Ancient Bai Mu Dan is a white tea made from one bud and one leaf plucked in March.
At HOJO, we use tea leaves plucked from ancient trees grown naturally in Yunnan Province to produce Ancient Bai Mu Dan. This tea combines quality and visual beauty, making it extremely rare even in China. It has a floral flavor characteristic of white tea.
White tea has a gentle flavor, making it popular with children, and is also recommended for cold brewing. Additionally, it is suitable for aging; when stored unopened (oxygen-free) for several years, it develops a muscat-like fruity flavor.
To produce our Ancient Bai Mu Dan, we source fresh tea leaves from naturally cultivated, pesticide-free and fertilizer-free tea gardens in Yunnan Province and manage the processing ourselves to create the ideal white tea.
The leaves are plucked from trees estimated to be over 100 years old, offering a deep, rich flavor that penetrates deeply.
Product Details
We created our original Ancient Bai Mu Dan using tea leaves harvested from ancient trees growing at altitudes of around 2100 meters in Yunnan Province. This tea breaks the conventional concept of white tea with its exceptional quality.
The landscape around the production area of Ancient Bai Mu Dan
The Quality of Raw Materials Directly Reflects the Quality of White Tea
The simplicity of white tea production means that the quality of the raw tea leaves directly affects the quality of the finished tea. Therefore, improving the quality of the fresh tea leaves naturally enhances the quality of the white tea.
Based on our experience, the highest quality tea leaves in China come from tea gardens in remote areas of Yunnan Province, at altitudes above 2000 meters, where the trees are naturally cultivated.n Tea >.
In these area, tea gardens are not like those in Japan or Fujian Province. The tea trees are left to grow naturally, and some trees can reach the height of a two-story house.
We select tea gardens that practice complete natural cultivation/sustainable without pesticides, fertilizers, or even weeding around the trees, and arrange to obtain raw materials from these gardens.
Fujian Province White Tea Prices Skyrocket, Leading to Mass Production
In Fujian Province, famous for its white tea, prices have been rising continuously over the past 7-8 years. This trend started around 2000 when the concept of "aging white tea through long-term storage" was introduced.
Previously, white tea had to be sold within the year, but now, the older the tea, the higher the price it fetches. As a result, white tea has become an investment commodity in Fujian Province, with prices rising more than tenfold.
Naturally, to increase production and income, farmers in Fujian Province began using more fertilizers, leading to a general decline in tea quality. With high prices and low quality, HOJO has spent several years preparing to switch all our white tea production to Yunnan Province.
Typical white tea gardens in Fuding, Fujian Province
Producing Our Own Tea Using Local Facilities
One frequent issue with producing white tea in Yunnan Province is the lack of proper tea processing techniques and management. Many producers in Yunnan believe that "white tea only needs to be naturally dried" and neglect the detailed steps, often diminishing the value of the high-quality raw materials.
If withering is not properly managed, the tea leaves can turn black due to excessive fermentation caused by inappropriate temperature, air circulation, and leaf overlap during the withering process.
Such tea leaves develop a distinct flavor reminiscent of dried wood ear mushrooms, which I personally do not prefer. To bring out the best flavor from high-quality raw materials, proper management of the withering process is crucial.
Over the past few years, we have been involved in the actual production of white tea at the production sites. This experience has enabled us to produce white tea independently, provided we have the necessary facilities.
When producing Ancient Bai Mu Dan, we directed the production methods and management parameters to the workers and managed each batch to achieve the quality HOJO aims for.
Using Naturally Cultivated Tea from High Altitude Gardens
The raw tea leaves for this product were harvested around 2100 meters in the southwestern part of Lincang, Yunnan Province. The tea is plucked as one bud and one leaf.
How to Make White Tea
White tea is defined
How to Make White Tea
White tea is defined as tea that undergoes withering and slight fermentation without pan-frying or rolling.
White tea has a long history, existing for over 2000 years, making it one of the oldest types of tea.
Fresh tea leaves are plucked and then withered briefly in the sun before being slowly withered in the shade for several days. The dehydration stress gradually activates the tea's enzymes, resulting in slight fermentation.
If the withering time is short, the leaves retain a green color and floral flavor. Conversely, longer withering results in a slightly brown color and a fruity flavor.
As mentioned earlier, if the tea leaves become damp during withering, they can turn black and develop an over-fermented smell similar to dried mushrooms. This product is withered for approximately 48 hours (depending on daily weather), resulting in a balanced flavor with floral and subtle fruity notes.
Achieving Rich Flavor by Avoiding Heat Processing
There are several methods to produce white tea. The mainstream method in Fujian Province involves a short heat treatment in a drying machine after the withering process. This helps to suppress the green-grassy note, clarifies the flavor and aroma, and brings out a sweet fragrance.
However, while this process enhances the sweet flavor, it also diminishes the fresh and floral scent. The raw tea leaves used by HOJO are naturally cultivated and therefore have minimal green-grassy notes.
Therefore, we deliberately omit the final heat treatment to preserve the fresh, distinctive flavor of just-withering white tea.
When you taste Ancient Bai Mu Dan, you will notice a rich floral fragrance, a very long finish, and a satisfying body. This tea is recommended not only for white tea enthusiasts but also for those new to white tea.
