So I was really bored today, so I decided to play with the parameters of the last of my Harney Silver Needle. I figured I might as well try to make it taste better, and maybe stomp out some of those strong vegetal notes.
So I steeped this one up at the way low temperature of 160, and lowered the steep time by 30 seconds less. The infusion this time was a bit lighter, and it smelled floral and sweet, with only the faintest note of edamame.
Success?
Well, it’s still not going to win any medals, but this one is way, way better than my first attempt. There’s lots of floral notes here now, chased by some bean-like notes, and then followed by a lot of sweetness. Very, very sugary sweetness. It’s almost sweet overload here. There’s absolutely no astringency at all, which is really very nice.
Harney said that this one was more vegetal than other silver needles, and I believe it. At least they didn’t lie to me! This one is definitely far more pleasant now, but it’s still nowhere near some of the other whites I’ve had. I was able to finish the cup without a sugar coma (although I came close), but I can’t see myself enjoying this over a prolonged period of time.
Samovar’s Bai Mu Dan, though… MMMMM. Now I’m craving that instead of this.
