2015 Tianma Xinhui Mandarin Gong Mei

Fuding Gong Mei white tea tucked inside whole Xinhui mandarins: fragrant tangerine, mellow apple skins and sweet woods, carried by a remarkably silky amber liquor.

Tea Profile

Tea Type	White tea with mandarin peel
Style	Whole dried small green mandarin filled with white tea and Chenpi strips; break open before brewing
Origin	White tea from Fuding, Fujian; mandarin peel from Tianma Village, Xinhui, Guangdong
Vintage	2015
Harvest	Gong Mei: 2020; Chenpi; 2015
Leaf Style	White tea enclosed within a whole mandarin, approximately 11 g per piece including peel

Origin and Character

This tea brings together Fuding white tea from Fujian and small green mandarins from Tianma Village in Xinhui, Guangdong, two regions with distinct traditions of tea cultivation and citrus preservation. The combination unites the rounded character of white tea with the concentrated fragrance of dried mandarin peel.

Each whole dried mandarin contains its own portion of white tea, weighing approximately 11 g including the peel. The textured amber-brown shell opens to reveal dark, mature-looking leaves, visible stems and lighter, finely haired material. Breaking the mandarin apart allows the leaves and peel to infuse together, revealing the relationship between the two ingredients over successive brews.

When warmed, the tea releases an intricate fragrance of tangerine, oud, sandalwood and musk, accompanied by sweet earthy notes and the distinctive scent of varnished woods. The opening infusions have a mellow, Shou Mei-like character, with apple skins, gentle citrus and cut wood gradually developing into richer tangerine and a suggestion of crêpe Suzette.

The liquor moves through shades of clear amber, carrying abundant fine trichomes and developing a remarkably thick, silky, almost syrupy texture. By the sixth infusion, the white tea and tangerine reach a particularly harmonious balance. As the session continues, the citrus becomes more pronounced, bringing mouthwatering sweetness, a subtle cooling sensation and returning apple notes before a gentle minerality emerges in the final infusion.

Aroma and Flavour

Aroma	Tangerine, oud, sandalwood and musk, with sweet musty earth and varnished woods
Liquor	Clear light-to-dark amber with abundant fine tea hairs (trichomes)
Flavour	Shou Mei-like white tea, apple skins, tangerine and cut wood; Crêpe Suzette sweetness, then late minerals
Mouthfeel	Very thick, silky and syrupy, becoming fuller as it cools; no noticeable astringency in our tasting
Finish	Returning apple sweetness, lingering citrus and a slight cooling sensation; a little citrus bitterness towards the end

✦ The Astraluna Perspective ✦

The pleasure here is in watching two distinct characters find their balance. At first, the white tea gives the cup a familiar centre: apple skins, mellow sweetness and the quiet warmth of cut wood. Around it, the mandarin adds a brighter edge. The aroma takes a more unusual path, recalling sandalwood, oud and the polished wooden surfaces of an old room; it invites a slower kind of attention than the little fruit's appearance might suggest.

Our sixth infusion was the point at which everything seemed to settle into place. Tangerine remained vivid, yet the tea still had enough presence to answer it, and the sweetness connected the two. Later, as the white tea softened, the citrus came forward. That changing proportion kept the session interesting without making each cup feel like a different tea.

Texture was the thread running through all ten infusions. The liquor felt unusually substantial in the mouth, silky and almost syrupy, with even more weight as it cooled. A final five-minute steep still gave an enjoyable cup: a little citrus bitterness had emerged, but there was no noticeable astringency.

I would give this mandarin time and space rather than look for its whole character in the first cup. The middle infusions reward patience, while the later cups offer their own quieter pleasures: a slight cooling sensation, returning apple sweetness and a mineral finish beneath the lingering peel.

Brewing Notes

Method	Leaf	Water	Time
Gong Fu	1 broken-open mandarin, approximately 11 g including peel, in a 140 ml gaiwan. ½ broken-open mandarin (approx. 5.5 g including peel), 100 ml gaiwan	100°C	Tested sequence: 10, 12, 15, 20, 30, 45, 75, 105, 150 and 300 seconds
Western	Approximately 4–5 g of the broken tea-and-peel mixture per 300 ml	95–100°C	Suggested starting point: 3 minutes; adjust to taste and extend subsequent infusions

Break the mandarin open and keep both leaf and peel in the brew. For a partial portion, mix the filling and peel pieces before weighing. The Gong Fu method above records our tasting, which gave ten infusions, with the sixth showing the best balance. The Western method is an untested starting point: shorten the steep or use less peel if the citrus becomes too assertive. Drain fully between infusions.

Storage

Store in a clean, dry, food-safe airtight container in a cool, dark place, away from moisture, heat and strong odours. Keep the mandarins dry between sessions and reseal the remaining tea promptly after opening. No particular peel age or future ageing result is claimed.