Guangxi Silver Needle

Thank you Whiteantlers!

Backlog that will be super short.

Most of the notes describing the tea have already been posted. This one is much better in the second steep, and is very mushroomy and creamy. I usually like creamy whites, but the more herbacaeous and mushroom profile are a little off putting. It was like drinking a cold floral miso in the first steep, and then a mushroomy and more intensely floral second steep.

This is not something you’d normally hear from me, but I like the black version of this tea significantly more. I know it’s ‘cause of my basic preference for more fruity notes in teas, but…I don’t know. I just don’t like this one.

This is as well from White Antlers and again same pouch as derk had.
The pouch looks very pretty! But using ounces and Fahrenheit was bit tricky. Also, what is one tablespoon? It was remaining amount of tea there, based on my own tablespoon.

So, measured, tea in my DIY tea bag, measured 190°F and steeped for 3 mintes. The colour of brew haven’t changed much! Very pale yellow. But it indeed brought some aromas to brew! It is meadow-like, bit mushroomy (Meadow mushrooms). On the pouch raw sugarcane is mentioned, but again an aroma I have no experience with.

In taste it is quite sweet for my teeth. Creamy, as derk notices, I think I can imagine corn-notes, overall again floral notes too. It is mouth-coating though and quite well, bit like fuzzy as well. As it cools down, it becomes more earthy, but mildly. Quite yummy!

2nd steep, as suggested, 5 minutes long.
More earthy notes, but still quite enjoyable. Bit more on honey side? But enjoyable.

White Antlers and derk thank you both that you have decided to send it to me. It’s very nice tea, mellow. I maybe expected something bit different, but certainly it’s worth trying and again, I will repeat myself, perfectly drinkable. I have no idea how old it is, but seems quite fresh for me.

Thanks to White Antlers, I was able to try another Whispering Pines Guangxi province tea, the other being a gold bud which was a tasty, easy-drinking tea.

The tea possesses, like other silver needles, a mellow sweet aroma, though the tastes lie within a lower tonal nature along the lines of dry forest duff and sweet, fresh mushrooms. When brewed western with 3g to 300mL, the body is medium with a dry finish followed quickly by sweet mushroom. The lingering aftertaste has a dominant, mouth-filling note of sweet cream butter mixed with fresh sweet corn (I listed kettle corn below since sweet corn is not an available taste). The second steep is earthy and still very mellow.

This tea serves as a pleasant contrast to the fruity, floral silver needles from the Yunnan and Fujian provinces and even Kenya. I could see this tea appealing to some fans of green and yellow teas, as well as fans of Jinggu puerh.

Off the bat, I am not fond of white or green teas, so my impression of this one isn’t very good.

That said, it doesn’t taste like grass clippings, which most greens do for me. The leaves are also fuzzy enough that I keep feeling like I want to pet them. :)

I’m sure this will be the perfect cup for others, but it isn’t for me.