2025 Bingdao Pojiao White

冰岛坡脚月光白

This tea comes from Pojiao (坡脚), a more specific growing area associated with the historic Bingdao tea region in Mengku, Yunnan.

Bingdao is one of the most famous tea-producing areas in China, especially for raw puerh. The region is known for teas with a remarkably smooth texture, restrained bitterness, and a distinctive lingering sweetness often described in Chinese as 冰糖甜 — rock-sugar sweetness.

Because Bingdao tea can be extremely expensive, sourcing here requires more than simply trusting a name on a wrapper.

Leo traveled to Bingdao personally in April 2025, then returned again in March 2026, tasting teas from different producers and growing areas throughout the region.

When a place becomes this famous, authenticity becomes increasingly difficult to judge from the outside. For us, the best way to understand what we are buying is to go there ourselves, meet the producers, compare teas side by side, and taste directly at the source.

That search is what led us to this Pojiao Moonlight White.

What makes this tea especially unusual is the material itself.

In Bingdao, high-quality spring-picked leaves are generally much more valuable when processed into raw puerh. Producers usually have very little incentive to take desirable spring material and turn it into white tea instead.

That is why we consider this cake such a special find.

You still get the recognizable Bingdao rock-sugar sweetness, but expressed through Moonlight White processing rather than raw puerh.

The result is softer, smoother, and immediately approachable.

The liquor has a silky, rounded texture with very little astringency. As the leaves open, the sweetness becomes increasingly clear, leaving a clean, lingering sensation in the mouth that reminds us of crystalline rock sugar.

It is also an unusually forgiving tea.

You can brew it aggressively, extend the steeping time, or even boil the leaves, and it continues to remain smooth and sweet rather than becoming harsh.

The tea was harvested on April 18, 2025, then rested for one full year before being pressed into 200g cakes on April 18, 2026.

That resting period gives the tea time to settle and develop before pressing, while still preserving the freshness and sweetness of the spring material.

How to Brew

Gongfu Style

Use 5–6g per 100ml of water.

Water temperature: 195–205°F / 90–96°C

Always rinse the tea first.

Because this is a compressed cake, the rinse helps loosen the leaves and prepares them for the first full infusion.

For the first infusion, steep for approximately 45 seconds.

This longer opening infusion is important. It gives the compressed leaves enough time to open and allows the tea's full flavor to emerge.

After that first steep, shorten the infusion time dramatically.

For the following rounds, brew for approximately 1–15 seconds, adjusting according to taste.

As the leaves begin to weaken later in the session, gradually increase the steeping time.

This tea is extremely forgiving, so don't be afraid to experiment with hotter water or longer infusions.

After 8–10 Infusions: Boil the Leaves

After approximately 8–10 gongfu infusions, don't throw the leaves away.

Transfer them into a glass pot, add fresh water, and bring them to a gentle boil.

This is one of our favorite parts of the tea.

Boiling draws out even more sweetness, body, and flavor from the leaves. The character becomes richer and fuller, while still maintaining the smooth texture that makes this tea so enjoyable.

Even under sustained heat, the tea develops very little astringency.

You can refill the pot with fresh water and continue boiling the leaves for additional rounds.

A long gongfu session followed by boiling allows you to experience everything this Pojiao material has to offer—from the soft sweetness of the first cups to the deeper, richer flavor hidden inside the leaves.

Harvest: April 18, 2025
Pressed: April 18, 2026
Cake Size: 200g
Tea Type: Moonlight White Tea (月光白)
Origin: Pojiao (坡脚), Bingdao (冰岛), Mengku, Yunnan