This white tea cake is produced from early spring leaves of the Da Hao cultivar, one of the key traditional varietals of Fuding white tea. Known for its large buds covered in dense silver down, Da Hao is especially prized for producing aromatic, high-grade white teas with clarity, sweetness, and refined structure.

Unlike Shou Mei, which uses later-season leaves, this tea is made from

earlier spring pickings

, giving it a more elegant and aromatic profile while still retaining the depth that comes with light aging.

After harvest, the leaves undergo the traditional white tea process:

Natural withering → slow air-drying → gentle drying → compression into cake form

No pan-firing or rolling is used, preserving the tea’s natural enzymes and allowing it to evolve slowly over time.

White tea from Fuding is often described with the traditional saying:

“One-year tea, three-year medicine, seven-year treasure.”

While not a literal medical claim, it reflects how white tea naturally transforms with age.

Over time, this 2014 cake develops:

Deeper honeyed sweetness

Soft dried fruit notes

Light woody and herbal undertones

A smoother, rounder body with reduced sharpness

The liquor shifts from pale gold to warm amber, gaining viscosity and calm depth.