TeaVivre's Silver Needle White Tea, or Baihao YinZhen as it is called in China, is the highest grade of White Tea. It consists only of the top unopened tea leaf buds, and doesn't contain any opened leaves. Amazingly, one kilogram of this tea typically contains approximately 120,000 buds. When you look at our high quality Silver Needle White Tea, you will see how it gets it's name – the bud is covered in a down-like covering of fine white hairs, and so the bud looks like a white needle.
When brewed, we at TeaVivre have carefully selected our Organic Silver Needle tea to make sure it has a pale golden yellow color and subtle flowery fragrance – characteristics of the premium Silver Needle teas. The taste of TeaVivre's Organic Silver Needle is delicate, without any bitterness or strong flavour. This year the tea has been grown in normal wet spring weather, and so retains it's renowned flavour, fragrance and quality.
Brief Health Info
Silver Needle White Tea gives you the greatest health benefits of all White Tea's. Composed of only unopened, fresh leaf buds, none of the beneficial antioxidants and minerals in this tea have yet had a chance to used by the plant to convert to chlorophyll or other parts of an opened leaf's structure. As a result TeaVivre's Silver Needle tea has the highest quantity of beneficial ingredients.
For more information on the remarkable health benefits of TeaVivre's White Teas, see our article on Tea Health benefit.
How to Make Tea
Like all White Teas, our Silver Needle White Tea should only be brewed in clean, mineral free water.
The water should be at 176 ºF (80 ºC).
Initially steep the tea for 1 to 2 minutes. A longer time will give the tea a stronger taste and color. TeaVivre Silver Needle tea can be steeped at least 4-6 times (depending on your taste), with an additional minute being added to the steeping each time.
For more information on some of the skills and arts of brewing TeaVivre's Silver Needle tea, check out our How To Make Silver Needle Tea article.
Introduction of the tea farmer
Lin Jian, who is born in Fuding, Fujian, has been living under the environment of teas. His father, grandfather and great-grandfather are all tea farmers. When he was in elementary school, he helped to pick the tea after school at the tea picking time when there’s not enough people to pick the tea. The dream of engaging in tea business was came up at that time. He said: “My original idea is to make a good life for my family by tea business. But from 1993 when my tea business was gradually developed, I changed my mind. Fuding is the best place of planning white tea. So I want to create a long-term Organic Tea business.” Through our contact with Mr Lin, we felt that he is a man of frankness, speaking quickly, walking quickly and working quickly.
Not exaggeratedly speaking, now Lin Jian is the first founder of Chinese white tea. He owns near 2800 acre high quality tea gardens in Fuding including 500 acre organic tea garden which is the only organic tea garden in Fujian that has passed the USA, Europe and Japan organic certification. He also owns 200 acre Jasmine tea garden in Guangxi. Meanwhile his heshan organic tea base was regards as the national agricultural standard base.
In 2008, his Silver Needle White Tea won the gold medal at the annual Chinese White Tea festival in Beijing.
Organic Certification
The particular Organic Silver Needle tea that TeaVivre is selling, is guaranteed to be organically grown and produced, independently verified to meet the following certifications:
USA
Certified Organic in accordance with the USDA (National Organic Program) accreditation for organic farms, production and produce. USDA certificate number is A-2007-00252_1 / 2010-03564.
Europe
Certified organic in accordance with both EU regulations Article 29(1) of Regulation (EC) No. 834/2007 and (EC) No. 889/2008. Certificate number is A-2007-00252_1 / 2010-03563.
Japan
Certified organic in compliance with the JAS (Japanese Agricultural Standards) regulations for organic agricultural products. Certificate number is A-2007-00252_1 / 2010-03565.
Their certifications have been independently verified by BCS Öko-Garantie GmbH - the organic certifier.
The Company also obtained ISO9001 quality and process management certification in 2003.
Where is this Silver Needle White Tea produced
TeaVivre's Silver Needle White Tea is from Mt. Taimu in Fujian province, on the south eastern Chinese coast.
This tropical mountainous coastal area is perfect for growing White Tea. It has abundant rainfall and temperatures that are neither too hot in summer nor too cold in winter. The mountains around the farms are more than 80% forested, ensuring the soil has a high natural fertility and organic content, removing the need to use fertilizers.
History of Silver Needle White Tea
White Tea is the earliest form of Chinese tea. When the Chinese first discovered tea, they soon found out that sun-drying or baking the leaves ensured that the tea could be easily stored and used at a later time. These steps, of course, formed the basis of the withering and drying processes that are still used to this date.
White Tea originally was grown in the area around the city of Fuding, in Fujian province. It later spread to the areas around the cities of Shuiji, then Zhenghe. The first type of White Tea produced was Silver Needle (Bai Hao Yin Zhen), in the area around Taimu Mountain near Fuding.
Originally Silver Needle was made from the buds of the Xiao Bai form of the tea bush. This form of the tea bush is smaller and slower growing, and so Silver Needle was expensive and rare. However around 1857 farmers around the town of Shuiji began using the DaBai form of the tea bush. This has larger buds, and – more importantly – produces better quality tea, with more white hairs on the buds, more fragrance and a stronger taste. From that time on, White Tea has been made using the DaBai tea bush.
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I had to try this one a few times before I could really put it into words. The lighter teas are subtle, and they require just a little more time to test. The first scent of the dry leaves is of fresh hay. The leaves are long, very light sage green and covered with a downy fuzz. The brew is a pale yellow. The flavor gives light hints of hay, melon, and cucumber. I brewed it a second time, and it almost seemed a little bit more intense than the first steep. I did steep a little longer the second time, and I guess the leaves were primed and ready to give up their true flavors. While I am not usually a drinker of white tea, I did like this one very much! Even though it is on the pricey side, the resteepability makes this one within a range I am comfortable spending on a quality tea.
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Highest quality white tea, beautifully packed and promptly shipped via USPS from China. Can be steeped at least 3 times, which gives good value. Stands up well to added milk for those who like their tea that way. Now my "go to" supplier.
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I love a good silver needle and this is one of the best! One really can't easily describe the multitude of aromas, essences, flavors, and delights that await you with this premier tea! You must try it for yourself. This tea offers a complexity even a non white tea drinker would love!
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This is my first high-quality white tea, and I must say I am more than pleased with the experience. Subtle, with a lasting taste that keeps me coming back for more. Highly recommended!
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great price, fast delivery. For that high marks alone. The tea is great although not completely clear when brewed like a couple white teas I've had in the past. It's more like a pale yellow as another poster said. Tastes great however and I'm not what I call a true tea connissieur (sorry sp). I know probably just enough to get by. But for the price, taste, fast shipping & the fact that its organic-well it's awesome to me :)
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This tea has a really subtle and delicate sweetness, slightly dry, and vegetal. Tea appearance is not that uniform, although the picture probably represents it decently, and has a hay-like smell. Steeped tea is yellowish. It requires a bit more than other teas to brew a cup, as documented on the instructions, but I would say that 4 steeps is stretching it. On the plus side, the tea does not really get astringent. This was my first white tea and I will try more in the future, but coming from someone that drank mostly Oolongs/blacks before this (think Chinese restaurants), this was a bit too light. Although this probably reflects my inexperience more than anything, your miles may vary.
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Enjoying a cup of this right now. Very light and sweet. Many of the leafs are unbroken. Appropriate descriptions : smooth, mild, and gentle.
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Dry Leaf: Has a hay or even a malt like smell.
Wet Leaf: Has a vegetal smell think green bean like with a slight sweetness to it.
Liquor: Has a pale yellowish color and good clarity.
Taste: This tea has a light refreshing hay or even grain like taste. There is a very slight dryness to it. Along with a slight sweet note I pick up.
My Score/ Over All Opinion: 90, This is my first white tea that was not produced in a bottle by Lipton or even Snapple. I found it very enjoyable and glad I have 50 grams coming to me from my recent order I placed. I had to give it this score since I lack experience with white tea and it felt like quality in my humble opinion.
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Very cheap for being the best tea!
The flavour is great and the leaves are in perfect condition!
As usual it comes with a perfect packaging and amazing service. Its a pleasure to buy here.
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Outstanding service,quality and pricing with follow-up after delivery. Service from the other side of the world, known to all as China. The packaging was unsurpassed with extra care given to your order. Its obvious this company KNOWS HOW TO SATISFY THE CUSTOMER. From China to Philadelphia,USA in less than 2 weeks. Your cutting out the middleman and gaining certified documented organic when offered organic.