autumn Shoumei, it appears more tender, and there is also more tea down on the back of the leaves!
In this way, after withering and drying, a large amount of the amino acids in the tea leaves are retained.
So after spring Shoumei is brewed, the fresh and crisp feeling is very obvious, while the tea liquor is even smoother in the mouth!
Different growth factors give autumn Shoumei a different charm.
After autumn Shoumei is exposed to the summer sun, a waxy layer appears on the surface of the leaves, and the tea stems also look thicker.
All of these make no small contribution to autumn Shoumei's mellow, smooth, and sweet tea liquor!
05
The aroma and taste of aged Shoumei
After three years of tempering, aged Shoumei gives a feeling of greater charm and greater maturity.
The color of the leaves gradually turns variegated, and the aroma also becomes more steady.
Shoumei's aroma also slowly changes from the initial fresh and elegant floral fragrance to a steady aged fragrance and rich floral fragrance.
If you take the patience to experience it, you will also sense medicinal fragrance, sweet fragrance, and the unique jujube fragrance of aged Shoumei cakes.
That aroma is the trace left by the years, warm and sweet!
As time settles, aged Shoumei's taste becomes softer, mellower, and more viscous and smooth. That feeling is like feeling exceptionally warm under the sunlight in cold winter.
After the tea liquor enters the mouth and slides down the throat, when you savor it carefully, you can also experience the clear sweetness of the returning sweetness!
All of this is a manifestation of the internal substance transformation after Shoumei is stored~
06
Perhaps in appearance, compared with Baihao Yinzhen and Bai Mudan, Shoumei really seems to have an ordinary face, but you cannot deny everything about it based only on appearance!
Because with it, what we need to pay attention to is not appearance, but the inside.
So as long as tea friends understand Shoumei well enough, I believe that after one intimate encounter with it, they will fall in love with it~
Therefore, Xiaobai has always firmly believed that as long as you are willing to try Shoumei, you will definitely gain something.
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welcome to follow the WeChat public account [Riquan Tea Factory, public account ID: 15659252304]