Green Needle

The Fact That Black Tea Has Caffeine. I love it in the morning, I hate it at night. Why? Because any time I want to drink tea, it’s ALWAYS black tea I’m tasting in my mind. That’s… tea. Anything else just doesn’t sound quite satisfying, even though I know if I do a cup of black, I’ll be fluttering around at 2 in the morning, and nobody needs that.

I was going to do a new oolong in the gaiwan, but the experience wound up being such a stinker that I’m not even bothering to log it (tasted like the cup and smelled like burnt yuck.) So I, against my better judgment, went with this tea instead. Why? I don’t know why; I wanted something I hadn’t had in a while. It is the most generic green tea on the planet. And tonight, just like my failed oolong, it tastes like the cup. * sigh * Guess I’ll just have to hope for better tea luck tomorrow.

Dry leaf: Brown-green leaf color, slightly fuzzy leaves that are more brittle than soft. Sweet, grassy, musky aroma reminiscent of pine trees and a stormy ocean breeze.

Brew: Very pale grey-gold liquer more similar in color to a white tea or light colored oolong than most greens.

Drinking: Has a much fuller flavor than expected from such a pale brew. Smooth and grassy with hints of violin rosin and a very slightly fishy flavor. Reminds me of walking by the fishing docks on an overcast morning (in a good way) Turns bitter very quickly if brewed too hot or for too long. Second steeping is nice, with a slightly smoother feel and more pronounced ‘sea breeze’ taste.

Reminds me of: Fishing docks on an overcast day, coniferous forest after a heavy rain.

Summary: A very nice and slightly unique green (at least in my limited experience) with a slight tension like the calm before a storm (seeing a pattern here :P) Overall a tasty tea at a reasonable price (a steal at its current sale price)

Pros: Complex and masculine aroma, unique, smoothe taste
Cons: Bitter if brewed too long, dryness of leaves

My first impression of these long blades, after their distinctive appearance, came from the aroma: strong and… citrusy? A dried out bouquet? This is the first loose leaf to remind me of Lipton tea bags. That might not be a compliment.

The flavor is nondistinctive. Not bad but nothing special. It’s smooth, though, which I like. This is a good backup tea for when I run out of the good stuff. I wouldn’t buy it again, but I won’t throw it out.

I’ve been pretty picky towards Adagio naming its teas lately and this isn’t an exception.

Why would they call it Emerald Needle? It has drab brown appearance,at least my sample does. It smells brown – woody and spicy. And finally it tastes brown – dry and almost with coffee-like bitterness. If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it is a duck. This truly is Brown Needle, the name maybe not so poetic of course but very descriptive of what you get.

On the other note I have a weird relationship with this tea, it started with something close to hatred (brown aspect contributing a lot to this fact) and now by the end of the sample it has migrated to the I-quite-like-it stage. The taste is really unique and grows on you.

I’m very close to repurchasing so I’m giving it 70 for now. I usually repurchase only the teas that score 75 and higher in my rating system and this one is almost there.

P.S. Adagio renamed this tea into Green Needle recently.

I’m using this as my “work” tea today instead of Sencha Overture, which is my go-to tea for its predictability and ease of use.

The mug is different. The water temperature is uncontrolled (it comes from a dispenser) and therefore probably different. The result is a much more coppery, light red liquor and a much more pronounced flavor. I’m just at a loss to explain whether I like it more or less.

I may have to go home tonight and brew a cup just to see if I can replicate it.

A very light green tea that is sweet with a bit of a light floral nature that is not overwhelming. Easy to drink but a flatter tea that one can become easily bored with so I do not see this one making a good regular tea.

I have become a devoted fan of Silver Needle. I picked up a sample bag of this. It is half way from a light Chinese green to the silver needle. It’s good, but drinking it makes me long for silver needle! It is different, light, and tastes great iced. Very mild and neutral.

This tea just lasts forever! And while the taste isn’t mindblowing, the value is. I think I’ll stock up on this; it will make a fine fallback tea if I can’t decide what to drink. And the aftertaste really is very pleasant. A great tea to drink slowly… I could easily make 2tbsp of leaf last all day. But I worry if buying this means I’ll neglect my other teas. :)

I like this…actually i think it taste more like a black tea then a green tea.

It is good. i would get it again.

I had this while at a bonfire, and it was fantastically unique. My friend wanted either green or white tea, so I picked this. I feel this is a very nice median point between the two. The tea consists of small brown buds and shards. They brew up a light rusted brown liquor and smell of hay and sugar. The taste is wonderful. The initial sip is of roast and white grapes with a sugary undertone. This was perfect for late night campside beverage :)

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