This white tea is carefully harvested with one bud and two to three leaves, a picking style chosen to bring out its delicate floral character.
Our Ancient Tree White Tea is one of our signature white teas and has been enjoyed by many of our customers for years.
The tea leaves are sourced from naturally grown tea gardens at 2,000–2,300 meters above sea level, where 100–300-year-old tea trees grow without fertilizers or pesticides. The slow growth at high altitude allows the leaves to develop a greater concentration of flavor and aroma, resulting in a tea with a rich character, pronounced fragrance and long-lasting finish.
Even within the same first harvest, older tea trees and trees growing at higher elevations tend to sprout later. In the regions where we source our tea, the first harvest usually begins around March. However, very old tea trees—especially those around 500 years old—grow much more slowly, and it is not uncommon for their first harvest to take place as late as May.
Our Ancient Tree White Tea is made mainly from leaves harvested from some of the older trees in the tea gardens. While we naturally prefer to select the oldest trees possible, harvesting too late in the season can make it more difficult to produce high-quality white tea as temperatures begin to rise. For this reason, we focus mainly on leaves harvested in April, when we find the best balance between the age of the trees and the ideal growing conditions.
This careful selection results in one of our most full-bodied white teas, with a rich flavour and remarkably long-lasting finish.
Another distinctive feature is the relatively high proportion of mature leaves, which contain abundant aromatic compounds and give the tea an intense, elegant floral fragrance. With ageing, the floral character gradually transforms into deeper fruity aromas, making this a white tea with excellent potential for long-term ageing.
Our Ancient Tree White Tea is harvested from few hundred years old tea trees like the one shown in the photo above.
How to Enjoy Ancient Tree White Tea
Ancient Tree White Tea can be enjoyed in many different ways, each bringing out a different characters.
1. Hot Brew
When brewed with hot water, the tea continues to slowly evolve from infusion to infusion. The first one or two infusions are particularly floral and fragrant, while later infusions gradually develop sweeter aromas reminiscent of ripe fruits. Each infusion offers a slightly different expression of the tea.
You may wonder whether heat would stop the enzymes in the leaves from working. However, the thicker parts of the leaves and stems do not heat up completely within a short brewing time, allowing some enzymatic activity to continue and contributing to the gradual change in aroma.
2. Cold Brew — Highly Recommended
Cold brewing is one of the best ways to experience the unique character of this white tea. As the tea is extracted with cold water, the enzymes remain largely inactive, allowing its fresh, floral and refreshing aromas to shine.
You may notice refreshing aromas reminiscent of shiso leaves and grapes. The result is so smooth and aromatic that it is almost like drinking fresh tea juice.
For everyday cold brewing, use 5g of tea leaves with about 2 liters of water and refrigerate for half a day to overnight.
If you want to impress your guests or enjoy a more concentrated flavour, try 5g with 500ml of cold water. For the best aroma, we recommend using boiled water that has been cooled, rather than fresh tap or bottled water.
3. Sparkling White Tea
One increasingly popular way to enjoy white tea is to carbonate the cold brew using a home sparkling-water maker.
Sparkling White Tea is surprisingly delicious, offering a refreshing sensation reminiscent of champagne, with a long, elegant finish. It also pairs beautifully with food.
4. Ageing Potential
White tea is also fascinating for its ability to transform with age. When kept sealed and in an oxygen-free environment, its aroma can develop significantly, particularly from around the third year onward.
The fresh floral character of young tea gradually develops into richer aromas reminiscent of grapes, tropical fruits and honey, creating a deeper and sweeter expression.
While ageing with exposure to air may accelerate the transformation, it can also introduce unwanted acidity and off-flavors. For a cleaner and more refined development of fruity aromas, we recommend ageing the tea in an oxygen-free environment.