From Fuding to Guangdong — a white brick experiment
In spring 2024, this material came from a small cooperative on the slopes of Taimu Mountain. The coarser leaves — the gong mei grade — were usually sold at a modest price, but they had potential. Rather than being offered as loose tea, the material was pressed into bricks. The idea was borrowed from pu‑erh, but adapted to white tea: a light steam and precise pressure to preserve the leaf structure while allowing a slow, gentle fermentation.
In a warehouse in Guangdong, the bricks were stacked in a dry, well‑ventilated room. The subtropical humidity and temperature fluctuations of the Pearl River Delta would, over time, coax the tea toward a warmer, smoother character. Every few months, a sample was broken off and tasted. By the end of the second year, the brick had shed its fresh grassiness and taken on quiet honey and dry hay tones — just the start of a long aging curve.
This 200 g brick is the result of that experiment. It is still youthful, but already shows the deep amber liquor and calm sweetness that make aged white teas so prized. With proper storage, it will continue to evolve for another five or even ten years.