Shou Mei 2000

This tea is, both materially and proverbially, more than a treasure: finding a white tea as old as this is in itself remarkable, but rarely are 20-year aged white teas so well preserved, with large, whole leaves, pale hairs on the buds, and a lingering freshness in the aroma. Indeed, there is a gentle fruitiness present in the form of tart apple cider and a round, minty herbality, but the connoisseur of aged whites will also be pleased by the time-smoothed flavor of wildflower honey, straw, and a hint of cinnamon in later infusions. Though considered a Shou Mei, the aforementioned buds indicate a quality in its picking that has come to fruition all these years later, producing a grounded, relaxing tea that one could treasure for still longer.