Organic Nonpareil Silver Needle White Tea (Bai Hao Yin Zhen)

Tea type
White Tea
Ingredients
Not available
Flavors
Celery, Fruity, Melon, Floral, Smooth, Sweet, Cucumber, Peas, Cantaloupe, Cranberry, Flowers, Grass, Hay, Lemon, Lime, Wood, Cedar, Cream, Corn Husk, Nuts, Honey, Pepper
Sold in
Loose Leaf
Caffeine
Low
Certification
Organic
Edit tea info Last updated by TeaVivre
Average preparation
175 °F / 79 °C 1 min, 45 sec 5 g 7 oz / 205 ml

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105 Tasting Notes View all

  • “Same tea, new note. I added the rest of the sample. This is the last of one of the first teas I received from Teavivre. So sip down! This is still so fresh and clean. Along with the melon and...” Read full tasting note
    91
  • “I guess because of having to read about silver needle so much lately, I really started wanting some again. And like I said last time I broke out the Teavivre samples I need to a) drink the latest...” Read full tasting note
  • “Again, I am brewing this in my gongfu pot. I did 6 steeps:rinse,45s,1m,1m30s,1m45s,2m20s,3m The same notes come out as western brewing. Floral, slightly sweet, grass/hay, and that organic...” Read full tasting note
    93
  • “Hmm, have I never reviewed this? It seems unlikely, but there are no reviews to be found by me so I guess not. In that case I apologize to Teavivre for taking so long to get around to reviewing...” Read full tasting note
    86

From Teavivre

Origin: Fuding, Fujian, China

Ingredients: Tea buds covered in white hairs

Taste: A subtle, slightly flowery, sweet, lingering taste

Brew: 2-3 teaspoons for 8oz of water. Brew at 176 ºF (80 ºC) for 1 to 2 minutes (exact time depends on your taste – a longer time will give the tea a stronger taste and color)

Health Benefits: Silver Needle White Tea gives you the greatest health benefits of all White Tea’s. Composed of only unopened, fresh leaf buds, none of the beneficial antioxidants and minerals in this tea have yet had a chance to used by the plant to convert to chlorophyll or other parts of an opened leaf’s structure. As a result TeaVivre’s Silver Needle tea has the highest quantity of beneficial ingredients.

Certifications: The particular Organic Silver Needle White Tea (Bai Hao Yin Zhen) that TeaVivre is selling, is guaranteed to be organically grown and produced, independently verified to meet USDA, EU, JAS organic certifications.

About Teavivre View company

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105 Tasting Notes

91
1719 tasting notes

Same tea, new note. I added the rest of the sample. This is the last of one of the first teas I received from Teavivre. So sip down!

This is still so fresh and clean. Along with the melon and cucumber notes, it made me think pea pods today. Silver Needle is such a beautiful delicate tea.

This morning we played all hymns – probably haven’t done that in a decade. Started out slow and quiet. The last two we do as rockers, so I turned the volume up a just little (honest – maybe 1/8 turn). The sound guy and the drummer saw this as the moment they had been waiting for. Things got pretty loud after that (he he).

TheTeaFairy

Takes just a little slip for things to get out of control! Sounds like fun :-)

gmathis

They let you do the h-words? I’m jealous!! (I’m not that old or fuddy-duddy; just miss the generational connection that goes with them.) Oh, well—it was sunny and warm enough I took my brood of kiddos outside and we graffiti-ed the church sidewalk with chalk. Worship takes many different forms ;)

K S

g – we are one of the very few congregations I know that can do both and make it work. We also can get by with mixing styles. We will try anything from Southern Gospel to Punk. Guess which end of the scale the guitar player is on?

gmathis

Uh…probably not the Gaithers or the Isaacs :)

K S

:) Forget the harmonies. Give me some attitude!

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1220 tasting notes

I guess because of having to read about silver needle so much lately, I really started wanting some again. And like I said last time I broke out the Teavivre samples I need to a) drink the latest ones I got already and b) finish these already.

I still can’t get over how flavorful this tea is even after a minute. It’s so sweet, with notes of hay and flowers. It feels bright and fresh.

I have been feeling pretty meh lately about white teas, so I definitely needed this one back in my life. I’ve been having flavored ones of course but there’s just something about the pure flavor of silver needle that trumps them all when you drink one.

Also I just learned of the end-all of Gangnam Style parodies. Mitt Romney style: http://www.collegehumor.com/video/6830834/mitt-romney-style-gangnam-style-parody I think the shark has been jumped now.. (note I think there’s at least one f-bomb in there so just in case, here’s a warning, but it’s HILARIOUS)

CHAroma

OMG!!! How have I not heard of this parody yet?? It’s hilarious!!!!

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93
1184 tasting notes

Again, I am brewing this in my gongfu pot.

I did 6 steeps:rinse,45s,1m,1m30s,1m45s,2m20s,3m

The same notes come out as western brewing. Floral, slightly sweet, grass/hay, and that organic freshness. Delicious for an afternoon relaxing on a day off.

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86
2201 tasting notes

Hmm, have I never reviewed this? It seems unlikely, but there are no reviews to be found by me so I guess not. In that case I apologize to Teavivre for taking so long to get around to reviewing this sample. As always, you are so generous!

I’ve never been really drawn to white tea. Partly I think because it reminds me strongly of hay, and while that is a pleasant olfactory memory, it is not necessarily one I want to drink (I feel this way about many puerhs as well). I usually enjoy a white tea fairly well but I never crave one.

This tea is so pretty, all downy and soft. Dry, it smells like fresh cut hay. Steeped it retains those hay notes, but also gains a sweet creamy smell. A bit of honey on whole-grain bread, perhaps. That seems to be the predominant flavor for me, and this tea is unexpectedly “chewy;” the texture is thick and the whole thing really reminds me of really good bread. Which is totally not what most others are getting, but there you go! I don’t really taste florals or melon, but I could be convince of roasted summer squash. It’s darker tasting than I expect a white tea to be, and richer. I’d be interested in brewing my other package in a gaiwan (if I had one, not sure if my little gongfu pot would be appropriate) just to see how the flavors differ. Even so, this is quite a lovely, toothsome white tea and I very much enjoyed this cup.

Preparation
175 °F / 79 °C 2 min, 0 sec

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86
871 tasting notes

Long story
Canada Dry Gingerale is the bestest drink ever (excluding tea, so I guess it is the second bestest drink ever). There is nothing better. I am in love with Canada Dry Cranberry Gingerale. It only comes out around the Christmas season. So last year, when I was trying to find it, I had everyone I knew on the look out. My mom ended up buying me two cases of Canada Dry raspberry gingerale with white tea. Not what I wanted but I drank it. So I eventually found the cranberry gingerale and WWWAAAAYYYYY stocked up. I still have a box and a 1/2 of this in my basement because I was hoarding it, and my mom showed up last week with a fresh case that she just saw at the store as it is now on sale for the season.

Short Story
So thinking of the raspberry gingerale with white tea, I mixed the cranberry gingerale with this silver needle. I brewed the silver needle as per usual, cooled it in the fridge, and then mixed half and half with the gingerale. It is very good. Mostly tastes of cranberry gingerale but the sweetness and carbonation is much toned down. It seems to be smoother with the white tea. I get a taste of the silver needle in aftertaste. It tastes more like a drink/juice vs a soda/pop – so of course I feel better about drinking it.

Tea makes even the second bestest drink better!

Crowkettle

That’s a great idea! Love the Cranberry Canada Dry. :)

TeaLady441

OH, I want cranberry canada dry SO MUCH now.

Sil

Interesting…I do love the seasonal Canada dry

mrs.stenhouse12

Canada dry ginger ale is my favorite pop too! I can’t remember if I’ve tried the cranberry one, but I certainly will this year!

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91
807 tasting notes

Have not been feeling well all day – for the last couple of days actually. Spent the day sipping 52 Teas Pot O’ Gold and now ending my evening with a lovely white.
So many excellent tasting notes thus far. I get the floral, the hay, peppery, the summer lawn, and even the frost as others have mentioned. This is an awakening of tea, a chameleon. I don’t even want to bother writing more about it – this is a tea to be silent with and enjoy – and since we have a wonderful storm now I will sit back and relax and know that this tea is going to make me feel much better!

TeaBrat

Awe – feel better soon!

Azzrian

Thank you Amy :)

ashmanra

Hope you are feeling better! Enjoy the rain – when you can stay in and be cozy it is really nice!

Missy

Get better soon!

gmathis

A tea to be silent with. I like that.

Azzrian

Thanks Missy.
Yes it is nice gmathis :)

Invader Zim

Tea with a good storm is always nice. Enjoy them and get well soon.

Azzrian

Thanks Zim :) I’ll be alright – its just my energy – always up and down depending on how much work I am doing and what kind.

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88
359 tasting notes

Who said white teas had to be bland?

The smell of the brew: I get lost in it, tea drunk at first sniff! Oh, I could just bathe in its holy water!

1rst steep:

It has a round texture, feels like a cloud of pudding in my mouth!

Of course, I can’t deny the freshly cut hay, it dominates this first infusion. It’s sweet and slightly flowery. Beautiful pale yellow nectar. I’m slurping it like there’s no tomorrow, thinking my 4oz Gaiwan is way too small, I’d rather have a gigantic pot of this! But as they say, with great patience comes great rewards!

2nd steep:

Brings more sweet, honey like flavor with hints of citrus and melon in the background. I can see this being an excellent iced tea.

The later steeps are still sweet, but they also kick in with a peppery aftertaste, nice addition to the already complex symphony of flavors, it gives it a second life. It’s definitely very potent.

L-O-V-E it!

In conclusion, this is white tea with an attitude , some kind of a white boy with a James Brown swag signing «I got soul!!»

Bonnie

I got the feelin..Uh…

TheTeaFairy

I’m superbad, Uh!

Bonnie

I’ll answer your note when I’m better.I am sick. Glad to see you here!

TheTeaFairy

I had a strange feeling when I say today that your last post was 3days old, not a habit of yours.but then I saw your comment on my post and I stopped worrying. Should have known… Please be well soon, sending healthy vides your way.

Charles Thomas Draper

When the surf is huge and epic this song always comes into my head and gives me wings…

TheTeaFairy

Hahaha! Now that’s a vision!

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87
357 tasting notes

Thank you Angel and Teavivre for the very generous samples

Ahhh…smooth luxury. This tea has absolutely no bitterness or artificial taste, it’s just simple, light, silky satisfaction. First, let me say that I love that this tea came individually packaged. I’m sure the intent is to ensure freshness, but I must admit, tearing into the pretty white packaging made me feel like I was opening a wee gift made especially for me. Perhaps that sounds delusional, but it’s the little things that can make a girl like me feel special : ) And what a gift this tea proved to be! My first brew had a faint natural aroma and flavor, somewhat akin to straw, which I surprisingly enjoyed. The second steeping was my favorite: absolutely flawless, smooth deliciousness, with no bitter aftertaste. The sheer number of infusions I get with this tea with more of maturation in flavor, rather than a loss of taste is astonishing. This is only the first of several teas sent to me from the generous Angel and Teavivre, but if the rest of the samples are even half as impressive, I will be placing my order with them by next week.

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90
676 tasting notes

Thank you Angel and Teavivre for this sample!

I do enjoy a good Silver Needle Tea! I also am a believer in the curative properties of White Tea in particular having had a cure on my palms of a skin condition that I suffered with for 20 years and that White Tea applications cleared away completely never to return now many years later. (I don’t buy it when other people tell me these things, I know…but this is true for me!) I prefer the BEST ORGANIC I can afford! When this arrived in my package of samples, I was anxious to try it.

Opening the pretty white individual packet, the silver needles were long and covered with white down. Lovely! With a steep time of 1-2 minutes there was no waiting time. I am so impatient! The wet needles were fragrant with a green-bean vegetal scent, not scented enough to fill the room. I expected a floral smell which was not there. Curious.

The flavor was quite mild, unlike any white tea or silver needle I’ve tasted before. So mild in fact that I would not be able to say this is silver needle in a blind tasting. It was a bit salty and juicy, more like linen than needle, not floral or vegital at all. It was a bit hazelnutty.

I broke down and sweetened it…maybe that would change the picture.

Oh Golly! (like that word) The sweetness with the salt grabs the guts of the tea and yanks the hidden not-to-sweet flavor of salted butterscotch! This was mega better good!
Now I had the roll going…sweet….slurping…salty butterscotch silver needle white tea! My taste buds are having a party because this is one of those flavors that all you need is some friends to stop by. You want to share a tea like this one. This just can’t be a Silver Needle!

This is a keeper!

Azzrian

Bonnie would you mind PMing me to share more of this skin condition and what you did for it with the tea? I have terrible psoriasis in one area and would love to see if this could help that! Thanks !! :)

K S

Thank you. I keep reading how sweetener takes away from all the subtleties of a cup, yet my own experience is just the opposite. No wonder I can’t kick the habit.

Bonnie

That’s what I had!

Bonnie

KS Sweet is going to bring out salty flavors and visa versa just like in cooking which is why you and I are noticing this. In you it is natural and you might prefer certain tea’s that have this quality. I like a smoked tea with a bit of sweet IF it is a salty smoke and so on.

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85
863 tasting notes

SIPDOWN! These are a cause for celebration for me, since I drink tea so slowly that I accrue much faster than I decupboard.

This sample was generously provided to me (a very long time ago, actually!) by Angel at Teavivre. I was in the mood for a white tea – actually I have been for a few days but I’ve taken my time getting around to it. I wanted something light and clean, probably to jump start my body into spring detoxification mode. I do less and less well with winter as I age.

I was worried that the flavor may have suffered in the year(!!) that I’ve had this, but it actually seems to be quite similar to how I remember it! Very sweet and straw-like, and quite mild.

This was perfect for right now – a fabulous Silver Needle!

Preparation
Boiling 2 min, 0 sec

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