Why Is Shoumei Easier to Age into High-Quality Aged White Tea?
If we ask the tea friends around us, "What is the old white tea that you actually store for a long time at home?", most people will answer that it is Shoumei. Shoumei is different from Baihao Yinzhen; when you buy it as white tea for storage, you won't be so concerned about the price and appear overly cautious. Usually, you will buy it rather generously, and then quietly watch it transform over the years.
As a practitioner who has been in the white tea industry for a long time, I am often asked a question: among white teas, Baihao Yinzhen and Bai Mudan have higher grades, so why does Shoumei perform so brilliantly after aging? Actually, the reason behind this was already determined before the tea leaves ever entered your tea cabinet.
The raw material of Shoumei determines its talent for aging
Shoumei is the most adept at aging among white teas, and this is determined by the tea leaves themselves. Baihao Yinzhen is picked only from tea buds, and Bai Mudan is one bud with two or three leaves; the tea leaves they pick are relatively high in tenderness, so they are handled with extra gentleness. Shoumei is different: its raw material standard is more relaxed, and what is picked are mature leaves and sturdy stems, with a very small proportion of buds. Of course, this does not mean that Shoumei is of low quality; it is precisely this raw material character that makes Shoumei naturally suitable for aging.
The mature leaves used to make Shoumei have a thicker cuticle layer, which acts like a natural protective barrier during storage. It can slow down the loss or intrusion of moisture in the tea leaves, so that they will neither oxidize too quickly nor easily grow mold just because the storage environment is humid for a period of time.
Beginners who are just starting out see the tea stems mixed into Shoumei and think they are just filler scraps. In fact, these tea stems play an important role in the aging process. They are rich in sugars and pectin, and after long-term storage, these substances will slowly decompose and gradually form the signature jujube-sweet mellow aroma and rich medicinal fragrance of aged white tea. Baihao Yinzhen and Bai Mudan, because they contain a very low proportion of tea stems, have fewer such substances to draw on during aging, so they lack this unique flavor of Shoumei.
In addition, because mature leaves are relatively thick, even after many years of storage, they can still maintain a complete form and will not shatter into tea dust, which ensures even oxidative transformation and avoids the problem of localized spoilage and uneven quality that can occur when storing delicate leaves even slightly carelessly.
The internal substances that support the continuous transformation of tea leaves
The aging of white tea is a slow chemical reaction in a sealed environment, and it will continue to oxidize and transform over several years. If you want the tea leaves to still evolve rich flavors after losing their fresh and brisk character, then you must ensure that the tea leaves have sufficient internal substances in reserve to continuously release aroma and taste. Fortunately, Shoumei happens to have this kind of material reserve.
The mature leaves and tea stems of Shoumei contain abundant tea polyphenols, tea polysaccharides, flavonoids, and aroma precursor substances. Tea polysaccharides and sugar substances are precisely the source of the honey-like sweetness and mellow sweetness of aged Shoumei. Tea polyphenols and flavonoids, after oxidation, generate compounds with a gentler nature. These two factors are exactly the reason why, after white tea ages, its nature shifts from cool to warm, and its grassy smell fades and is replaced by medicinal fragrance.
In the first two or three years, Baihao Yinzhen relies on high amino acid content to provide an excellent fresh and brisk taste; after three to five years of storage, this freshness will gradually dissipate, and once the substances available for transformation are exhausted, silver needle made only from buds usually enters a period of bland flavor. Shoumei, however, can continue to evolve; its internal substances act like slow-release fuel, steadily supplying flavor. A high-quality Shoumei can still improve with age even after being stored for more than ten years.
The simple processing method and Shoumei complement each other perfectly
The aging of Shoumei is highly compatible with the simple processing method of white tea. The processing method of white tea does not involve pan-frying or rolling; it only goes through natural withering and low-temperature drying. This kind of processing method preserves the activity of enzymes inside the tea leaves to the greatest extent. Enzymes are the main factor in the aging of white tea.
During the withering stage, the thick leaves and sturdy stems of Shoumei lose moisture at a relatively gentle rate, which allows enzyme activity to be retained. The low-temperature drying process is also more friendly to Shoumei; there is no need to carefully protect delicate buds, and even if the processing control is somewhat rough, it will not deplete its potential for later aging.
That is to say, Shoumei can accept a conventional and simple production process without overdrawing its space for future transformation. Those minor processing errors that would be enough to ruin delicate white teas do far less harm to Shoumei.
It has a high tolerance for storage errors; even if storage conditions are not perfect, the tea is still drinkable
For most teas, long-term tea storage plans often end up failing at the storage stage. Fortunately, Shoumei gives us room to make mistakes.
The moisture content of delicate buds is easily affected by the environment; sometimes they become too dry, and sometimes they easily absorb moisture, making them extremely fussy to care for. Shoumei is composed of mature leaves and tea stems, so its moisture is easier to keep stable and balanced. When storing Shoumei, as long as we pack it in a sealed porcelain jar or aluminum foil bag and place it in an ordinary dry environment, that is enough.
In addition, this combination of raw materials in Shoumei also gives it better resistance to mold than delicate buds and leaves; even if there is a brief spell of humid weather, it will not directly ruin a cake of Shoumei. In short, when storing Shoumei, we do not need to be overly cautious, as if treating it like a rare treasure.
Of course, it should be specially noted that this does not mean silver needle and peony cannot be aged. Properly cared-for aged white peony and aged silver needle are also very charming. It is just that Shoumei's raw material endowments, internal substances, processing method, and storage tolerance all happen to be perfectly suited to aging. In the new tea stage, it looks somewhat "coarse and plain," but this is exactly the foundation that allows it to carry decades of flavor change. And those tea stems that feel like scraps are precisely the source of the later honey-sweet and mellow taste.
As a new tea lover, if you are just starting to collect aged white tea, then Shoumei will be a wise starting point. It does not require expensive or complicated equipment, nor harsh storage conditions. You only need a sealed tea bag and a little more patience. It can tolerate the small mistakes you make during tea storage, so you do not need to be overly cautious, and the experience will be very good.
If you want to try storing a white tea, you can start with this 2015 sugarcane-sweet Shoumei white tea; while waiting for it to age, you can also read How to Brew Aged Shoumei for an Excellent Flavor; if you want a complete understanding of the aging journey of white tea, you can read The Aging Journey of Old White Tea; and Are Porcelain Jars Suitable for Storing Tea? A Practical Tea Storage Guide can also give you many references.
As new tea lovers, we can confidently buy a portion of Shoumei, seal it properly, and set it aside for the time being. Then hand it over to time and slowly wait for its transformation; this is the unique charm of old white tea.