Bai Mu Dan tea is a White Peony tea that includes new leaves as well as the center needle sprout.

White Peony tea--Bai Mu Dan tea

      Bai Mu Dan is a white tea that includes new leaves as well as the center needle sprout. While widely considered to be a lower grade than Yinzhen, it is actually a separate category of white tea that includes grades of its own. Bai Mu Dan style is often preferred by white tea drinkers for its fuller flavor and greater potency than the Bai Hao Yinzhen style tea, which is made with undeveloped leaves, and so it is comparatively pale when brewed.

      The processing rules require this tea only be picked between March 15 and April 10. It is not picked on days that may be raining or if the dew has not dried or if there is frost on the ground. No purple buds are allowed and the stems must not be too long or too short. Leaves damaged by wind, handling, insects or partially open are rejected and put into a lower grade. The best Bai Mu Dan is produced using the two leaves and a bud proportion and is naturally or mechanically withered to produce leaves that are not black or red but green in color.

     You will notice a very mild peony aroma when brewing the tea and a floral aroma, the tea is best brewed with good mineral water and at 70°c (158°F) to 80°c (176°F). The brew is a very pale green or golden color. Fruity and darker than Silver Needle, yet not as strong as Shou Mei. The finest quality should have a shimmering clear infusion with a delicate lingering fragrance and a fresh, mellow, sweet taste devoid of astringency and grassy flavors.