We produced only loose-leaf white tea from Yongde wild tea.
Due to its extremely limited quantity, we did not prepare any value packs this year. Stocks are very scarce, so we encourage you to consider early if interested.
Origin & Background
Yongde Wild Tea is harvested at around 2,300m altitude in Yongde County, Lincang, Yunnan. It comes from the wild Camellia taliensis species.
The discovery of this tea began with a pair of brothers who herd goats in the mountains. As they roam the highlands daily, they became very familiar with the local vegetation and told us about the presence of this wild tea.
This region is unique — it is high in altitude and unusually sunny for wild tea habitats. The tea bushes grow surrounded by shrubs and thorny brambles, making access very difficult, and only a very small quantity can be collected each year. Thanks to the abundant sunlight, Yongde Wild Tea is known for its clear, transparent fragrance.
The Uniqueness of Camellia taliensis and the Challenges of Processing
This tea is made from the Camellia taliensis species, known for its distinctive aroma. When processed into white tea, it reveals a clear, muscat grape–like fragrance that stands out beautifully.
However, bringing out this transparent aroma requires very precise processing. Camellia taliensis has thick stems, which makes moisture loss during withering slow and uneven. This makes it one of the most challenging teas to turn into white tea. If the withering takes too long, enzymes in the stems ferment excessively, leading to an unpleasant “stuffy” smell. To prevent this, strict control is needed so that the withering time stays within a proper range according to the weather.
If something goes wrong during processing, the tea turns brown overall and loses its fresh green brightness. One of the key indicators of high-quality white tea is its colour — well-made white tea should be a vivid yellow-green to green. In Yunnan, it is common to see white tea that looks like dried black fungus, but the brown or black appearance is a sign of over-fermentation. Such teas, while still carrying some floral or fruity notes, are marred by a musty, cloth-like smell.
At our shop, we stay on-site in Yunnan even before the season begins, managing production daily. This hands-on approach ensures that the white tea we produce achieves the ideal colour and fragrance. The bright, lively hue of our wild white tea is proof of the careful production management carried out directly at the origin.
Characteristics of Yongde Wild White Tea
Even when produced with the same care each year, the aroma and character of tea vary with rainfall, weather, and temperature. This year’s white tea carries a gentle fragrance, with a creamy and soft taste, and Yongde Wild White Tea also reflects this calm and refined personality.
What impressed me most was the moment I first tasted it: the liquid itself felt exceptionally pure and soothing, gliding smoothly into the body. Its rich minerals give the impression of permeating every cell, leaving a deep sense of comfort.
Another remarkable point is its strong hui xiang (returning aroma). While the first sip feels calm and understated, a powerful fragrance rises back from the throat, leaving a long-lasting impression that contrasts beautifully with its gentle entry.
