2016 Shou Mei Aged White Tea Cake

With gong fu brewing, you can comfortably get 5 or more good infusions from a single serving. The flavor evolves nicely across steeps — starting sweet and honey-like, then shifting into deeper earthy and medicinal notes. Even with Western-style brewing, you can get a solid second steep. This makes the already affordable price even better value per cup.

Gong fu brewing is where this Shou Mei really shines. Break off about 5-7g from the cake, place it in a gaiwan or small teapot, and rinse once with hot water (90-95°C) to wake up the compressed leaves. Then do short steeps — start at 10-15 seconds for the first infusion and add 5-10 seconds each round. Reviewers consistently get 5 or more good infusions, and the flavor shifts from sweet and honey-like early on to deeper earthy and medicinal notes in later steeps. It rewards patience.

You have two great options. For a quick everyday cup, Western-style brewing works well — use water around 85-95°C and steep for 3-4 minutes. This tea is very forgiving with temperature, so you don't need to be precise. For the full experience though, reviewers recommend gong fu brewing, where you use more leaf, less water, and do multiple short infusions. You can easily get 5 or more steeps this way, and the flavor evolves beautifully from steep to steep.

For a no-fuss daily cup, use about 3-4g of this Shou Mei in a mug or teapot with 250ml of water at 85-95°C. Steep for 3-4 minutes. You can usually get a good second steep out of the same leaves too. The tea is very forgiving — even if you forget it and steep a bit long, reviewers note it stays smooth and doesn't turn bitter. That makes it a great choice for casual brewing when you don't want to fuss over timing.

For most delicate white teas, you'd want 75-80°C. But this aged Shou Mei is different — it handles 85-95°C beautifully, and some gong fu brewers even go close to boiling. The aged, compressed leaves are much more robust than young white tea buds, so they benefit from hotter water to release those deep honey, jujube, and earthy notes. If you don't have a temperature-controlled kettle, just let your boiled water sit for a minute or two and you'll be in the sweet spot.

They're almost like different categories of tea. Silver Needle is delicate, sweet, and subtle — all about the buds. White Peony (Bai Mudan) is a step fuller with more leaf. This Shou Mei is the boldest of the bunch — full-bodied, earthy, with honey and jujube sweetness. Reviewers note it's closer to a black tea in character than to Silver Needle. If you like delicate floral teas, this isn't that. If you want something robust and warming, this delivers.

It's actually an excellent beginner's tea, but maybe not a typical introduction to white tea. It's forgiving to brew (handles a wide temperature range of 85-95°C), affordable so you can experiment freely, and smooth enough that it's hard to make a bad cup. The caveat is that it tastes nothing like delicate Silver Needle or White Peony — so if you try this first, know that lighter white teas will be a completely different experience. Think of it as a friendly starting point for aged white tea specifically.

Yes, Shou Mei white tea is well-suited for home aging, and some tea enthusiasts buy it specifically for this purpose. Store it in a cool, dry place away from strong odors — the compressed cake format helps with long-term storage. Over time, the flavor typically deepens and mellows further. Just keep it away from moisture and sunlight. Whether it's worth aging depends on the batch quality, but at this price, it's a low-risk experiment.

Less than you'd expect. Despite the dark color of the brewed liquor, reviewers specifically noted that this tea causes less teeth staining than other teas they drink. That's a genuine unexpected benefit if you're a daily tea drinker who's concerned about dental aesthetics.

This is one of the most popular uses reviewers mention. It's naturally calorie-free, smooth enough to drink on an empty stomach, and flavorful enough to feel satisfying when you can't eat. The honey-sweet notes give it a richness that helps curb cravings without breaking your fast. Several buyers specifically chose it for their fasting routine.

Yes — its low caffeine content makes it a popular choice for evening wind-down. The smooth, warming character with honey and earthy notes is naturally suited to relaxing before bed. If black tea or green tea keeps you up at night, this aged Shou Mei is worth trying as an evening alternative that still feels like a proper cup of tea.

White tea generally contains less caffeine than black or green tea, and this aged Shou Mei follows that pattern. Reviewers specifically mention it as a low caffeine option suitable for morning routines and even evening drinking before bed. The aging process may also reduce caffeine slightly. If you're sensitive to caffeine, this is a solid choice — several buyers drink it during intermittent fasting without issues.

Unlikely with this one. Multiple buyers specifically drink this Shou Mei as part of their evening wind-down routine before bed, which tells you something about its gentle caffeine level. Everyone's sensitivity is different, but if you can handle green tea in the afternoon, you'll probably be fine with this aged white tea in the evening.

Aged white tea like this Shou Mei is generally considered gentle on the stomach — more so than green tea, which can be acidic on an empty stomach. Reviewers mention drinking this during intermittent fasting, which suggests it sits well without food. The smooth, non-bitter profile also means less tannin harshness, which is usually what upsets stomachs with tea.

Absolutely — this Shou Mei is actually an excellent daily drinker. Reviewers consistently praise its smooth, non-bitter taste, which means you won't get palate fatigue drinking it regularly. It's also relatively low in caffeine compared to black or green teas, and several buyers specifically mention using it as part of their daily routine, including during intermittent fasting. At this price point, you won't feel guilty going through it quickly either.

For Western-style brewing, use about 3-4 grams of this Shou Mei per 250ml (roughly 8oz) of water. For gong fu style, go heavier — about 5-7 grams per 100-150ml in a gaiwan or small teapot. Since this is a compressed cake, you'll need to break pieces off carefully. The gong fu ratio is worth trying because reviewers mention getting 5+ flavorful infusions, which means you're actually getting great value per gram.

White tea is made from the Camellia sinensis plant with minimal processing — the leaves are simply withered and dried, with very little oxidation. This Fuding Shou Mei is a classic white tea from Fujian province, China, but because it's been aged and compressed into a cake, it looks and tastes quite different from what most people picture as white tea. Reviewers actually note it tastes more like a black tea than a typical white, with dark brown leaves and a full-bodied, earthy character.

This Shou Mei is practically built for daily drinking. It's smooth and non-bitter, so you won't get tired of it. It's low in caffeine, so you can enjoy it multiple times a day. It's affordable enough to drink freely. And with gong fu brewing, a single session gives you 5+ cups from the same leaves. Several reviewers describe it as their go-to daily tea, which says a lot.

Silver Needle (Bai Hao Yin Zhen) is generally considered the most famous and highest-grade white tea, made entirely from unopened buds. This Shou Mei sits at a different end of the spectrum — it's made from mature leaves rather than delicate buds, which gives it a fuller, more robust character. Think of Silver Needle as the refined, delicate white tea experience, while this aged Shou Mei offers something earthier and more full-bodied, closer to a black tea in some ways.

White tea grades from highest to lowest are Silver Needle, White Peony (Bai Mudan), Gong Mei, and Shou Mei. This tea is a Shou Mei, which is the most affordable grade — but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Reviewers note it's not top-grade quality, but they consistently praise its value for the price. The aging process also transforms Shou Mei's character significantly, adding complexity with honey, jujube, and even leather notes that you won't find in higher-grade young white teas.

White tea is one of the gentlest true teas. This aged Shou Mei in particular is low in caffeine and smooth on the stomach, so side effects are rare. The main things to watch for would be caffeine sensitivity (though levels are low) and tannin intake if you drink large quantities on an empty stomach. Reviewers specifically note it works well for fasting and evening drinking, suggesting it's very well-tolerated.

They're quite different experiences. Green tea tends to be grassy and vegetal, while this aged Shou Mei offers something completely different — honey sweetness, earthy depth, and notes of old books and Chinese medicine. Neither is objectively better, but if you find green tea too grassy or astringent, this could be a revelation. Several reviewers who are more used to black tea found this Shou Mei more approachable than typical white or green teas because of its full-bodied, smooth character.

With this aged Shou Mei, perfection is surprisingly easy to achieve. Use water between 85-95°C — it handles temperature variation well, so you don't need a thermometer. Break off a chunk from the cake (about 5g for a small pot), rinse it briefly with hot water to open up the compressed leaves, then steep. Start with 2-3 minutes for Western style and adjust to taste. The beauty of this tea is that it's hard to over-steep — reviewers love that it stays smooth and non-bitter even when you push the timing.

All true teas contain some caffeine, so technically yes — but this aged Shou Mei is on the milder end. Buyers report drinking it in the evening for wind-down time and as part of morning fasting routines without feeling overstimulated. It won't give you the jolt of a strong black tea or coffee. The smooth, calming character of the tea actually makes it feel more relaxing than stimulating.

Herbal teas (like chamomile or rooibos) are technically caffeine-free since they're not from the tea plant. Among true teas, white tea — including this Shou Mei — generally has lower caffeine than green, oolong, or black tea. Reviewers of this specific tea mention it as a good low-caffeine option, and the aging process may contribute to slightly lower caffeine levels. It's a great pick if you want real tea flavor without too much buzz.

While purists might cringe, this particular Shou Mei's full-bodied, almost black-tea-like character means it can actually stand up to a splash of milk better than most white teas. Brew it strong — use more leaf and steep a bit longer — then add a small amount of milk. The honey and jujube sweetness pairs surprisingly well with dairy. That said, most reviewers enjoy it plain, so try it black first before adding anything.