Mellow sweetness and a quiet mineral structure from old trees pressed into a cake. White Paper '24 is a cake-pressed white tea from 2,050 meters in Yunnan, where altitude gives the leaf a mineral backbone that loose-leaf whites from lower elevations rarely carry. Drink it fresh for bright clarity, or set it aside and let time build something deeper. What You'll Taste Think soft sweetness over a clean mineral base, like spring water with honey dissolved in it. The liquor pours pale gold with a light floral lift, and first steeps are gentle and rounded — no sharpness, just a steady sweetness that fills the mouth quietly. By the third pour, dried alpine flowers and a chalky mineral note emerge, giving the cup a structure that holds across a dozen steeps. Old trees at 2,050 meters pressed into a cake — the mineral thread running through later steeps is what altitude builds into the leaf. Where It Comes From Mi Feng Shan sits in Lincang, Yunnan, at 2,050 meters, surrounded by mixed forest where tea trees grow alongside other plants rather than in plantation rows. Cold nights and morning fog slow leaf growth, packing more sweetness into each shoot. The Shao family coordinates local farmers who tend old Mengku Daye trees here using low-intervention methods. How It's Made Gushu Daye Bai Cha (古树大叶白茶) means large-leaf white from old trees, and the name describes the process well. The farmers pick by hand in April 2024, wither the leaves in shade until they soften, then sun-dry them slowly to lock in the fresh aromatics. Once dry, the loose leaf goes into cakes for storage, and that compressed format is what lets it age gracefully over years. How It Ages Fresh cakes taste bright and floral, like the cup described above. After two to three years, honey deepens and grain notes fill in where the florals used to be, and beyond five years the body thickens into something warming and concentrated. White Paper's high-altitude leaf gives it a strong foundation for aging, so drink some now and store the rest. The 25-gram portion covers four to five sessions, enough to decide if this leaf deserves a spot in your rotation. Pair it with something from the white tea collection to taste how time changes the cup. Brewing Brew 5 grams (about a tablespoon) in 100 ml of 90°C water for 30 seconds. Rinse is optional; some drinkers skip it to catch the bright first steep. Resteep freely, as the cake format holds flavor across ten rounds or more, and a 25-gram portion gives you four to five full sessions. FAQ What is white tea? White tea undergoes less processing than any other category. Farmers pick the leaves, wither them, and dry them with no rolling or roasting involved. That minimal handling preserves the natural sweetness and delicate aromatics in every leaf. How does White Paper compare to Wild Arbor? Wild Arbor is a 2015 Fuding cake with ten years of aging behind it, so the cup runs thick and figgy with a warming finish. White Paper is fresh 2024 Yunnan leaf with a brighter, more floral character. Choose Wild Arbor for depth and White Paper for freshness and aging potential. How long can I age pressed white tea? Decades. The compressed format slows air exposure and lets the tea transform gradually. Over five to ten years, the bright, alpine character will settle into deeper honey and dried-fruit notes. Store it sealed and away from strong smells, and check in yearly to taste the shift. Will this get better with age? Cake-format white teas improve over years of storage. Keep the cake in a cool, dry place away from strong odors, and the flavor deepens steadily. Many drinkers buy two portions: drink one now and set the other aside for a few years.
