Ma Wei Moonlight White Tea

This tea is certified organic.

MA WEI MOONLIGHT is a yue guang bai—"moonlight white"—from outer Simao, Yunnan, China. This production from Ma Wei Shan is bud-heavy at a mostly 1:1 (1 bud : 1 leaf) pluck (with some 1:2 plucks). Hugo selected their shade-dried version over sun-dried; the deep sugars and high floral character of shade-dried yue guang bai outdid the rich, "cooked" flavors of the same tea sun-dried that year. The farm is an organic plantation, with entire slopes of tea rows 15-30 years old; Hugo's yue guang bai is made with their highest-elevation (1200 m.) large leaf material typically reserved for their factory pu'er production. An autumn harvest from 2017, this tea is well-rested and has the luscious body and intense huigan (lingering sweetness in the throat) of aged white tea. 

Highly suitable for aging, this tea will develop some complexity over years (Hugo may have the last several kilos pressed in anticipation of this). The leaves in this lot are mostly unbroken and stubborn, suitable for aggressive brewing in multiple formats. Experimentation is encouraged.

notes — gardenia | pancake syrup | viscous

nomenclature — ma wei (马尾)—"horse tail" | shan (山)—"mountain"

style — yue guang bai ("moonlight white")

cultivar — da ye ("big leaf")

region — Simao, Yunnan, China

locale — Ma Wei Shan tea farm

elevation — 1200 meters

producer — Yuanzhen Li

vintage — autumn '17