Yunnan Moonlight White

Yunnan Moonlight White｜雲南月光白

 Tasting notes: Syrupy, honey, wet forest
 Origin: Jinggu, Puerh, Yunnan
 Cultivar: 雲南大葉 Yunnan Da Ye (Big Leaf)
 Elevation: 950m
 Oxidation: ⦿⦿○○○

Easily one of our favourite white teas, Yunnan Moonlight White is incredibly fragrant and silky sweet, with a surprising depth of flavour that lasts for multiple infusions. We get notes of honeysuckle and baked apricot, with woodsy undertones.

Harvested from 100-year-old Puerh trees, this rare white tea consists of a silvery white bud and a single black leaf, reminiscent of a crescent moon against the night sky, hence the poetic name.

What is Yunnan Moonlight White tea?
Unlike most white teas, this one is dried before dawn under the moonlight—a slower process that yields a sweeter tea. It is a relatively recent invention made using Yunnan’s “big leaf” varietal, the buds of which are so large, you can clearly see and feel the silvery white hairs on them. In most other white teas, the hairs are too tiny to notice.

This white fur on the buds is a feature you often see with teas grown at high elevations, where the buds need protection from the cold. The buds are the most prized part of the plant, as they are full of antioxidants and contribute a delicate sweetness to the finished tea.

Read: Tea 101: All about white tea