Harvested late March 2011, our Organic Fuding Silver Needle comes from one of the earliest harvests of white tea this year. Each down-covered leaf bud was picked by hand from a high elevation grove of Da Bai tea trees in Fuding County, Fujian.
Once gathered, the buds were scattered on bamboo trays and slowly wilted with constant airflow for 30 hours. This step, called "fading", is essential to white tea crafting. The floral notes, sweetness and viscosity of white tea comes only from the mild enzymatic oxidation that occurs during this period. Processing is kept to a minimum, with a final six minute bake at the end of the fade period.
Unlike green teas, white teas are often aged to improve sweetness and mouth feel. We will continue to offer this 2011 batch alongside our newer 2012 Silver Needle as an opportunity to contrast the taste the fresh floral character of the new tea as compared to the smoother and sweeter notes of the old.
BREWING GUIDE
Infuser Cup
Water Temp 195 ° F
Steep Time 1 min 45 sec
Tea Bowl
Water Temp 195 ° F
Gaiwan / Teapot (6 oz.)
Water Temp 195 ° F
Steep Time 1 min 45 sec
Teapot (12 oz.)
Water Temp 195 ° F
Steep Time 2 min
Silver Needle is one of the more forgiving teas to brew. The combination of leaf buds that are innately smooth with the mild oxidation means it can be brewed at slightly higher temperatures with slightly longer steep times than green teas.
Preparation is important. To ensure that the buds steep under the waterline, Silver Needle needs to be pre-moistened with a quick rinse in the gaiwan before use.
