"2018 Sun-Dried Shou Mei — Fuding Guanyang · 350g Cake"
This is a 2018 late-spring Shou Mei from Xitou village, Guanyang Town in Fuding. The material is Fuding Dahao cultivar, withered outdoors under direct sun. After five years of loose-leaf aging, it was pressed into this 350g cake in 2023.
Shou Mei is the broadest-leaf grade of Fuding white tea — larger, more developed leaves harvested later in the spring. This particular lot is late-spring material, which means the leaf is on the fuller end even for Shou Mei. It's not a fine or delicate grade, and it doesn't try to be. The thick leaf and natural stems carry more sugars than a finer grade would, and over time those sugars round out into the sweetness that makes aged Shou Mei worth drinking. The price reflects the grade honestly.
Seven years in, this tea is at an early-to-mid stage of aging. The raw, grassy edge of a young white tea is gone. The liquor pours a deep reddish amber, the date sweetness is clearly present, and the medicinal depth — 药香 — is beginning to develop. It's drinking well now and will continue to develop if you choose to hold some back. The sun-dried processing provides a richer, thicker base than indoor withering would: more body, darker liquor, and a warmth that suits the Shou Mei character well.
The tea meets Chinese national food safety standards (GB). There is no organic certification.
At a Glance
| Tea type |
Aged Shou Mei (寿眉), compressed cake |
| Harvest |
Late spring 2018 |
| Origin |
Xitou, Guanyang Town, Fuding, Fujian |
| Producer |
Liufeng Tea · Yunwu Tea Factory |
| Cultivar |
Fuding Dahao |
| Process |
Sun-dried withering; pressed 2023 |
| Net weight |
350g per cake |
| Liquor |
Deep reddish amber |
| Flavor |
Dried date, emerging medicinal depth, sweet and full-bodied |
| Certification |
China national standard (GB) / food safety |
Brewing
Boiling water (100 °C) is the right choice. Shou Mei's thick leaf structure handles full heat well — it opens up the sweetness and body in a way that lower temperatures won't.
Gongfu (recommended): Break off approximately 5g with a tea pick and brew in a gaiwan or small teapot (around 110ml). A quick 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 12 or more rounds — the heavy leaf holds up well across a long session.
Grandpa / long steep: About 2–3g in a mug or thermos with boiling water. Drink as it steeps and refill when the cup is about a third full. The natural sweetness keeps this pleasant even with extended contact — no bitterness.
Western / pot: Around 3–5g per 300–400ml, boiling water, 3–4 minutes. Straightforward and forgiving.
Available Sizes
30g Sample — roughly six gongfu sessions. A low-commitment way to try the tea before buying a full cake.
Single Cake (350g) — the standard option. Store in a dry, odor-free space at room temperature, away from direct sunlight. The cake will continue to develop in storage.
Tong — 7 Cakes (2.45kg) — the full traditional tong, the most economical option. Worth considering if you drink Shou Mei regularly or want to track how this tea develops over the coming years.
If you're comparing across the range: We also carry 2014 Shou Mei and 2014 White Peony in the waffle cake format — both older and further along in transformation, with a deeper date-and-medicinal profile. This 2018 cake is a few years behind that stage: lighter in body, a bit fresher in character, and priced accordingly. If you want to drink aged Shou Mei daily and let some of it continue aging on the shelf, this is a practical choice.
