Silver Needle

This was my favourite out of all the teas I sampled today, and sadly also the first. WOW!! I wanted to take some home with me… but it was absurdly expensive and so I settled for something else instead. Until I drink down the rest of my teas there really is no justification in spending that much money on one tea.
Anyhow, the tea…
Tao brought out two varieties. One of them fresh, and the other from a 100 yr old bush, and then the leaves were aged. It was similar in flavour, if not a little more robust and less smooth.
The taste was sweet and deep, not laying on top or in the middle. I mean, the sweetness seemed to permeate the entire sip but not in an overwhelming way, but more balanced… it was a light tea after all. The sweetness lingered afterwards as well.
Such soft downy leaves! and that aspect seemed to translate into the tea somehow. It tasted soft, and round as well.
Second infusion was the best, a little sweeter and rounder and just oh so soooo very tasty.
Now I’m wondering if I should have just put it on my credit card… sighs

I think? this is one of the teas i tried today at tao’s moon cake festival tea tasting thing. On the whole, while it’s a nice silver needle, there just really isn’t much room in my cupboard for white teas unless they blow my mind. this one did not.

Ok, whites are probably the last teas on my list to drink if I have a choice. I just don’t find them punchy or tea-e (yea, it’s a word) enough for me. I still bow before the gorgeousness of flavor of theirs, but it’s just not my cup of tea. But trying this tea (had a sample, steeped it for a dear friend who loves whites) on a second steep I was blown away. It is a very delicious tea. I am backlogging now, so can’t go in details of flavor, but I can say it was delicious and didn’t make me think for a second that it’s a white – I simply enjoyed it.

Incredibly sweet, with very light vegetal notes. Easy to drink, refreshing type of tea.

Purchased a small sample of this at the Toronto Tea Festival but could not resist sampling at the booth itself multiple times…:D

Sipdown #3 of the day. I thought I could reach 4, but I guess not.

I’ve had mixed luck with white teas, and I thought that switching from Western style brewing to gong-fu style would make a difference. 6 steeps in a 4 oz gaiwan, with the steeps ranging from 45s to 1.5m. Water started out at 80C.

I dumped the whole sample packet into my gaiwan, and the leaves were a sort of sage/forest green with white fuzz. There were lots of little broken bits mixed in with the needles.

The taste wasn’t much, unfortunately, and by the third steep I noticed quite a bit of astringency. My tongue is still crinkly a few minutes after finishing the final steep. The liquor was very pale, and not very flavourful – or quite delicate, if you’re feeling charitable.