2026 Daxueshan White Tea
Size
Tea Profile
| Tea Type | White Tea (白茶) |
|---|---|
| Cultivar | Yunnan large-leaf tea material (云南大叶种茶) |
| Origin | Pu’er, Yunnan, China |
| Production Date | 12 March 2026 |
| Form | Loose-leaf white tea |
| Character | Fruit-led, creamy, silky and long-sweet |
Origin and Character
Dàxuěshān Báichá (大雪山白茶) is a loose Yunnan white tea from Pu’er, produced on 12 March 2026 from Yunnan large-leaf tea material. It offers a distinctly broad-leaf expression of white tea, developing a generous infusion with vivid fruit, rounded sweetness and a creamy, persistent texture.
The dry leaf is strikingly expressive, with broad leaves in shades of green, olive, russet and deep brown woven through with visible stems. Rather than appearing heavily sorted or shaped, the material retains a natural, open character. In the gaiwan the leaves unfurl generously, and that sense of breadth carries into the cup, where the tea reveals itself gradually across repeated infusions.
Aroma and Flavour
| Aroma | Fresh peach, honey, wild strawberry, strawberry crumble, custard and beeswax |
|---|---|
| Liquor | Bright, clear pale gold |
| Flavour | Peach, red plum and wild strawberry developing into redcurrant, raspberry and later apricot, with a soft honeyed sweetness |
| Mouthfeel | Silky and increasingly creamy, becoming almost nectar-like as it cools, with only slight drying |
| Finish | Long, clean and fruit-led, with gentle throat sweetness and lingering retronasal fruit |
✦ The Astraluna Perspective ✦
This was one of those teas that became more interesting the longer I sat with it. The dry leaf is broad and expressive, but I was not expecting the cup to develop quite the way it did. The first infusions felt fresh and bright, with peach, red plum and a slightly green, nettle-like freshness. Then the tea began to change. Honey and strawberry appeared, followed by a softer, almost dessert-like character that reminded me of warm custard, cream and beeswax. It never felt heavy, though; the liquor stayed remarkably clean and composed.
What stayed with me most was how patiently the tea unfolded. Redcurrant and raspberry became clearer later in the session, while the texture grew silkier and more creamy as the liquor cooled. Even by the seventh and eighth infusions it still felt alive, and apricot appeared right at the end as one final shift in character. There was also a lingering fruit fragrance left behind in the empty gaiwan, which made the session feel as though the tea continued speaking after the cup itself was finished.
For me, that is the appeal of this Daxueshan White Tea. It is not a tea I would reduce to one tasting note or one impressive first infusion. Its character is in the progression: fresh fruit becoming richer, creamier and more integrated, with each steep revealing something slightly different. It is the kind of tea that rewards paying attention.
Brewing Notes
| Method | Leaf | Water | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gong Fu | 6–7.5 g per 100 ml | 100°C | 10–15 sec, then extend gradually |
| Western | 3 g per 250 ml | 85–90°C | 2½–3 min |
No rinse is required for Gong Fu brewing. At the higher 7.5 g per 100 ml ratio, keep the opening infusions short and extend progressively. Allowing the liquor to cool slightly is particularly rewarding: the texture becomes more creamy and later fruit notes become easier to distinguish.
Storage
Store sealed in a cool, dry place away from moisture, sunlight and strong odours. The packaging states that the tea is suitable for long-term storage when kept under appropriate conditions. Over time, the fresher fruit and floral character may gradually soften and develop, although the direction of ageing will depend strongly on storage.