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"Moonlight Beauty" Yue Guang Meiren White Tea

$33.00

A young monk approached the wise tea master Lao Cha.

Sifu, I am looking for a tea that encompasses the gentleness of the moon itself. One that is sweet, smooth, warm, and fuzzy. One that hosts no bitterness and will wash every last worry away. 

Lao Cha extended a cup full of "Moonlight Beauty". 

 

"Moonlight Beauty" Yue Guang Meiren is made exclusively from tender buds covered in soft fuzz. This tea also goes by the name "Yue Guang Bai Cha" (月光白茶). Farmers usually pick one bud and two leaves for this tea. However, our premium tea is a high-grade category that only contains tender and delicate single buds covered with a soft white fuzz. The taste is rich, with slowly unfurling honey notes and fresh sweetness.

"Moonlight Beauty" is a white tea because the tea undergoes the minimal processing proper to white teas from Fuding. Some consider this tea a Raw Pu-erh, given its Yunnan origin and the cultivar it's made of. Whichever category you place it in, the taste is so good – you won't regret drinking it.

The name "Moonlight Beauty" (月光美人 – Yue Guang Meiren) comes from a legend that spoke of beautiful young girls who would harvest the tea buds in the middle of the night, ensuring no sun exposure. While it is a legend, there is some truth to it:

Farmers usually harvest the tea leaves early in April. They pick tea leaves in daylight - like any other teas. However, they then spread them indoors to wither in the shade and dry them overnight. The tea leaves then are in very little - if any - contact with direct sunlight. Furthermore, the leaves don't undergo "kill green" or rolling during processing. It's tea in its most natural form. Heat and ultraviolet radiation from sunlight are two factors that can quickly destroy the volatile amino acids in tea leaves. Thus, keeping the tea leaves shaded and cool increases the overall amount of amino acids in Yue Guang Mei Ren. No wonder this tea is reputedly among the ones with the highest amino acid content, between 6-9%. Some samples reach a whooping 11,4% - twice that of an ordinary green tea! Thus, we get a tea with an added dose of fresh and delicate sweetness.

Tea's taste speaks for itself – sweet and smooth, without even a hint of bitterness. The brew has a delicate, pale yellow color, reminding of the soft moonlight glow. A poetic description of this tea says, "Its buds are white and bright like a curved moon. One bud and two leaves look like the moon in the night sky." Our "Moonlight Beauty" is a must for lovers of the sweetest, smooth, and mellow teas.

 

Place of Origin: Bulang Mountain, Menghai County, Yunnan Province, China
• Altitude: 1900
Harvest Time: April, 2024
Picking Standard: Only buds
• Aroma: Sweet and rich
• Taste: Thirst-quenching, mellow and soft, with a long, sweet aftertaste 
Varietal: Menghai large-leaf  (勐海大叶种)

 

Brewing guidelines:

       185℉ / 85℃  

1g per 50ml   3-5min

     1g per 20ml   10sec + 5sec for each subsequent infusion

Customer Reviews

Based on 6 reviews
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G
Gretchen
Meh!

I think this tea is also called, "Silver Needles" because it looks and tastes the same. Unfortunately I didn't know that and ordered it. It is a very high quality, hand-picked tea, but I don't enjoy the mild flavor and wouldn't have ordered it had I known.

Dear Gretchen,

Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts on our 'Moonlight Beauty' white tea. We truly appreciate your feedback and value your perspective!

While it’s true that 'Moonlight Beauty' and 'Silver Needle' may look similar at first glance since both are white teas made entirely of buds, they are distinct in origin and character. Silver Needle is traditionally from Fujian and comes from a small-leaf tea variety, whereas Moonlight Beauty is from Yunnan and is made of a large-leaf variety. Their production processes also differ a bit: Silver Needle is typically withered under the sun, while Moonlight Beauty is slowly withered in the shade, resulting in a unique flavor profile.

Moonlight Beauty can be a full-bodied tea. If you'd be open to it, we recommend giving it another try with a slightly longer steeping time or a higher tea-to-water ratio to explore its depth of flavor.

We hope you’ll find enjoyment in its unique qualities. Thank you again for sharing your review!

J
Jeremy Smith

Super great, I was literally stunned with how good this tea was and it just kept on steeping and steeping ! Brewed at the right temp it was amazing !

B
Bradetta
Smooth, Sweet, Thick and yummy!

This tea was scrumptious. The texture was full and brothy with a changing taste every infusion (gongfu style brewing) sweet and rich. The 5th and 6th stand out as my faves and I squealed when I tasted those because honestly dod not think it could get better. Notes of chestnut , malt and lemon thyme around 9th steep. Each steep tasted so good. I am excited to try the rest of the teas I ordered! I am putting it on my favorites shelf!

K
Kat R.
Kind and Graceful

Love this delicate tea. Simplistically sweet for any tea lover!

D
David Michael White
A Better Fuding Shou Mei?

This tea reminds me of Fuding Shou Mei but somehow sweeter in taste as well as lighter in the color of liquor. I've concluded that this is a better version!