This weeks Canton Tea Clubs tea is Silver Needle (Yin Zhen). It’s strange but I have been craving a lot of white tea the moment so it’s very fitting.
The leaves whilst raw smell slightly sweet and floral. They are silvery green in colour and form thin, sharp leaves that are so fresh they have a natural fuzz.
Brewed in a small teapot using 4g with three infusions starting with 1 minute and increasing each infusion by an extra minute.
Once wet the leaves smell sweet and somewhat fruity, almost like melon or sweet pea.
Infusion 1 – Very pale yellow in colour with a sweet and vegetal fragrance. The tea itself is crisp, fresh, light and floral. A wonderful example of fresh Silver Needle.
Infusion 2 – Same colour and smell. The flavour is a little stronger and crisper. The sweetness is now also more fruity but still subtle and fresh.
Infusion 3 – The same colour and smell. The flavour has weakened muchly and is now more floral than fruity but extremely subtly.
Three steeps were recommended and they turned out nicely. With the club giving me 25g this week and a teapot only uses 4g I have plenty left to enjoy :) Thank you Canton Tea Club.
Preparation
People who liked this
Comments
i’m usualy steeping my white for 3 – 4 and 5min with 3g :)
I think it’s mainly down to preference. This time I followed the instructions given to try and review it efficiently but teapot steeping is new to me, I usually just use my gaiwan which takes a lot more loose tea.
i still need to purchase a gaiwan, got some that i want to buy from butiki. but well costly months and bills… going to buy one soon :)
My only advice would be to get a basic one, something you can learn with. When I started using them I kept dropping it when pouring. You get used to it very quickly though. :)
u mean u destroyed a few gaiwans and spilled loads off tea? :) lol
Lol Not broken one yet but very lucky not to have, it’s just difficult for me as I have small feminine hands. Holding the bottom saucer with gaiwan full of boiling water and trying to hold the lid at a slant in place to pour the tea with one hand was difficult.
just remember the chinese all got even smaller hands ;)
I just got this one today and am looking forward to trying it.
i’m usualy steeping my white for 3 – 4 and 5min with 3g :)
I think it’s mainly down to preference. This time I followed the instructions given to try and review it efficiently but teapot steeping is new to me, I usually just use my gaiwan which takes a lot more loose tea.
i still need to purchase a gaiwan, got some that i want to buy from butiki. but well costly months and bills… going to buy one soon :)
My only advice would be to get a basic one, something you can learn with. When I started using them I kept dropping it when pouring. You get used to it very quickly though. :)
u mean u destroyed a few gaiwans and spilled loads off tea? :) lol
Lol Not broken one yet but very lucky not to have, it’s just difficult for me as I have small feminine hands. Holding the bottom saucer with gaiwan full of boiling water and trying to hold the lid at a slant in place to pour the tea with one hand was difficult.
just remember the chinese all got even smaller hands ;)
I just got this one today and am looking forward to trying it.