Dark Horse | 2019 Shoumei

Tea: Dark Horse 2019* Shoumei Type: Shoumei (寿眉) Harvest: Autumn 2019Press Date: January 2026Region: Panxi, Fuding, ChinaProducer: Huanggang CooperativeTasting Notes: Graham Cracker, Steamed Milk, Old Books, Sweet Grass, Pie Crust In the recent world of Fuding White Tea, there has been a great reverence placed upon the village of Panxi, a small area between Fuding proper and Taimushan, a village isolated from the coast by mountains and forests. Teas from Panxi, Fuding have been some of our favorites in the white tea world, and so it was with great excitement that we rented a car and drove up to the cozy little village ourselves this summer searching for some aged panxi white teas. This tea comes from a mountain top above Panxi, the Huanggang Village. The makers have a small, tidy factory and produce and modest amount of tea every year. While we sampled many aged shoumei teas looking for the perfect ‘7 year treasure’ it was this tea that struck a chord with us. Although we believe it was made in the ‘brown style’ of processing, and thus lacks some of the higher more vegetal notes found in the green shoumei, it encompasses what we think of when we think of aged white tea. The leaves are all darkened with age, and even many of the once silver buds are showing their years by turning slightly orange. When the dry leaves are placed into a warmed gaiwan, we are met with the fragrance of sweet pine and old books. When brewed, the fragrances deepen into something sweeter, like graham crackers or dry pie crust. The brew is a rich gold that can darken into amber, and as is common with these more brown shoumei teas, the broth is incredibly sweet. There is a lot more going on in the tea soup than on the tea leaves, the tongue can taste steamed milk, sugar, and a glossy minerality that both coats the tongue and leaves it to tingle. This truly isn’t a flashy tea, but is reliable in its smooth and consistent drinkability. As with all our white teas, we brew 6 grams in a 100-120ml gaiwan with water right off the boil. You can experiment with different water temperatures, cooler temps give the tea a little more floral nots, higher temps bring our more umami. Never bought a tea cake before? Check out our video on how to break it apart! Huge thanks to Anj for creating the Wrapper Artwork. Follow their instagram @gushustudios to check out all their handmade teaware!