2014 Sun-Dried White Peony Fuding 100g Waffle Cake

"2014 Sun-Dried White Peony — Fuding Guanyang · 100g Waffle Cake"

This is a 2014 late-spring White Peony from Xitou village, Guanyang Town — one of the higher-elevation growing areas in Fuding. The material is a blend of Fuding Dabai and Fuding Dahao cultivars, withered outdoors under direct sun. After roughly two years of loose-leaf aging, it was pressed into this waffle cake format in February 2016.

A word on the grade: this is late-spring White Peony, harvested toward the end of the spring flush. The leaves are more developed than a first-flush White Peony, and the material includes natural tea stems. That puts it closer to the border between White Peony and Shou Mei in character. The stems aren't a flaw — they carry more natural sugars than the leaf alone, which over a decade of aging translates into a rounder, sweeter cup. The price reflects the grade honestly.

Ten-plus years of aging, starting from a sun-dried base, has brought this tea well into mature territory. The liquor pours a deep reddish amber, almost red-brown. The dominant notes are dried date and a warm medicinal depth — 药香, the characteristic aroma of properly aged white tea — with a clean sweetness that carries through to the finish. There's nothing raw or grassy left. It's settled, mellow, and ready to drink now without any further waiting.

The waffle format is practical. Each 100g cake is scored into 18 equal sections, each weighing around 5.5g — exactly one gongfu session. Break off a section by hand, brew it, done. No tea pick, no weighing, no loose tea to manage. If you're the kind of person who drinks tea daily and wants something that removes friction from the process, that's what this format is for.

The tea meets Chinese national food safety standards (GB). There is no organic certification.

At a Glance

Brewing

A note on water temperature: despite being White Peony by grade, ten-plus years of aging means fully boiling water (100 °C) is appropriate and recommended. The heat opens up the aromatics and brings out the body that cooler water leaves behind. Don't treat it like a young white tea.

Gongfu (recommended): Break off one section (~5.5g) by hand and brew in a gaiwan or small teapot (around 110ml). A brief rinse with boiling water before the first steep helps loosen the compressed leaf. First steep 20–30 seconds, extend by 10–15 seconds each round. Expect 10 or more rounds.

Grandpa / long steep: About half a section in a mug or thermos with boiling water. Drink as it steeps and refill when the cup is about a third full. The maturity of this tea means it handles long contact with water well — no bitterness, no sharp edges.

Western / pot: One section per 300–400ml, boiling water, 3–4 minutes. The dark liquor and full body come through clearly, and it's a relaxed, low-effort way to brew.

Available Sizes

Single cake (100g) — 18 gongfu sessions. A good way to get acquainted with the tea.

5-cake tin box (500g) — keeps well in the tin, which also makes it a decent gift option without overthinking it.

10-cake bundle (1kg) — wrapped in hemp rope. The most economical option. Store in a dry, odor-free space at room temperature, away from direct sunlight. The waffle format stacks and stores cleanly.

On value: This is everyday drinking tea. The grade is honest, the aging is real, and the price reflects both. If you want a mature aged white tea that you can brew on a Tuesday morning without worrying about finishing the last of something precious, this is what that looks like.

If you're comparing across the range: This sits between the 2018 compressed biscuits and the 2012 Gold Brick in terms of age and depth. It's more developed than the 2018s, with the full date-and-medicinal character of a properly aged tea — but slightly lighter in body than the 2012, which has had two more years on top. For the fuller-bodied sister tea from the same harvest, see our 2014 Shou Mei waffle cake.