White Peony white tea was my first loose leaf tea experience, and still remains one of my favorites.
This tea is the second "youngest" grading of white tea, falling under Silver Needle that when plucked contains less buds and more leaf, and unlike Silver Needle, does not consist of long needle-like leaves, and instead has semi-opened wider leaves. These leaves do however have tiny white fuzzy hairs present which gives white tea its name.
What I favor about this tea is the natural sweet & fruity taste that it produces, as well as the beautiful golden color of the liquor. Folks may notice that the aroma is stronger (yet pleasant) and not as airy as like some other varieties of white tea.
For folks who have a sweet tooth, this tea is accompanied quite nice/y with some pure honey as well.
This Adagio variety of White Peony white tea is also called "Bai Mu Dan", and like their Silver Needle variety is grown in China's Fujian Province.
As mentioned, the brew of this tea is a bit darker and fruitier than Silver Needle and requires a couple of minutes more steeping time, usually about 5 minutes total is the perfect balance (Adagio recommends 7 minutes).
Also, the tea is low in caffeine, containing less than green or black tea, which makes it a perfect evening beverage to enjoy while relaxing the day's stress away before falling asleep.
If you are a newcomer to white tea, giving white peony a try is a great place to start.
