Ma'anshan Ancient Tree White Tea 50g

Sourced from a Village Above 2000m

Ma'anshan is a mountain in the western part of Lincang, Yunnan, near the border with Myanmar. The name Ma'anshan refers both to the mountain and to a village. In the center of Ma'anshan village, however, fertilizer-based cultivation has spread as tea prices have soared. The village center sits at 1500 to 1600m, and the higher ground around the village reaches about 1700m. I, however, buy tea from a village where traditional natural cultivation is still preserved, deeper into the mountains beyond the Ma'anshan shown in the photos below. The area where I sourced this tea lies above 2000m, and the first flush there can be picked about ten days later than in other areas. Tea that grows slowly in the high mountains, with their sharp swings between day and night temperatures, is intensely sweet and deeply satisfying to drink.

The center of Ma'anshan

The Hallmark of Ma'anshan Tea: A Body That Fills the Whole Mouth

The defining characteristic of Ma'anshan tea is the sensation of the tea spreading to fill your entire mouth. In tasting terms this is called body: when you take the tea into your mouth, a strong sweetness is felt on both sides of the mouth, and a sweet aftertaste lingers after you swallow. Ma'anshan is blessed with fine soil, and every tea made around this village has an exceptionally strong body. Beyond body, a deep finish that seems to be drawn down into the back of the throat is another hallmark of Ma'anshan tea.

Made the Traditional Way

This tea was finished in a style similar to Bai Mudan (White Peony). The leaves were plucked as one bud and two leaves, or one bud and three leaves on the central shoots. During withering, we were not too concerned with color; instead, to let dehydration stress push fermentation further and bring out a strong sweetness, we withered the leaves for longer than is usual for Bai Mudan (more than two days). Rather than in a withering trough or a dedicated withering room, the leaves were spread in a single layer on bamboo trays in a shady, well-ventilated spot and withered under natural conditions. The result is a refreshing aroma with hints of muscat, citrus, and fresh spring greenery.

The photo shows the finishing step at our own facility, where a gentle hot-air treatment removes off-flavors and refines the aroma.

A White Tea That Transforms with Aging

White tea is delicious drunk right away, but aging it before drinking is another way to enjoy it. White tea made from naturally grown leaves, like Ma'anshan Ancient Tree White Tea, is especially rich in polyphenols and develops a pronounced sweet aroma when aged. Moreover, because these naturally grown teas have also been nibbled to some extent by leafhoppers, aging brings out an intensely sweet, honey-like, muscat-like fragrance. After several years or more of aging, Ma'anshan Ancient Tree White Tea turns into a tea with a sweet aroma reminiscent of ice wine. If you wish to age it actively, keep the bag unopened, in its oxygen-free state, in as warm a place as possible. The higher the average annual temperature, the faster the aging.

Cold-Brewed, It Is a Hit with Children

There is one more way to enjoy Ma'anshan Ancient Tree White Tea: cold brewing. I put 5g of leaves in 1 liter of water, place it in the refrigerator, and take it out a few hours later. If it seems weak at that point, leave it another hour or two; if it seems strong, dilute it with water to your preferred strength. To draw out more aroma, use boiled water that has been allowed to cool. Chilled white tea is wonderfully refreshing and delicious, and astonishingly popular with children. White tea is lightly fermented and keeps the leaf as close to its natural state as possible, and in my experience children love it. Children tend to prefer lightly fermented teas over black tea, oolong, or strongly flavored green tea; watching the children around me, they are extremely fond of white tea and raw pu-erh.