Today is a good day. My brother unexpectedly dug out some teas I bought a couple of years ago as gifts. And guess what! One of them is silver need from 2018 and I remember when I bought it in Maliandao Tea Street in Beijing. My family is not into fine teas as much as I am which I take as blessing hence, I opened the package (gift?) and the smell of the dry leaves was enough to cheer me up. Think about fresh spring flowers with some sweetness. It is difficult to smell sweetness but this Fuding tea has a sweeter smell than taste. The sweetness in the taste was subtle at the beginning and its intensity increased I continued steeping. I also tasted mineral and slight citrus notes which became more dominant in the last steeping.
I can compare this tea with the silver needle from 2016 that I wrote about on the 9th day of this challenge. Maybe this one is a better grade, but the age made the taste of the 2016 harvest more complex. I am not planning to finish this one off anytime soon. I’ll save some for the years to come. This post will help me to remember the profile of this tea as of April 2020.
Tea Profile:
Type: White
Origin: Fuding county, Fujian province
Harvest time: Spring 2018
Leave colour: Green leaves with silvery-white pekoe (fuzz)
Liquor colour: Pale yellow
Tea aroma: Subtle floral and sweet tones
Tea taste: Mineral, citrus and slightly sweet
Steeping/brewing: You can use around 100°C water temperature (yes don’t be afraid) and brew for up to one minute in gongfu style or up to three minutes in Western-style. You can brew the leaves many times (until the taste is lost). To each infusion add additional time. Experiment for a result that suits your taste.
Shelf life: Up to 10 years or more if aged appropriately