What-Cha Malawi Zomba Pearls White Tea

Origin: Satemwa Tea Estate, Malawi, Africa

So I’ve been on a Malawi kick recently, I’ve had a couple of What-Cha’s other Malawi teas that I’ve been meaning to write up a little on, but I always seem to use up the entirety of my stash before I take some pictures. In the future I must remember to at least keep my phone on me. Unfortunately this is my last of What-Cha’s Malawi tea so if I am ever going to write anything on the 2014 harvest it will probably be in comparison to the 2015.

Dry Leaves: It has a nice grassy aroma and a rather strange shape, not as strange as some of What-Cha’s other teas, it sort of reminds me of a baby being swaddled or some kind of cocoon.

First Steeping

Temperature: 176^oF

Brewing Time: Three Minutes

Aroma: Citrus and Green Beans

Flavor: Corn, Hay, Cucumber and Tangy

Tasting Notes:  This was very interesting. At first I was only getting corn and hay from this, they are definitely the dominant flavors, but after a few seconds of this tea on my tongue was starting to distinguish cucumber and something tangy.

This is a very crisp and clean tea, for some reason I can imagine drinking it on a hot summer day, it is a little to clean for winter and a little too heavy for the spring. This was a rather interesting steeping, but it feels more like a green tea then a white to me which is a good thing.

Second Steeping

Temperature: 180^oF

Brewing Time: Four Minutes

Aroma: Citrus and Vegetal

Flavor: Hay, Cucumber, Tangy and Bell Pepper

Tasting Notes: The corn flavor is gone completely, but hay is still there although considerably weaker. I was rather happy to see the cucumber become more prominent and the addition of bell pepper was nice as well. The aroma became rather nice. I wasn’t too impressed with it in the first steeping, it smelled like a watered down sencha, this time it started to become pleasant. If I brew this again I should try rinsing this first, it’s not that the first infusion was undrinkable, but this is a much more palatable starting point.

It had a nice thickish mouthfeel. I was much more impressed this time then the last, not that I didn’t enjoy the last steeping, but this feels much more distinct whereas the previous felt like it was struggling.

Third Steeping

Temperature: 185^oF

Brewing Time: Five Minutes

Aroma: Citrus and Vegetal

Flavor: Cucumber, Sugar Cane and Bell Pepper

Tasting Notes: It’s starting to become simpler and very mellow. It has become very relaxing, I liked that the bell pepper taste is still present and I am not even missing the tangy notes from the last two infusions (even though it was perhaps my favorite of the various tastes I could distinguish). It has become the kind of tea you want to drink on a lazy afternoon, not too strong, not too weak, sort of reminds me of a talented underachiever that you know could potentially accomplish great things, but for whatever reason is content doing nothing; and I love it for this. The last infusion made a great cup of tea while this isn’t as marvelous, but it is still nice and I think I prefer this last infusion to the two previous ones.

I felt the first infusion was struggling to find an identity while the second infusion was amazing it felt a little too confident and the third is the perpetual slacker that charmed me.

I should have started off with how cheap this is for $12.00 for 50g this is a steal, I may have to pick up 200 or so grams of this, it is that good. The price definitely makes this a daily drinker, but the taste is more in line with a special occasion type of tea. Words fail me when describing this tea, there is something elusive about it and I can only recommend you trying it out. While I still feel What-Cha’s wild growing Long Jing is the star of the greens, this my favorite of What-Cha's white teas.