White Tea
Soft, velvety and gently fruity, our White Peony brews a clear, slightly pale cup with fresh aroma and smooth, velvety flavor, plus delicate jammy notes reminiscent of a mild Bordeaux.
History & Heritage
Peony white tea (Bai Mu Dan) was first developed in Fujian Province, in the area of Shuiji in Jianyang, and production expanded in nearby Zhenghe in the early 1920s. Its leaves are plucked from a special varietal tea bush called Narcissus or chaicha. Unlike green tea, the leaves are not steamed or pan-fired. They are naturally withered and dried in the sun, and only the special "two leaves and a bud" are selected. Its Chinese name, Bai Mu Dan, means "white peony," a poetic nod to the way the pale leaves and buds open in the cup like a flower.
Interesting Facts
The selected leaves must show a very light green, almost gray-white color and be covered with velvety, peach-fuzz down.
In Fujian, an old saying about white tea holds that it is "tea in the first year and a treasure after seven," because well-stored white tea mellows and deepens with age.
White Peony also makes a very refreshing iced tea.
Tasting Notes & Pairings
Peony is a very well-balanced white tea with good body and flavor: fuller than Silver Needle, with soft fruit and floral notes and a smooth finish. Pair it with fresh peaches, melon, goat cheese, or light seafood dishes.
Brewing tips (general guideline): use 1–2 teaspoons (about 2–3 g) per 8 oz of water at 170–185°F, steeped 3–5 minutes. Adjust to taste.
Like every tea at Beantown Tea & Spices, White Peony is a quality loose-leaf tea offered at an affordable price, with sample and larger sizes so you can find your favorite. Explore more in our White Tea collection, or pair it with our tea accessories.
Delicate, light and fresh, Snowbud White Tea brews a very bright, crisp cup with a mellow flavor and floral hints. When brewed, the leaves return to life and turn emerald green.
History & Heritage
White tea has deep roots in Fujian Province, China, where makers have long prized the tender buds of early spring. Many white tea traditions grew up around this careful, gentle style of processing. Snowbud's production is especially meticulous, and it shows how much the time of day and the season matter to a fine tea. Early spring buds, picked before the leaves fully open, have always been treasured in Chinese tea culture because they are the most tender part of the plant.
Interesting Facts
The bud and first leaf of new shoots are hand-picked during the last two weeks of March and the first week of April, and only certain tea bushes grow the leaf needed for this tea.
The leaves are plucked between 3:30 am and 7:00 am, when the dew is heavy on them.
They are rushed to the tea factory, re-sorted, hand-rolled ever so slightly, and then immediately steamed to capture their freshness.
Tasting Notes & Pairings
Crisp, clean and mellow with soft floral notes and a bright, lively finish. Enjoy it on its own in the morning or afternoon, or pair it with fresh berries, cucumber sandwiches, or lightly sweet pastries. Its delicate character rewards a slow, mindful cup. Take a moment to admire the leaves as they unfurl and turn a vivid emerald green.
Brewing tips (general guideline): use 1–2 teaspoons (about 2–3 g) per 8 oz of water at 170–185°F, steeped 3–5 minutes. Adjust to taste.
Like every tea at Beantown Tea & Spices, Snowbud is a quality loose-leaf tea offered at an affordable price, with sample and larger sizes so you can find your favorite. Explore more in our White Tea collection, or pair it with our tea accessories.
Mellow, honeyed and quietly luxurious, our exquisite Aged Silver Needle from Fujian, China has been aged for more than five years.
History & Heritage
Unbeknownst to many tea drinkers in the West, white teas can actually be aged, much like green Pu-erh and some darker oolong teas. When stored right, white tea continues to oxidize slowly and develops a richer, more mellow taste. In Fujian, the traditional home of white tea, this is captured in an old saying: "One year tea, three years medicine, seven years treasure." The saying is folk wisdom about how the tea's value and character grow with age, not a medical claim.
Interesting Facts
Our Aged Silver Needle is deeply mellow, with much less of the greenness of a fresh Silver Needle.
The tea leaves have a reddish tone with just a tiny bit of green left in them.
The infusion is a warm amber color.
Fresh Silver Needle first appeared in Fuding, Fujian, around 1796.
Tasting Notes & Pairings
The taste is more honey-like and less floral than young Silver Needle, smooth and deep, another fine example of Fujian white tea. This is truly an extraordinary tea. Pair it with dried fruit, roasted nuts, honey cake, or aged cheeses. It is also a lovely tea to share with friends who think they know white tea, as the aged character is often a delightful surprise.
Brewing tips (general guideline): use 1–2 teaspoons (about 2–3 g) per 8 oz of water at 185–200°F, steeped 3–5 minutes. Aged white teas can be re-steeped several times. Adjust to taste.
Like every tea at Beantown Tea & Spices, Aged Silver Needle is a quality loose-leaf tea offered at an affordable price, with sample and larger sizes so you can find your favorite. Explore more in our White Tea collection, or pair it with our tea accessories.
Deeply mellow with light floral notes and hints of walnut, this special Aged Snowbud white tea from Fujian, China has been aged for more than five years.
History & Heritage
Unbeknownst to many tea drinkers in the West, white teas can actually be aged, much like green Pu-erh and some darker oolong teas. When stored right, white tea continues to oxidize slowly and develops a richer, more mellow taste. In Fujian, the traditional home of white tea, this is captured in an old saying: "One year tea, three years medicine, seven years treasure." The saying is folk wisdom about how the tea's value and character grow with age, not a medical claim.
Interesting Facts
There is very little astringency because of the aging process.
It is a very forgiving tea: even when over-brewed, it holds up well and doesn't become too astringent.
The taste profile is very consistent from cup to cup.
Aged white teas are sometimes compared to fine wines, as their character continues to evolve over the years when stored well.
Tasting Notes & Pairings
Smooth, rounded and warm, with soft floral notes and a nutty, walnut-like depth. Enjoy it on a quiet afternoon with roasted chestnuts, dates, almond cookies, or a slice of fruit bread. Because it is so forgiving, it is also a great choice for anyone new to brewing loose-leaf tea. It also makes a comforting cup on cool evenings.
Brewing tips (general guideline): use 1–2 teaspoons (about 2–3 g) per 8 oz of water at 185–200°F, steeped 3–5 minutes. Aged white teas can be re-steeped several times. Adjust to taste.
Like every tea at Beantown Tea & Spices, Aged Snowbud is a quality loose-leaf tea offered at an affordable price, with sample and larger sizes so you can find your favorite. Explore more in our White Tea collection, or pair it with our tea accessories.
Our peach white tea is Peony white tea with the natural flavoring oil of peach. It brews a crisp, smooth cup with hints of peach and natural sweetness.
History & Heritage
Peony white tea (Bai Mu Dan) was first developed in Fujian Province, in the area of Shuiji in Jianyang, and production expanded in nearby Zhenghe in the early 1920s. Its leaves are plucked from a special varietal tea bush called Narcissus or chaicha. Unlike green tea, the leaves are not steamed or pan-fired. They are naturally withered and dried in the sun, and only the special "two leaves and a bud" are selected.
Interesting Facts
The amount of peach flavoring is subtle and never overpowers the tea.
Tasting Notes & Pairings
If you like a fruity, subtle white tea, you should definitely try our Peach White Tea. It also makes an excellent iced tea. Pair it with a summer fruit salad, yogurt parfait, or vanilla shortbread.
Brewing tips (general guideline): use 1–2 teaspoons (about 2–3 g) per 8 oz of water at 170–185°F, steeped 3–5 minutes. Adjust to taste.
Like every tea at Beantown Tea & Spices, Peach White Tea is a quality loose-leaf tea offered at an affordable price, with sample and larger sizes so you can find your favorite. Explore more in our White Tea collection, or pair it with our tea accessories.
This Blueberry White Tea combines fresh blueberries with Peony white tea. Sweet, luscious notes of New England blueberry float over the jammy character of the base tea. Absolutely delicious.
History & Heritage
Peony white tea (Bai Mu Dan) was first developed in Fujian Province, in the area of Shuiji in Jianyang, and production expanded in nearby Zhenghe in the early 1920s. Its leaves are plucked from a special varietal tea bush called Narcissus or chaicha. Unlike green tea, the leaves are not steamed or pan-fired. They are naturally withered and dried in the sun, and only the special "two leaves and a bud" are selected.
Interesting Facts
Like most fruit-flavored teas, Blueberry White is excellent hot or iced.
Tasting Notes & Pairings
Soft and fruity with a gentle, velvety white tea body. Pair it with blueberry muffins, lemon cake, or a cheese plate.
Brewing tips (general guideline): use 1–2 teaspoons (about 2–3 g) per 8 oz of water at 170–185°F, steeped 3–5 minutes. Adjust to taste.
Like every tea at Beantown Tea & Spices, Blueberry White Tea is a quality loose-leaf tea offered at an affordable price, with sample and larger sizes so you can find your favorite. Explore more in our White Tea collection, or pair it with our tea accessories.
Can't decide? Sample a variety of our white teas. The pack includes samplers of Silver Needle, White Peony, Peach White Tea and Blueberry White Tea, and each sampler makes 3 to 5 cups.
History & Heritage
White tea is one of the most delicate styles of tea, traditionally made in Fujian Province, China, with little more than gentle withering and drying. Silver Needle, made from downy spring buds, first appeared in Fuding around 1796, and White Peony, which includes buds and young leaves, was developed in the Jianyang and Zhenghe areas.
Interesting Facts
This sampler lets you taste the difference between an all-bud tea (Silver Needle), a bud-and-leaf tea (White Peony) and two fruit-flavored white teas.
Tasting Notes & Pairings
Expect a journey from honeyed and mellow to velvety and fruity. Try them side by side with fresh fruit and mild cheeses.
Brewing tips (general guideline): use 1–2 teaspoons (about 2–3 g) per 8 oz of water at 170–185°F, steeped 3–5 minutes. Adjust to taste.
Like every tea at Beantown Tea & Spices, the White Tea Sampler Pack is a collection of quality loose-leaf teas offered at an affordable price. Explore more in our White Tea collection, or pair it with our tea accessories.
Silver Needle's slender, downy buds shimmer silver-white in the tin and brew into a clear, glowing cup with a delicate fragrance that lingers long after the last sip.
History & Heritage
Known in Chinese as Bai Hao Yin Zhen, or "white hair silver needle," this is the most celebrated of China's white teas. It first appeared in Fuding, in Fujian Province, around 1796, when growers began making it from the buds of local tea bushes. In the late 1800s, tea makers in Fuding and Zhenghe selected bush varieties with especially large, downy buds, and the modern Silver Needle was born. White tea is traditionally made with little more than gentle withering and drying, with no rolling or pan-firing.
Interesting Facts
Silver Needle is the top grade of white tea, produced in a very short period in early spring, when the young buds are at their prime.
You will see two intact grayish-white leaves around a silver bud, all covered in a fine silvery down.
Fuding and Zhenghe, two counties in Fujian, are the traditional homes of Silver Needle, and each gives the tea a slightly different character.
Tasting Notes & Pairings
The flavor is fresh, mellow and sweet, smooth and refreshing, with none of the astringency or grassiness some expect from light teas. The infusion is shimmering and clear. Tea lovers often describe hints of honey, melon and soft white flowers in a good Silver Needle. Pair it with light fare such as fresh fruit, mild cheeses, almond cookies, or delicate seafood.
Brewing tips (general guideline): use 1–2 teaspoons (about 2–3 g) per 8 oz of water at 170–185°F, steeped 3–5 minutes. Adjust to taste.
Like every tea at Beantown Tea & Spices, Silver Needle is a quality loose-leaf tea offered at an affordable price, with sample and larger sizes so you can find your favorite. Explore more in our White Tea collection, or pair it with our tea accessories.