Bai Mu Dan vs Shou Mei

Bai Mu Dan

Bai Mu Dan is a white tea made from buds and the top two leaves, withered and dried with minimal handling. The cup is soft and mellow with gentle honey sweetness, mild floral notes, and a faint autumn-leaf earthiness. It is forgiving to brew and more affordable than Silver Needle, making it a common entry point into white tea.

Shou Mei

Shou Mei is the humblest of Fujian white teas, made from mature leaves and buds left on the bush longer than Silver Needle or White Peony. The cup is earthy-sweet with notes of autumn leaves, dried grass, and a gentle honey finish. Older leaves brew into a mellow, forgiving infusion that steeps well and improves with age. It is the everyday white tea of Fuding and Zhenghe, and an affordable way to explore how white teas mature.

Bai Mu Dan

Water temperature

85–90°C

Leaf to water

3g / 250ml

Steep time

2–3 min

Re-steep

2–3 times

Shou Mei

Water temperature

85–90°C

Leaf to water

3g / 250ml

Steep time

2–3 min

Re-steep

2–3 times

Bai Mu Dan

Low caffeine — roughly 25–45 mg per brewed serving

A gentle lift that rarely interferes with rest.

Shou Mei

Low caffeine — roughly 20–40 mg per brewed serving

A gentle lift that rarely interferes with rest.

Bai Mu Dan

China · Fujian

Fujian's Fuding and Zhenghe counties are the classic homes of white tea.

Shou Mei

China · Fujian

Shou Mei is produced in Fuding and Zhenghe counties, Fujian, the classic white tea heartland.