I am not a lover of white teas. I prefer hearty black teas, dark and sharp with tannins. White teas tend to be too delicate for me. But Dilmah’s white Ceylon tea was an entirely different experience. It made a beautifully pale liquor that shimmered with tinges of yellow. It tasted like Ceylon tea, with the presence of tannins, but more delicate and fruity. It was the most richly flavorful white tea I have ever tasted.
Now, in the month of April, I am going to seek out and taste test more white teas. I am convinced that my white tea experience has been inadequate. It may be that I only like white Ceylon, but we shall see.
White Tea Ceylon Silver Tips
Silver Tips, commonly known as White Tea, is a very rare Ceylon tea, extremely limited in production—just a few hundred kilos per year. Understandably, it is one of the most expensive teas. Silver Tips is entirely handmade. At our Kahawatte tea gardens, we maintain a small team of experienced pickers to handpick just the buds from select bushes of a particular variety. The tiny crop is then place in raw silk pouches and placed over black flannel surfaced trays for drying. The tea is throughout shielded from direct sunlight. The whole process is managed meticulously, protecting the buds from any damage and over exposure.
Each kilogram of Silver Tips is the equivalent of four kilograms of fresh buds. Silver Tips are velvety to the touch and produces a pale liquor tinged with yellow – very delicate and subtle in flavour. A rare, sophisticated indulgence!
