Another part of a very affordable sample pack put together for me by Summit, I enjoyed the Green Pine Needle tea a few times. At the time of this posting (and when I was received it), this tea was not listed on the Summit Tea web site and had to be requested. Their standard Green Pine Needle, where some of the description on the product page is borrowed, is however.
It’s been a while since I tried this tea, before I joined Steepster, but here’s the notes I kept:
Both times I’ve brewed it in a similar fashion to Longjing, but at a lower temperature, per the instructions on the package. I found it a light, wonderfully present tea, with smokey qualities, a bit of grassiness, and a generously tingling and lingering mouth feel that remained on the tongue for quite some time. It was subtle, like some of the white teas I’ve enjoyed.
I had to be careful to not overbrew the tea. The first time I brewed it I left no root, the 2nd time I left a root. I prefer no root, otherwise it lended itself to, what I assume is, tannin astringency.
Caffeine wise it was balanced and enjoyable. Not very noticeable. My wife tried it too and enjoyed the “smokey” taste. I recall the color was clean and attractive, lending more towards yellow than green.
Overall I’ve found the visual appeal of most Summit Teas, to be pronounced and quite attractive. They yield surprisingly vibrant colors that are a joy to behold.
