Jasmine Silver Needle White Tea (Mo Li Yin Zhen)

176˚F in my 5oz gaiwan. I don’t often crave jasmine-scented teas, but if I did I would definitely drink this one.

1st infusion: (40s)
The dry fragrance of the jasmine blends seamlessly with the Silver Needle’s haylike fragrance. Much more complex than any jasmine green tea I’ve had (though I want to try Teavivre’s Dragon Pearls too).

3rd infusion: (80s)
Flavour mellowing out, but still lovely.

4th infusion: (120s)
Woops the 4th infusion was supposed to brew for only 100s but even at 120, it’s not bitter or astringent. Beautiful and flavourful.

White Comparison 8/17/15 Tea #4
https://instagram.com/p/6gCir2RYB6/

Thinking on how to word this tasting note… basically, scratch that like this basically : this is exactly what it is… it’s silver needle. Not bad, not good, not average. It just is.

I was able to get 9 full bodied steeps from one sample in a western style. For being a white tea, it endured. The jasmine taste and smell balanced perfectly with the smooth, almost silky texture of the silver needle itself. My only set back was the fact that I’ve had very similar tasting flowering teas to this one for cheaper. Nevertheless, it reminded me of the tea that I used to drink a lot growing up in Hawaii. The flavor was almost the same, and honestly, the taste was best by the fourth steep and kept on getting smoother and smoother save the very last two steeps.

This is my first tea from Teavivre, and I got it pretty promptly considering the distance from China to Michigan. All the teas in the sampler I got were fairly fresh, and out of all of them, this one is probably my favorite. The service was great, and I am so glad I got free shipping. If it weren’t for the sale, though, I am not sure if I would have gone out of my way to get this one.

You can say that I was very satisfied, but not jumping up and down for it. I would introduce someone new to tea using this one, and maybe drink it with my more tea obsessed friends if they like jasmine.

Another tea from the GCTTB :). I was pretty surprised when I went to log this on steepster and saw that I had already had this tea apparently 2 years ago. I’m usually not a white tea drinker but some jasmine silver needles once in awhile is lovely treat. Drank 2 or 3 cups of this: great for a relaxing afternoon. I’ll have some afternoons off coming up soon and this shall be a nice indulgence.

Additional notes: Sipping three excellent steeps from the remainder of my sample today. This is such a great tea! So much delicious jasmine in all three steeps… almost tough to taste the white tea itself but it’s buttery and sweet. I’m debating whether to order this one now or wait for the next harvest which should be arriving soon. I wish I knew which one would be better! Then again I’d like to compare most of the jasmine and white teas… I might order samples of them soon.
Steep #1 // 25 minutes after boiling // 1 1/2 minute steep
Steep #2 // 25 min a.b. // 2 1/2 min
Steep #3 // 15 min a.b. // 3 min
Harvest: March 2014

I think I can easily say this is the best jasmine tea I’ve ever had. The floral flavor is light, not too sweet or perfume-y but just right. The base has hay and honey notes that blend beautifully with the jasmine and enhance it—I’ve described a local restaurant’s chrysanthemum jasmine tea before, and this actually tastes something like that. I’ve never had a white tea with jasmine before, but now I’m convinced it’s the best combination for it!

A sample from Angel at Teavivre, and the final flavoured white I have with me to try at work today. I agree pretty much with K S’s sentiments in her note — jasmine is one of those things that I have become leery of, primarily because my experiences so far have been largely disappointing. Strong, cloying, potentially chemical flavours, usually in bagged tea. I have since tried a couple of better quality jasmine teas, and they’re starting to change my mind, but none so much as Teavivre. Their jasmine just seems…different. Milder, sweeter, more grape like and less perfumey.

I’m seeing here the same silver needle base the other two teas I’ve tried today had. Pale, creamy green buds, very downy. I’m sure I’m seeing a dried jasmine flower in the dry mix, too. The scent is lightly floral — both the headier, perfume-like floral of jasmine, and the lighter, sweet hay-like floral of the silver needle. I used 1 tsp of leaves, and gave them 2 minutes in water cooled to 175.

The taste is very mild; much milder than the scent of the dry leaves would have led me to believe. This is fine with me, though. Mild jasmine is more suited to my tastes! It also means that the flavour of the white tea base still shines through, and that’s a good thing in my book. When the base tea is this good, why would you not want to taste it?! I’m getting the same fresh, clean cucumber flavour as I have with the last couple of Teavivre whites, and a hint of sweet, hay-like floral. The jasmine flavouring floats over the base tea like a scented cloud; it’s a delicate, airy, heady floral that makes its presence known without being overwhelming. I still probably wouldn’t choose a jasmine tea if left to my own devices, but I wouldn’t say no to another cup of this one. I think I knew it already, but both white tea and jasmine are going to be synonymous with Teavivre for me from now on!

The clock is ticking away to the Teavivre 3rd Anniversary Sale. My mission: to evaluate every tea on the list which also happens to be in my possession (I have received two generous gift sample sets and purchased a few more…) before the sale begins. Easier said than done, I realize, having espied the resplendent festivities to come. So many beautiful teas, which ones to buy????

Of course, the easiest solution to this “problem” would be to fill my shopping cart with … well … everything on the list! Instead, I am opting for a more moderate, rational approach. I’m definitely buying a jasmine tea. But which one will it be?

In contention for sherapop’s first full bag purchase of a jasmine tea from Teavivre is this lovely Jasmine Silver Needle White Tea. The dried tea is very attractive, with fuzzy silver haired buds and some full-on flowers thrown into the mix, though it is clear that the tea has been imbued with jasmine scent by the traditional technique.

The liquor is pale green, and I enjoyed watching the infusion in a glass pot. The buds float and bob about so peacefully. The flavor is naturally jasmine, through two essentially equal infusions (so far). For a pure jasmine experience, this tea may be the best choice. But I believe that I prefer the green tea base in the two jasmine pearl varieties, which I have already tried. This is good though, no doubt about that. Can I manage somehow to squeeze into my schedule a few steep-offs chez sherapop??

So many splendid teas to choose from, so little time!

Delightful! I really love jasmine tea, but at the same time, I’m a complete wimp about it — if it’s too strong and perfumey, it gives me a walloping headache. So I’m super happy to discover this sweet smooth tea. It’s just strong enough to be flavorful, not overwhelming or astringent at all. The floral flavor blends beautifully with the white tea; I’m not generally a white tea fan, so I’m surprised I like it as much as I do. Really excellent.

p.s. I feel that photo doesn’t really do justice to the fuzziness and just, well, leafiness, of the leaves. They’re a lot fuller and curlier in real life.

Backlog from last night.

Teavivre gave me 3 packets of tea to sample, one of which I gave to a friend. Of the two remaining, I used a whole packet to brew it in my gaiwan about a month ago. Now, I’ve opened up the last remaining packet.

I must say that of all the jasmine teas I’ve tried from Teavivre, this one is my favourite. The jasmine here is beautiful and strong, but not overpowering with the metallic taste I’ve found in some jasmine teas. Here, the flavour is sweet at the back. This is just such a gorgeous tea.

I steeped it twice, both times for two minutes, and got a beautiful clear yellowish liquor that shaded down to dark green as the tea sat in my mug. The flavour was clear, sweet, and jasminy, with a somewhat thick mouthfeel but otherwise very fresh and relaxing.

I don’t consider myself a fan of white teas, so it’s doubly lovely to find such a gem.