Osthmanthus Silver Needle

As I spend another day at work, tethered to a computer, watching my muscles atrophy and my interpersonal skills decline… I think to myself, “At least I have Osthmanthus Silver Needle!”

This tea is underglorified.

The explanation is likely quite simple. I don’t think the average American knows what Osthmanthus Blossoms are. Or maybe they do (Do you?) – but I certainly didn’t before my tea obsession thoroughly set in!

So allow me to share, in case you’re unfamiliar. Osthmanthus Blossoms, or “Guay Hua,” usually come from East Asia. Cute little osthmanthus flowers grow on shrubs, and are typically harvested late in the year (autumn). As a result, osthmanthus-scented teas are often the last teas available each year. Osthmanthus scenting, from what I understand, is quite similar to jasmine scenting. Osthmanthus Blossoms are mixed in with the tea, allowed to sit&scent the tea overnight, picked out the next day, and then fresh Osthmanthus Blossoms are mixed in so it can happen all over again. The process is repeated, up to 10 times, and then… voilà! Sweet nectar of the gods.

The difference to note, however, is in the flavour. I don’t want you comparing my glorious Osthmanthus-scented Silver Needle to Jasmine-anything.
While some may find Jasmine-scented teas to be perfumey and overpowering, (me) Osthmanthus creates a unique luxurious nectary flavour unlike any other. I would describe the tea as being smooth and sweet, with notes of honey and ripened yellow fruits, and a subtle floral aroma. The first infusion is always best, as it contains the most of that fresh-steeped Osthmanthus flavour.
And while I’ve seen Osthmanthus Oolongs elsewhere… NOTHING is like this Osthmanthus Silver Needle. It’s perfect.

This tea is easily in my Top 5. I dare you to try it and not like it.

Have a great day everyone! :)

Never before have my expectations been dashed so severely by a tea. Yeah, that’s an exaggeration but I was really looking forward to trying this for a very long time and now that I have I am pretty disappointed. I even gave it a few chances over the course of a week or two but na, it’s no good.

What I get is an overwhelming flavor of white miso blended with flowery soap and a chemically sweet mouthfeel. Seriously blech. If I had to extract one good quality from the tea I guess it would be the taste of the flower which is pretty nice when I can isolate it from the other flavors.

I love Silver Needle, but I haven’t had many with flavoring. I actually think the Osmanthus is better tasting in this than the Silver Needle. Silver Needle should be smoother than this, but Osmanthus is a great selection for added flavor as it brings this up to drinkable.

The tea brews up a vibrant golden yellow, cloudy with downy fuzz from the tips. The smell is strongly of dried apricots with a soft note of caramel. The taste is mildly floral and sweet with a bitter orange pith finish. The aftertaste is apricot that lingers for quite a while. Mildly drying astringency.

Unusual blend, because Osthmanthus is usually overpowering and white tea is generally very subtle. Almost a waste using Silver needle as a base tea because you can’t really taste it and it would be too expensive to use premium SN. However, I do love Osthmanthus, but I would rather have a blend like Osthmanthus and oolong so I can taste both flavors and not just the flower and less expensive for better quality.

For beginners, I think they would like this tea, it’s subtle and fruity, exactly what the label says. But for me, it was nice to try, but wouldn’t drink on a regular basis.

Silver Needle is my perfect early morning tea. The Osmanthus flower is not too sweet. But, as descriptions go, I don’t get the process similarity to jasmine.

Very good blend. Actual Osmanthus flavor, unlike some teas I know…..

I didn’t love this tea but I didn’t hate it either. As stated before me the Osmanthus has an interesting flavor that is too overpowering for the tea itself.

This was good.