This lovely sample came from Ubacat. I wasn’t planning on trying this one tonight, but miss Roswell Strange wanted me to try it so that we could compare our experiences. I generally enjoy silver needle teas, and Yunnan Sourcing’s are so cheap compared to most white teas in general. Plus, I’ve never had a tea from them that I didn’t enjoy, so it’s a win-win. The needle are a little over an inch long, and covered in pale silver, almost white fuzz. Dry scent is soft, sweet hay and oats with a bit of apricot.
I can still smell that touch of apricot in the aroma, but now it’s joined by a slighty savory smoky scent. And when I say ‘smoky’, I mean like smoked meat or fish, not like Lapsang. Wow, this is definitely a unique white tea. It has a mild ‘smoked meats’ type of flavor that I sometimes find in Chinese black teas. I can definitely see the similarity to a pure bud Yunnan black tea. Other than that, I can also taste a bit of apricot, though I would call it more of a dried apricot flavor. There’s also the sweet hay and oat notes that I find to be present in most white teas. In the middle and especially at the end of the sip, a strong and clear sweetness emerges, like honeysuckle nectar or spring water. Also, a touch of mineral. The aftertaste is long and sweet, and possibly my favorite part of this tea. Yum!
Flavors: Apricot, Hay, Honeysuckle, Mineral, Oats, Smoked, Sweet
Such different experiences :(
Wow! Sounds so complex for a white tea!
Yowza! I haven’t even tried this one yet. I’ll have to have it soon! Great review!