White teas are the least processed and the most delicate teas in the world. Their aromas are so subtle but also so distinctive that they easily find a place in your aroma/taste repertoire once you experience them. This tea is the highest grade white tea composed of buds only and it was processed by Master Lin who in addition to sun drying, baked this tea on a low charcoal fire which is a tradition he inherited from his ancestors. This tea unsurprisingly comes from Fuding, the white tea capital of China. Chinese believe that white teas have a heat reducing, energising but at the same time calming effects and for these reasons they drink fresh white teas in the spring and summer. 
 
You can see the hairy buds clearly on the photo below. These precious hairs are called Peh-oe-ji (白毫) or Pekoe in English, and they are full of energy which they would have used to open and turn into leaves. But as they were picked before that, the energy has been captured inside the buds in the form of sugar. That is why this silver needle provides a fresh sweetness. They also contain the highest levels of antioxidants and amino acids in the tea plant. 
 
Our 2022 silver needle was made by our favourite tea Master Lin from the plants that grow in the wild which are around 40 to 60 years old. Master Lin kept the family tradition of drying the leaves on a low charcoal fire. This method involves additional labour work and has not been utilised  commonly anymore.
 
Our silver needle is the most luxurious white tea one could ever drink: it is wild, it was picked before the Qingming festival and it was processed masterfully with Master Lin and its light charcoal baking makes its  flavours more complex and pronounced. You can also keep this tea for decades and it will transform into even more interesting tasting notes. Worth spoiling yourself!

Tea Profile: 
 
Type: White
Origin: Fuding county, Fujian province
Harvest time: March 2022
Leaf colour: Green leaves with silvery white 
Liquor colour: Light yellow (champagne white)
Tea aroma: Woody, vegetal and floral 
Tea taste: Notes of sweet mung bean paste and fresh sweetness
Steeping/brewing:  Place 4 grams of buds in 85-100°C water and steep for up to 30 seconds  in gongfu style (120 ml) or two to three minutes in Western-style (300 ml). You can brew the leaves multiple times. To each consecutive infusion add 10 seconds more.
Shelf life: Can be aged (if appropriate storage conditions are available)