A review of Baihao Yinzhen (White Hair Silver Needle) Chinese White Tea by Zen Tea
Company: Zen Tea
Tea Name: Baihao Yinzhen (White Hair Silver Needle) Chinese White Tea
Tea Type/Varietal: White
Region: China
Steeping Vessel/Amt. Leaf: cup/ loose leaf
Plucking Season:
Liquor Color: light amber with 1st steep/ darker amber/ orange base with later steeps
Leaf Characteristics: very thinly silver colored tips when steeps looks like thinly sliced cut green beans.
- Steepings
1st Steeping:
Water temperature: 170 Fahrenheit
Time: 2 minutes
I decided to try this tea today for no particular reason other than I am trying to go through this tea package that I received from Zen Tea a while back. This is a most prize tea (only top buds) are used to produce this tea.
I take a teaspoon of the tea leaves and put them in tea mug and pour in the hot water with a steep time of two minutes. Tea color lightens straight away to light yellow color; tea’s aroma is mildly floral with a slight astringent. I sip it slowly to just take in the tea and taking in the aroma as well which is nice.
This tea makes me think of an oolong tea and not so much white tea, as it is unlike the Bai Mu Dan Peony Tea I had earlier this year. This is more floral and sweetly.
2nd Steeping:
Water temperature: 180 Fahrenheit
Time: 2 minutes
The second steep the tea is dark amber in color with an orange base to it and this is very much like an oolong tea to me; it is smoothly with a slight drying after taste. I would say overall this tea impression is to leave smoothness with no after taste yet there is slight dryness when swallowed.
