A natural white tea from Bing Dao 冰島, located in the Mengku region of Yunnan, China, made using the distinctive Teng Tiao 藤條 growing method. This rare batch was hand-picked in the last week of March 2023, before Qing Ming festival 清明, from 600-year-old gushu trees growing at 1,700m altitude. The variety is the local Mengku Da Ye Zhong 勐庫大葉種. The tea was grown in Nan Pou village 南迫, not far from Lao Zhai 老寨 – the iconic village known for producing the world’s most sought-after and extremely pricey pu’ers. But unlike its famous neighbor, this area is far less in demand, which makes this batch surprisingly affordable, without compromising the quality of its raw material.

White tea from Bing Dao remains rare in Yunnan since sheng material has much higher value in the market. But the truth is, not every batch is destined to become pu'er. Weather, trees condition, or simply the farmer’s vision may lead to different choices like diversifying their teas, applying varied techniques, and meeting different market needs. With a white tea this unique and successful, we can totally relate. Not everything is about profit.

Those who dismiss Yunnanese white tea for lacking the prestige or grading system of Fuding white tea, simply haven’t tried our Bing Dao Tang Tiao. Anyone who truly appreciates white tea and is reading this — can’t afford to skip this one.

The leaves — impressively large and chameleon-like in their vibrant coloring — are soft, tender, and were picked early in the season, before qing ming (ming qian 明前). They were dried indoors for a full week, flipped by hand 10 to 16 times, and finished with half a day of sun-drying.

The growing method, known as Tang Tiao 藤條 — nearly unheard of in the west — plays a major role in the tea’s character. It encourages the trees to grow tall, up to 4–6 meters, and improves photosynthesis by way of carefully controlled lateral pruning.

The initial groundbreaking 2022 batch has vanished in a blink, but we’ve worked closely with the same grower ever since and have first access to this material every spring. The 2024 batch didn’t meet our standards — a reminder that in natural tea, especially from Yunnan, consistency is never guaranteed.

This is a tea with a profile so distinct, it’s instantly recognizable: aromas of forest and mushrooms, grainy undertones of oats, and a tropical wink — perhaps passionfruit? The empty cup reveals notes of wood bark and honey. A deep, rich white tea — easily one of the most special we’ve come across.