TeaChat

I'm a newcomer to the boards and have only recently started my tea obsession since the summer. I've tried a pretty wide variety of teas and am starting to wonder what's so great about white tea. Maybe I am brewing it wrong, but out of the several white teas I have tried, I have a hard time differentiating the taste of them. It's almost like there is no taste at all for some white teas.

Does anyone know of a site that offers instructions for white tea brewing? Maybe I just am not using enough leaves...I dunno. I just thought some other more experienced drinkers would have some advice.

Whites teas are quite subtle by nature, but don't give up on them. Some of my favorite teas are either white teas or very light oolongs. The general rule of thumb is to use a bit more leaves than usual and let it steep for about 7 minutes. That should bring out enough of the tea's flavor for you to enjoy.

I have some top grade loose white needles and it takes me 15 minutes of brewing to get a tasty cup. Usually until the liquor is a very pale/light yellow.

Try some Shou Mei (longevity eyebrow) - you can find it cheep and it gives a good, warm, hearty cup. It comes out very well gong fu (10sec steeps for ~3.5tsp and ~10 rounds).

Typically white tea takes awhile to get used to and truely enjoy. Keep drinking it and eventually you will be able to recognize the slight nuasances. Good luck!

I got some Shou Mei and I'm brewing a tablespoon of it at 150 for two mins first infusion and 3:30 second infusion.

White tea is subtle and drinking it with water any much hotter tends to distract, at least me, from any flavor.

Try sipping some luke warm water after a sip of tea, it helps bring up the intensity of the flavor for some people until your pallet gets use to it.

You could also use the high velocity "tea tasting slurp" to help taste it.