Bailin Gongfu
The second of Fujian’s three historic gongfu black teas, made in Fuding from the same large-budded Da Bai cultivar that produces Silver Needle white tea. The bud content gives it a golden, downy appearance and an unusually sweet, low-astringency cup.
Character
Soft, golden and honey-sweet. The clearest demonstration in the catalogue that the same cultivar makes very different teas depending on whether it is withered into white tea or oxidised into black.
- Flavour
- Sweet, Chocolate, Fruity
- Aroma
- Honeyed
- Mouthfeel
- Silky, Smooth
- Complexity
- Moderate
- Notes
- honey, apricot, cocoa
- Aftertaste
- Sweet and clean, fading gently.
Moderate intensity: noticeable weight or grip, but neither dominates the cup.
Provenance and production
- Origin
- China
- Region
- Fuding
- Cultivar
- Fuding Da Bai
- Oxidation
- Fully oxidised
- Harvest
- Spring
- Processing
- Withering → Rolling and shaping → Oxidation → Drying
History
One of the three historic Fujian gongfu black teas alongside Tanyang and Zheng He, developed in the nineteenth century for export through the treaty ports. All three declined sharply when Indian and Ceylonese production took the market.
Brewing
Western brewing (teapot or mug)
1–1.5 g/100 ml · 88–93 °C · 1 authored infusion
Gongfu brewing (gaiwan)
4–5 g/100 ml · 90–95 °C · 5 authored infusions
No caffeine estimate is authored for this tea. TeaHQ does not infer one from its category, because category predicts caffeine poorly — matcha and gyokuro carry more than many black teas.
If you like this
Grouped by why they were suggested, strongest reason first. Nothing here is a blended score — a suggestion appears under the best reason that exists for it, and never under a weaker one as well.
Editorially linked
Someone wrote down why these two belong together. The note below is theirs.
- Jin Jun Mei
Jin Jun Mei is among the most imitated teas in China. Bailin Gongfu is the same Fuding Da Bai material, honeyed and bud-forward, at a fraction of the price.
- Bailin Jin Hao
Bud grade and leaf grade of the same Fuding black tea. The bud version is sweeter and softer and several times the price.
Similar sensory profile
Shares controlled flavour, aroma and mouthfeel descriptors. A looser match — two teas can share descriptors and still taste nothing alike.
- Assam golden tips
Shares 5 descriptors with Bailin Gongfu: chocolate, fruity, sweet, smooth and honeyed.
- Bai Hao Yin Zhen (Silver Needle)
Shares 5 descriptors with Bailin Gongfu: sweet, fruity, silky, smooth and honeyed.
- Bai Mudan
Shares 5 descriptors with Bailin Gongfu: sweet, fruity, silky, smooth and honeyed.
- Bai Mudan Wang
Shares 5 descriptors with Bailin Gongfu: sweet, fruity, silky, smooth and honeyed.
- Fuding Silver Needle
Shares 5 descriptors with Bailin Gongfu: sweet, fruity, silky, smooth and honeyed.
- Mi Xiang oolong
Shares 5 descriptors with Bailin Gongfu: sweet, fruity, silky, smooth and honeyed.