Silver Needle

Tea: Silver Needle
Vendor: Red Leaf Tea
Price: $4.99 / .2oz - $12.99 / 1.6 oz
Vendor Description: Silver Needle White Tea is quite possibly one of the highest grade teas that you will find, and this, along with its rarity, explains its somewhat high cost. Nevertheless, we are sure that you will find its price more than worth it, as the 100% silver leaf buds offers tangy, fresh flavor with subtle flowery touches and a delicate astringency. This tea displays a cup that is bold in color and very sweet, giving you a delicate yet satisfying drinking experience.

Leaf: The leaf for this tea is a rather typical looking Silver Needle style tea. It has a dark green color underneath the hairs coating the leaves. There is a bit of a fruitiness to the aroma to these leaves. The buds are very thin, thinner than most that I have seen.

1st Infusion Parameters: 2.5g / 5 oz / 185F / 1:30

1st Infusion: There is a light haziness to this tea, somewhat expected from the small hairs coming off of the needles. The color of the tea has an odd yellow-red hue to it, the hue shows light shades of red which is rather unique for a Silver Needle. Aside from that the tea looks much like a typical Silver Needle. The aroma is thick, but not in the typical manner for a Silver Needle. Rather it is thick with small hints of creaminess inside of the aroma. The flavor is light with some light fruity hues to it. They seem to be at the tip of the flavor and like the Black Night, hard to pinpoint.

Rating: 3/10

Conclusion: This is a pretty normal Silver Needle. It does have a bit of an oddness to it, I can't get over thinking that some flavoring oils were added to this tea in a light amount. The thing that is probably harshest on this tea though is it's price. Even at the best price point, this tea is more expensive than the phenomenal Silver Needles offered by Jing Tea and Canton Tea Co. This tea just doesn't seem to have anything redeeming it for this price point.

Silver Needle

Tea: Silver Neeldle
Vendor: Jing Tea
Price: £6.90/50g
Source: Fujian, China
Vendor Description: Picked at the end of March this year, long, soft and downy, Silver Needle comprises the first spring buds of the Da-Bai tea plant. It comes from Fuding, a serene region with icy waterfalls and crystal clear lakes. The peaceful setting is reflected in the flavour - soft and mellow,with the freshness of honeydew melon and the soothing sweetness of a ripe cantaloupe. It’s an easy-drinking tea that's ideal for drinking on long and lingering afternoons, or well into the night.

Leaf: The leaf for this Silver Needle is a very vibrant green and white mix of hues. More so than most SN the color is really standing out with this tea. It has the distinctive fluffiness of a SN in a quite exemplary form. The bottom end of the buds have small amounts of blackening which I have seen on a few other SN teas before. The aroma is very vibrant and creamy. It has an almost peachish aroma to it.

1st Infusion Parameters: 5g, 50z, 185F, 1:20

1st Infusion: This infusion has a golden yellow hue to it, and the aroma is thick and sweet. It is bold and in charge, and is a perfect example of the creamy aroma of a SN. The flavor is fresh and crisp, not something seen in many SN, but it is still a light hearted tea. The flavor overall is quite well rounded with a slight conservative emptiness to it.

2nd Infusion Parameters: 2:00, 185F

2nd Infusion: This infusion has the same golden color, and the aroma is even more enthusiastic. Everything about this tea simply says vibrance. The flavor is creamy yet light, thick, but not overly so.

Rating: 10/10

Conclusion: This is one of the best SNs that I've tried to date. It is slightly different than some others in that the key to this tea is the vibrance and the freshness of the SN. A few others focus more on the subtle flavor and the creaminess. These aspects are present in this tea, but take second seat to the vibrant fresh flavors.

Silver Needle

Tea: Silver Needle
Vendor: Canton Tea Co.
Price: £8.99 / 40g (~$13.21 USD)
Souce: Fuding County, Fujian Province, China
Harvest: Spring 2008
Vendor Description: This rare and delicious Silver Needle white tea is entirely hand-made from Fuding Da Bai Hao tips and is simply picked at dawn and scattered in the sun to dry. It is a very high quality Yin Zhen showing a dense covering of the characteristic white hairs on a healthy, plump, pale green leaf. The liquor is very pale and bright - the colour of champagne and it has a sweet nutty aroma. It tastes soft, creamy and mellow with a long and pleasant aftertaste.

Leaf: The leaf is very nicely shaped for a SN. The leaf is very light and fluffy with a barely noticeable amount of chips and dust. The needles are well cared for and the underlying leaf has a nice green hue to it.

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

1st Infusion: This tea has a bold and sweet aroma to it. The tea itself is a pale yellow hue. The taste is fresh and light. There is a tiny amount of sediment on the bottom of the cup. The flavor is very good for a SN, both sweet and bold matching the aroma. The flavor is smooth and long lasting with a very enjoyable lingering aftertaste.

2nd Infusion: This infusion is murker with a yellow hue. The aroma is absolutely sublime. The flavor is bolder yet still stubtle. It has strength, but is not overpowering. It is light to medium bodied and finishes with a light sense of astringency. The flavor in this infusion is also very good and strong without inducing any negative traits.

Rating: 10/10

Conclusion: This SN is absolutely fabulous. It could very well be the best SN that I have had to date, but without a direct comparison to Seven Cups it would be hard to tell. The flavor is bold, sweet, and delicate. Everything I look for in a wonderful SN. The price is on par with Seven Cups so there is not too much difference there. If you're looking for an absolutely top notch SN, this is a good choice.

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.

Bai Hao Yin Zhen

Tea: Bai Hao Yin Zhen
Vendor: David's Tea
Price: $20.00 / 50g
Vendor Description: This is a true luxury, considered by many to be China’s most famous white tea. To create it, only the first leaves and downy, silvery unopened buds of the tea plant are picked by hand during the April harvest. How does this influence the flavour and aroma? Connoisseurs rave about its sweet complexity, and about an underlying grassy taste that makes it uniquely perfect.

Leaf: This tea was a very mixed bag of needles. Some where very broken for a Silver Needle (Bai Hao Yin Zhen), but yet it was very fluffy. It was primarily a budset tea, but did not appear as purely of one compared to others. It has a light and fresh aroma to it and an interesting green hue amongst the silvery white hairs.

1st Infusion Parameters: 5g, 5 oz, 185F, 1:00

1st Infusion: The tea has a very sweet aroma to it. The color is a clear yellow hue. The sweetness of the aroma reminds me of the Emerald Needle from Adagio. The flavor however does not seem to match the aroma well. The flavor is light and smooth, but lacks the sweetness of the aroma. It is a subdued and subtle taste, very conservative for a Silver Needle. The flavor feels muddled and mixed, more akin to a white peony than a Silver Needle.

2nd Infusion Parameters: 185F, 2:00

2nd Infusion: This infusion has a darker straw yellow hue to it. The aroma is distinctively a silver needle. The flavor is richer and more appropriate. The backend of the flavor feels emptier and there is a light sense of bitternes, partly from the increased strength of the infusion, but also from the tea itself I suspect. There are honey tones in the flavor, similar to a honey smoothness. It finishes off with a light sense of astringency.

Rating: 6/10

Conclusion: This Silver Needle didn't seem as pure as some of the others I have tried, most notably the Seven Cups and Swan Sisters have better flavor to them. The flavor of this one is a bit muddled like it's mixed with a little White Peony. The cost is higher than that of the Seven Cups or the Swan Sisters versions, for something that does not perform or look as appealing.

Silver Needle

Tea: Silver Needle
Vendor: Swan Sisters
Price: $6.00 / oz.
Source: Fujian, China
Harvest: 3/08
Vendor Description: This delicately pleasant tea is from the home of white teas, Fujian's Fu Ding county. Bai Hao Yin Zhen is hand plucked in the first two weeks of March and made using century old techniques. The flavor of this tea is earthy and sweet with a velvety, smooth texture that is characteristic of a Silver Needle white tea. SwanSisters' Silver Needle is a higher grade so the flavor and the texture of the tea will be more apparent than in the more common grades. Enjoy Bai Hao Yin Zhen on a quiet afternoon

Leaf: The leaf for this Silver Needle was a bit dryer looking than normal. There are a few small flecks in the mix as well.

1st Infusion Parameters: 5g, 50z, 180F, 2 min

1st Infusion: This Silver Needle has a heavier and thicker aroma than most silver needles. The leaves, once wet, have a very nice green color to them. The tea itself has a nice light light yellow hue to it. It is a very typical looking cup of Silver Needle. The flavor is much bolder than a normal Silver Needle, it is very full bodied with a light sense of bitterness. The flavor on the tongue is much thicker than normal.

2nd Infusion Parameters: 180F, 3 min

2nd Infusion: The flavor in this infusion was still quite rich for a silver needle. There was a light sense of bitterness to it, and for the most part tasted the same as the first infusion.

Rating: 9/10

Conclusion: This Silver Needle has a stronger, bolder taste that the others I have tried. It is thick and creamy almost, while retaining that Silver Needle light flavor. The only thing about this tea is that it is a little on the pricey side, even for a Silver Needle. For a unique SN experience though, this is a tea to try.

White Symphony

Tea: White Symphony
Vendor: Adagio Teas
Price: $6.00 / oz
Vendor Description: An exquisite version of the White Peony variety, a delicate tea made from tea buds collected and withered prior to opening. It offers a preponderance of unopened leaf buds that create a pale yellow, light bodied, yet complex cup with hints of honeydew and a faint floral sweetness. If you enjoy the soothing flavor of our 'White A' Cappella' tea, we invite you to savor this more refined version.

Leaf: This tea appears like a mix of a silver needle and a Bai Mu Dan. It has both buds and developed leaf. The leaf is very fluffy and light and gives off a very strong white tea aroma.

1st Infusion Parameters: 5g, 5 oz, 180F, 7 min

1st Infusion: The infusion has a very dark yellow color, its almost a light brown hue. The aroma is thick and malty. It is heavy and very reminiscent of a strong Bai Mu Dan with just hints of a lighter silver needle aroma. The flavor is best described as being purely smooth. The initial flavor is very bold and strong. It is very bold and long lasting. It starts at the tip of the tongue and tapers the flavor slowly back down the tongue. It is thick with a richness that is almost like a melting milk chocolate bar. There is no bitterness or astringency, and it almost hints at a zuchini bread flavor of zuchini. It also has a nice hint of sweetness in your mouth after you finish your sip.

Rating: 8/10

Conclusion: This tea is good. I ended up trying this at a long steep for only a single steep. It produced a rich flavorful cup, but it feels like a blend between a silver needle and a white peony. Personally I like the notion that if I want a silver needle, i'll have a silver needle, if I want a white peony, i'll have a white peony. I don't really see a reason why I would want the blend of the two. If you look at this from the standpoint of being a high grade white peony, it's a bit expensive. This might be a good starter tea for someone looking into white teas. It offers a bit of both worlds without sacrifing the other.

Melon White Fridge Brew

Tea: Melon White - 7017
Vendor: Lupicia USA
Price: $13.00 / 50g
Source: Fujian, China
Vendor Description: White tea from Fujian province is scented with succulent and sweet melon.

About this tea: This was a fridge brew infusion of the Melon White from Lupicia.

Infusion Parameters: 15g, 1L

Infusion: This was one of the first white teas that I have done a fridge brew for. 15g of leaf is quite voluminous, and took up much of my infuser basket for this tea. The tea came out with a very very clear, amber colored infusion. The flavor is again an interesting mix between cantaloupe and white tea. The cantaloupe is a bit more prominent over the white tea flavor and the flavor is much longer lasting and very refreshing. The flavor reminds me even more of fresh cantaloupe now. There is a very light bitterness on the back end of the tea, but it pairs well with the sweetness of the tea to provide a very enjoyable nice round flavor.

Rating: 8/10

Conclusion: This was more enjoyable than the hot brew infusion of the same tea. It has a very nice smooth flavor to it with nothing complicating it. The downside is that it requires a rather large amount of leaf to create this infusion, and again the price of this tea is somewhat prohibitive. Try this one on a hot day though if you pick up this tea. You won't be disappointed.

Melon White

Tea: Melon White - 7017
Vendor: Lupicia USA
Price: $13.00 / 50g
Source: Fujian, China
Vendor Description: White tea from Fujian province is scented with succulent and sweet melon.

Leaf: The leaf for this tea is a very interesting white tea. It has the primary appearance of a Bai Mu Dan, but has some silver needle like leaves in it. There are a small handful of yellow blossoms in there and a few of the leaves do not have the silver needle like hairs on them. The appearance of this leaf greatly reminds me of an autumn leaf covered ground. The tea has a very strong and noticeable aroma of cantaloupe.

1st Infusion Parameters: 3g, 185F, 2 minutes

1st Infusion: There is a very unusual aroma to this tea, it has a very strong aroma of cantaloupe, but it is mixed with a warm white tea aroma. The tea itself has a very clear straw yellow hue to it. The front end of the taste is very sweet and reminds me greatly of cantaloupe. There is a much lighter flavor of a white tea on the back end. The two flavors transition into each other quite nicely. The flavor also seemed to change significantly while I was drinking the cup of tea. It was at first very sweet, and then became thicker as I continued drinking the cup.

2nd Infusion Parameters: 185F, 2 minutes

2nd Infusion: Again there was a very warm and sweet aroma to this tea. In this particular infusion though the two aromas were not as distinct from each other, but blended together more into a singular warm tea smell. The hue of the tea darkened into a golden brown color. There were still hints of the uniquely cantaloupe aroma. This infusion still had a good cantaloupe flavor and the balance of the white tea versus the flavoring was still in good balance. There was no detectable bitterness or astringency.

Rating: 7/10

Conclusion: This was a rather tasty white tea, but the price makes this a bit prohibitive. It is rather expensive for a flavored white tea. So far though this is somewhat uniquely the only melon flavored tea that I have run across so far. I did find the tea to be quite pleasant though.

Silver Needle

Tea: Silver Needle
Vendor: Tao of Tea
Price: $ 3.50 / oz
Source: Nan Yue Heng Shan, Hunnan Province, China
Vendor Description: Also known as 'Yin Zhen', Silver Needles is an organic, famous white tea with rich tea history.

Leaf: The leaf for this silver needle was at the same time familiar and different than most of the needles I have seen for a silver needle. The leaf is coated in the trademark white hairs which give it its name, but at the same time the leaves were much longer and thinner than most of the other silver needles I have seen. Another thing that caught my eye about this tea was the browning I noticed on the ends of the buds where they have been picked. I'm not sure how this compares to other silver needles, but for some reason on this tea it was more noticeable and prominent.

1st Infusion: This tea has a very strong and prominent silver needle aroma to it. Combined in the normal aroma was a hint at grassiness. The tea itself had a very prominent and light clean taste to it. It felt though as there were multiple parts to the flavor, each feeling like their own distinct flavor, but at the same time all representing different white tea flavors. The combination of flavors lasted for a long time for a silver needle. This tea was also very full bodied for a silver needle. There was a light sense of astringency on the back end.

2nd Infusion: The flavor was a bit lighter on this infusion. The taste had a very nice crispness to it, but it was still very full bodied. The flavor was sweeter in taste, but this was balanced by a light bitterness and a light astringency.

Rating: 8/10

Conclusion: This was a very unusual silver needle. The flavors felt complicated and convoluted, but was very good. It almost felt like a combination of different silver needle flavors in one. The price was very good, especially for a silver needle. I wouldn't consider this to be a standard tasting silver needle, but it was good nonetheless.

Imperial Silver Needles

Tea: Imperial Silver Needles
Vendor: Imperial Tea Court
Price: $11.00 / oz
Source: Fujian, China
Vendor Description: To meet "Imperial" standards, our Yinzhen ("silver needle") White Tea is harvested from the Da Yeh ("big leaf") tea cultivar grown in the Fu-An area of Fujian province. This varietal grows unusually large leaf buds covered with white down. The leaves must be harvested in early spring and carefully sun-dried for several days before being given a sort of brief roasting over hardwood charcoal in order to remove residual moisture and, in effect, seal in the flavor. White tea has been found to be unusually high in anti-oxidants. Imperial Silver Needles White Tea is mild, soothing, and delicious.

Leaf: The leaf had a very nice appearance to it, the needles were very even and uniform. They had a very even coating of hairs and they were almost all nicely intact buds.

1st Infusion: The liquor was very light in color, although it was slightly murky due to the small "hairs" from the needle floating around. The tea has a very rich aroma, and although it is strong it was still a light aroma. The flavor was light yet very robust. The flavor is very strong and powerful, but the strong flavor was quite light, just like the aroma.

2nd Infusion: The leaves were very evenly expanding and showed that almost all of the needles were quite even. There were very few broken pieces, and the small pieces that were broken were all small bits, no half broken needles. The flavor in this infusion was actually much sweeter and had a light delicate feeling to it. It had a very clean feeling and a very clean white flavor.

Rating: 10/10

Conclusion: This was a very nice silver needle. The taste was light and clean, and yet strong. The leaf had a very nice appearance.

Silver Needles (Organic)

Tea: Silver Needles (Organic)
Vendor: Dragonwater Tea
Price: $29.95 / 4 oz.
Vendor Description:Silver Needles (Organic) Tea. Handmade, organic Chinese white tea consisting of the most tender, down covered buds. This lot contains a fresh, sweet fragrance and true Yinzhen characteristics, highest grade available. Limited supply available.

This was the second time that I have tried silver needles, and I was very curious to see what the difference would be for the same tea from different vendors. Unlike many teas which try to make themselves more unique in their name, Silver Needles are referred to as their own tea. For instance a Darjeeling might be further specified as a Castleton Darjeeling, but as far as I can tell there are no classifications or further specifications on most Silver Needle teas. They are Silver Needle and that's it.

Looking at the needles themselves they look as though they have been handled much more than the ones from Seven Cups. Also a lot of the fine hairs had come off of the leaves forming small balls of fuzz in the package. There were many broken needles and the coloring was not quite as consistent as the Seven Cups tea.

The flavor of the tea was a lot weaker than that of the Seven Cups silver needle, it tasted more like a Bai Mu Dan than the other silver needle did. The flavor felt like it was more generalized than specified. It did taste like a white tea, but like a Bai Mu Dan it was not as refined and blended more towards a green tea in flavor. The flavor was sweet and mellow as a white tea should be. It had no sense of bitterness and left with a medium sense of astringency.

I tried a second infusion with this tea, and the second infusion was very similar to the first, but with a higher sense of astringency and a lighter flavor.

Rating: 3/10

Conclusion: In comparison to the seven cups silver needle this wasn't very good. The appearance of the tea was not as pleasant and the flavor was not as refined. Unfortunately when getting a tea such as a silver needle there is no rating system to know how good / bad one is. Especially considering the price between the two vendors was quite close it is probably better to go with the Seven Cups.

Silver Needle

Tea: Silver Needle 2007
Vendor: Seven Cups
Price: $17.25 / 50g
Vendor Description: Our certified organic Silver Needle is the highest grade of white tea made entirely of white tea buds picked in spring and rich in nutrition. It has a very fresh floral aroma and slightly sweet taste. While the flavor is mild, it has a depth that will leave you enjoying the many nuances of this fine tea. While green tea is the most popular tea in China many of the world's best-known tea experts consider high grade white tea to be even finer that green tea.

Other Vendor Information:
Location: Fujian Province
Tea Bush: Da Bai Cha (Big White Leaves Tea Bush)
Tea Master: Wu Si Jia
Harvest Time: before April 5th
Picking Standard: 1 bud
Brewing vessel: glass cup, gaiwan, glass or porcelain pot,
Brewing Guidelines: 1st infusion 1 1/2 Tbs per 20 oz 160F for 2 min
Infusions: at least 4 times

This was my first silver needle that I have tried. I was unsure of whether or not there are different grades of silver needle, and I still am unsure. Silver needle is a very interesting form for tea, it only consists of the top bud so it is very labor intensive to pick, and does not change much in size or shape when steeped. Most leaves unfurl, uncurl, or otherwise unfold in some way, silver needles retain their original shape. The few exceptions to this that I know of are certain forms of Bancha, Kukicha, and some yellow teas like the Meng Ding Huang Ya. The Meng Ding Huang Ya is also a bud only tea so it retains its form for the same reason. Bancha is roasted and left as a flat leaf, and Kukicha consists primarily of stems which don't get changed by the processes.

Silver needle steeps into a very clear tea, because of the very intact buds. One interesting thing to notice about the tea are the silver hairs which coat silver needle come off into the tea, they are hard to notice, but you can see them floating around in the tea.

The brewed liquor is a pale light brown color, as white teas interestingly turn more of a brown color with heavier steeping. The interesting part of silver needle is the leaves all dance vertically in the pot, they slide up and down which is quite a sight to see.

The flavor of the tea is very pure. It truly would be described as the essence of white tea. If you have ever had a Bai Mu Dan you have a feeling of what makes white tea different than other forms of tea, and silver needle tastes like purely that difference. It is pure and clean. No bitterness, no astringency. It also has a very pleasant sweetness to it.

Rating: 10/10

Conclusion: This tea is pure and clean, leaving me with a pure taste of white tea. I have yet to see how it compares to other silver needle, but it leaves me very hopeful for other silver needles.

White Peony

Tea: White Peony
Vendor: Cha'a

This tea was a gift from a friend of mine. I'm not quite sure where it is from as the vendor name seems to return quite a few hits on google (for obvious reasons). This tea comes packaged in a tin which, interestingly does not form an airtight seal once opened. During packaging and shipping it looks as though there is a somewhat airtight seal created through a few precisely fitted metal pieces. The main can portion holds a smaller cup for holding the stainless steel infuser that comes with the tea, which is then topped by a lid. The lid and the can itself fit together, but do not have an airtight seal, simply the tape / stickers holding it in place.

Everything about this tea seemed to be quite average. The aroma was what I have come to expect from a white peony aka Bai Mu Dan. It has the normal sweetness of a smell as other white teas do, and the somewhat normal strength of smell compared to a silver needle. The color was also quite representative of a Bai Mu Dan.

The taste of this tea as well was well, quite average. It has the appropriate sweetness and strength of a Bai Mu Dan, with little to no astringency and no bitterness. This tea is really neither remarkable nor does it have any great faults.

Rating: 4/10

Conclusion: While this tea is not remarkable, it does not seem to contain any particular faults. The lack of particularly good packaging seems to not have effected this tea. This is a good baseline white tea for any wishing to try out or know the traits of a white tea. For those who know what white tea is like, you know what this tea is like.

White Blueberry

Tea: White Blueberry
Vendor: Adagio
Price: $8.00 / 2oz
Source: China, Fujian Region
Vendor Description: Premium white tea from Fujian region of China flavored with sweet blueberries. A wonderfully smooth and subtle treat, delectable both hot and cold. If you're new to white tea, this would be a good place to start.

Adagio's white blueberry was somewhat what I expected it would be. This tea has a very pleasant and strong blueberry scent when smelling the leaves and at the time of brewing, but this scent is very short lived.

The actual taste of the tea is very smooth, but with next to no actual blueberry flavor to it at all. It has a nice smooth flavor which leads to a medium level of astringency when finished. The initial taste of the tea is low profile while builds up in intensity in your mouth and finishes off with the medium level of astringency.

Rating: 6/10

Conclusion: While this tea is called white blueberry , the only place where the blueberry comes into play is before brewing and at the initial onset of brewing. There is little to no actual blueberry flavor to the tea. This is a very average white tea.