2026 Yunnan Sourcing "Mengku Gu Shu Bai Cha" White Tea Cake

First-flush Spring 2024 white tea from old-arbor gardens in Nuo Wu and Ba Wai villages (Mengku, Lincang). Picked and hand-processed by two families we’ve worked with for years, then sun-dried and pressed with a medium-plus compression to lock in aroma and set the tea up for graceful aging. In the cup it’s sweet, thick, and highly aromatic, with an unmistakable lift of cha qi.

Why it’s special

• Old-arbor material from two family gardens in Mengku for depth, sweetness, and stamina

• Minimalist white-tea craft (long wither, sun-dry) preserves the tippy character and high aromatics

• Medium-plus compression encourages slow, even development over time

• Small production: 70 kg total

Tasting notes

• Aroma: wildflower honey, pear/jujube, meadow florals, fresh hay

• Liquor: pale gold to light apricot; silky-thick, almost creamy texture

• Flavor: honeyed sweetness and sugarcane over gentle herb and soft grain; a tidy green edge for structure

• Finish & feel: long hui-gan, steady mouthwatering return, warm and buoyant cha qi

Brewing guide

Gongfu (recommended)

• 5–6 g per 100 ml

• 90–98 °C

• Optional quick wake-up rinse. 5 s • 8 s • 10 s • 12 s • 15 s, then add gradually for 8–10 infusions

Western

• 3 g per 300 ml (10 oz)

• 90–95 °C for 2–3 minutes

• 2–3 infusions, adding 20–30 s each round

Grandpa style

• 1–1.2 g per 100 ml

• 85–95 °C, top up as you sip

• Easy, honeyed, all-day drinker

Cold brew

• 6–8 g per 1 L

• Refrigerate 6–8 hours

• Crisp, pear-honey sweetness with very low astringency

In Summary

• Caffeine: Medium

• Storage: Store in 50-65% RH and 70-90F, in an odor-free area, with minimal airflow.
  Prefer it to stay as is? Seal the cake. A clay jar or wooden box with minimal airflow is ideal.

• Aging: built to integrate and round out with age; expect deeper honey/jujube and an even silkier feel over 3–10+ years
  

• Region: Mengku, Lincang (Yunnan)

• Harvest: April 2024, first flush (Pressed in 2026)

• Process: traditional Yunnan white tea (long wither, sun-dried), pressed cake

• Net weight: 250 grams per cake

• Total production: 70 kg

• Packaging illustration by Fionn Jordan

In short: a family-made, old-arbor white tea from Mengku, thick, sweet, and aromatic now, with the compression and craft to age beautifully.

We've also produced a similar tea from the same villages in previous years:

• 2020 Yunnan Sourcing "Mengku Gu Shu Bai Cha" White Tea Cake
• 2023 Yunnan Sourcing "Mengku Gu Shu Bai Cha" White Tea Cake
• 2024 Yunnan Sourcing "Mengku Gu Shu Bai Cha" White Tea Cake
• 2025 Yunnan Sourcing "Mengku Gu Shu Bai Cha" White Tea Cake

This is similar but not exactly the same as our 2024 pressing. Same two family gardens, but a different batch.

Each cake comes in a free matching gift box that features the full uncropped illustration by Fionn Jordan. The matching gift box is not available for purchase separately.  NOTE: If the gift box arrives with creases or cosmetic blemishes we cannot provide a free replacement.

This tea has been tested in a certified laboratory for 404 pesticides, and is within the EU MRL limits set for those 404 pesticide residues. For a full list of the 404 pesticides we tested for and more information about MRL testing and the EU Food and Safety commission click on this link.