Tuesday, March 17, 2009

White Pearls

Tea: White Pearls
Vendor: Koffee Klatch

About This Tea: I received this tea as a gift. From what I can tell they are similar to jasmine pearls, but made with a tea closer to a Silver Needle.

Leaf: The tea consists of small pea sized pearls. They are coated with the small silver hairs typical of a white tea.

1st Infusion Parameters: 5g, 5oz, 185F, 1:30

1st Infusion: The tea has a crystal clear color, with a light brown and pink hue to it. The aroma is very similar to a Silver Needle, although it is a bit light. The flavor is very creamy. It is differing from a Silver Needle in that it is not as crisp. Yet the flavor is not quite as broad as a White Peony. The flavor is bolder than a Silver Needle, but very similar in flavor. It is bold for a white tea, yet feels like it is somewhere along the line between a Silver Needle and a White Peony.

2nd Infusion Parameters: 185F, 2:00

2nd Infusion: This infusion has a darker amber color to it, although the tea is still quite clear in color. There is a little bit of astringency, but still exhibits a stron rich white tea flavor.

Rating: 7/10

Conclusion: This was a very interesting tea. It did not fall into the normal classifications for white teas (mostly either White Peony or Silver Needle). It felt like it was straddling this classification between the two. I don't know much of the details about the price or availability, so it is a bit harder to give rating, but if you enjoy white tea this stuff is probably right up your alley to try. If you don't like either of the common two white teas you probably won't like this one either.

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