Young vs aged white tea
The same leaf a decade apart, and the transformation is more dramatic than in any other category. The transformation is more dramatic here than in any other category, and it favours the cheapest grade.
tea
What is being compared
Point by point
| Aspect | Bai Mudan | Aged Shou Mei |
|---|---|---|
| Age | Fresh, drunk within a year or two. | Seven years or more. |
| Flavour | Hay, melon and light honey. | Dried date, honey, camphor and a medicinal sweetness. |
| Body | Light. | Considerably thicker. |
| Which grade ages best | Not this one — the finer grades transform least. | This one. Mature leaf carries more of what ageing acts on. |
The short answer
Drink the fine grades fresh and age the coarse ones. It is the one place in tea where the grade ladder inverts for a practical purpose.
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