2012 Bao Feng Xiang Ji "Gong Mei" White Tea Cake - Yunnan Sourcing

Tea

Feb 18

Written By Christian Lee

Notes of rose petal, cardamon, and cranberry.

Name: 2012 Bao Feng Xiang Ji "Gong Mei" White Tea Cake

Source: Yunnan Sourcing

Price: $63 / 300g, $12.50 / 50g sample

Harvest: Harvested Spring 2012, Pressed April 2018

Origin: Fuding City, Fujian Province

Varietal: Fuding Da Hao Varietal

Tea Quantity: 5g

Brew Temperature: 95ºC

Water Quantity: 60mL

Brew Time: 30s

Wash: Yes

Visual Notes

Like an aged puerh, the tea is pressed into a circular cake. In order to serve the tea, you need to split apart the cake to break it in to chunks. However, unlike most puerh I have encountered, the shape of the leaves are still very much visible in this cake, attributing to it being a white tea and the leaves being lighter in color. While the overall color is mostly a dark brown, there is some contrasting lighter leaves giving a nicer appearance.

Scent Notes

The tea gives off a very pleasant sweet floral like aroma. A little bit of rose petal and cardamon. The scent of the hot tea leaves is a bit richer and fruitier in aroma, and almost has a cranberry like sourness.

Tasting Notes

The first infusion of a pressed tea is usually light, as the full surface area of the tea leaves is not yet exposed. Since I prefer to brew my puerh with a large amount of tea leaves over a short time, I expect the taste to change over multiple infusions. The taste is mellow, with nutty vegetal notes. It is soft in texture, and a little sweet. There is some natural acidity to the tea as well, which you can taste on the top of the tongue. The finish is this warming fruity floral semi sweet semi sour taste. The sourness is not unpleasant, it is as like drinking a fruit juice.
The color of the tea is darker on this infusion, going from a soft pale yellow to a rich golden yellow. The taste is even stronger, with more floral notes coming through, and a stronger creamy note in both texture and flavor. The sweetness coats the mouth, which is stronger now, and you can even feel it on the nose.
Still maintaining a golden yellow color, this tea maintains a creamy floral note to the nose. Short sniffs remind me of a floral ice cream, while a slow inhale reveals the fruity like sweet notes. The texture is still soft and creamy, while the flavors dance between a slight acidity and a creamy sweetness. The tea still fully coats the tongue and softens the mouth, with no perceived bitterness or dryness.
It isn’t really until now that the tea leaves have mostly separated. The scent of the tea leaves gives a delicious fruity sweetness and scent. All sharp sour notes of the tea leaves has gone, and what is left is this lovely floral sweetness with notes of earthy and spiced tones. The color of the tea is slightly darker, and the flavor is richer. It doesn’t feel as delicate as the first infusion. The flavor is stronger still, with a soft texture that coats the mouth, and that fruity floral note dominating the flavor. Semi sweet with no bitterness. Great finish, being able to feel the lingering notes on the sides of the tongue, roof of the mouth, and out the nose.
This infusion appears to be similar to the previous, and I suspect that this tea will maintain this over successive infusions after this.

Rating: 5/5

I think this is a fantastic aged tea. This is my first true aged white tea experience. I heard it said once that white tea aged one year is tea, three years is medicine, and seven years is treasure. Being harvested in 2012, at this point is time it is about 10 years old, or 4 years since being pressed. When brewed gongfu style, it starts of with a delicate floral lightness, reveals an acidic fruity note, which then evolves into a creamy floral semi sweetness that still delivers and grows over multiple infusions. The tea leaves open up, releasing its initial flavor over time, and develops a full and complete flavor only after multiple infusions. I think this tea can easily entertain an entire lazy morning and afternoon. I really like the floral notes of this tea, with is semi sweet nature. There is no detectable bitterness to me even after multiple infusions. While there is a slight dryness on the sides and back of the tongue, it is not aggressive at all. The ability for this tea to develop such a pleasant yet complex flavor, and also develop and put out over multiple infusions makes me really enjoy this tea.

Tea Seller’s Description

This is entirely 2012 spring harvested Gong Mei White Tea from Fuding area of Fujian. It was aged in a clean/dry storage condition until it was pressed on April 10th 2018, and then stored in Kunming thereafter.

The taste of the tea is ultra smooth and sweet with notes of malt, sugarcane and the slightest vegetal umami taste. It reminds me of a marriage of a tippy Yunnan Black tea and Bai Mu Dan. The aging has made this tea something beautiful to experience. Very thick and satisfying tea that is almost impossible to over brew. This can be brewed western style as well with excellent results! We also offer another Bao Feng Xian Ji 2015 Gong Mei cake here!

Gong Mei is considered to be 3rd grade Fuding White Tea, sharing character with both Bai Mu Dan and Shou Mei.

Fuding Bai Cha In order of tippiest to coarsest: