Jasmine Silver Needles

Pop star Britney Spears' reputed contribution to tea culture was raising awareness of white teas in North America after she was quoted saying her personal trainer recommended them for rich antioxidants.   

There are many types of white tea available, such as Silver Needles, Bai Mu Dan and Sow Mei.   A jasmine Silver Needles tea seems like one that a pop star would drink for its rarity and fineness.   Besides their touted higher antioxidants, Silver Needles are more forgiving. That is, even when the tea is over steeped, it is not bitter.  Traditional Chinese Medicine suggests that white teas have 'cooling' qualities, which may, for example, prevent acne or zits.  

Jasmine Silver Needles are scented like Jasmine Pearls are.  Dried tea buds are repeatedly layered with fresh jasmine blossoms to absorb the floral essence and then heated to remove moisture.     

Jasmine Silver Needles

Type:  White     Producing Country: China      Preparation:  85°C 3 Min

Dry Leaf:  The buds are thinner and drier than regular unscented Silver Needles.  They have a delicate Jasmine fragrance.
Wet Leaf:  The dark green soft buds start out with Jasmine essence and fade into a dried apricot scent.
Liquor:      The liquor is yellow in color.  The jasmine note is gentle and not overwhelming.  The base note still retains some earthy hay of a regular Silver Needles tea.  It is light and mellow.

Tee Score: 4 out of 5

Doke Silver Needles

The three main tea growing regions in India are Assam, Darjeeling and Nilgiri.   Doke Tea Estate was established away from these three regions in 1998, several years after the Government of India invited entrepreneurs to grow tea bushes in Bihar province to stimulate its local economy.   Bihar is located in northern India, bordered by Nepal in north.

Instead of the traditional Indian black teas, Doke Tea Estate focuses on Chinese style white, green and oolong teas.   Doke Silver Needles are grown on the riverbank of Doke River.   They are second flush, i.e., picked from around May to June.  Chinese silver needles are commonly first flush or picked in early spring.

Doke Silver Needles contain buds of varied size.  The steeped tea is smooth but lacks complexity.  

Doke Silver Needles

Type:  White      Producing Country: India    Preparation:  85°C 3 Min

Dry Leaf:  These buds are not similar-sized.  Some are shorter and some are longer.  There are also a few 'leaves'.  Their scent is straw or hay.
Wet Leaf:  The wet leaves are plump with strong dried apricot and peach aromas.
Liquor:      The tea color is apricot.  The body is light and the taste is faintly herbaceous and peachy.

Tee Score: 3 out of 5

White Downy Silver Needles

The birthplace of White Downy Silver Needles or Bai Hao Yin Zhen is Fuding, Fujian, China.
In the late 19th century, Fuding began producing Silver Needles from its new Dai Bai (Big White) tea cultivar.  Zhenghe, Fujian, soon followed suit.   Fuding Silver Needles (a.k.a. North Road Silver Needles) generally have a lighter color while Zhenghe Silver Needles (a.k.a. South Road Silver Needles) are darker. Here is a Fuding Bai Hao Yin Zhen.

The name Silver Needles or Yin Zhen refers to the young buds covered in silver fuzzy hairs that prevent water loss and deter bugs.  The buds also contain more glucose and nutrients to help them mature into leaves.  The buds are painstakingly plucked and minimally processed into Silver Needle white teas.

Silver Needle white teas have become very popular in recent years.  Consequently, many tea gardens in and outside China started to make their versions of Sliver Needles (e.g., Kenya White Whisper and Sri Lanka Adam's Peak).   This white tea is a version made in Fu'an in Fujian, southwest of Fuding and southeast of Zhenghe.

White Downy Silver Needles

Type:  White      Producing Country: China         Preparation:  85°C 3 Min

Dry Leaf:  These needles appear to be thin but still hairy.
Wet Leaf: The wet needles are long and slim, with straw and dried fruit aromas.
Liquor:      The tea is yellow in color.  It stays long in the mouth.  It is straw-herbaceous, apricot-fruity, licorice-sweet and jasmine-floral at the end.

Tee Score: 4 out of 5

Adam's Peak Silver Needles

In the central Sri Lanka lies Adam's Peak, a mountain towering 7360 ft.   A depression in Adam's summit resembles a giant 'footprint' and draws pilgrims from afar.  Whose footprint is it?  Adam, Buddha, Shiva or St. Thomas?

The Nuwara Eliya region, near Adam's Peak, produces high-grown mild and aromatic black teas, appreciated as the "Champagne of Ceylons".   The region has also been making white teas from young tea tips.

This Adam's Peak white tea smacks of Chinese Silver Needles.   Its flavor profile is also similar: light, smooth and refined.

Adam's Peak Silver Needles

Type:  White      Producing Country: Sri Lanka   Preparation:   85°C 3 Min

Dry Leaf:  The small to medium buds are fuzzy and soft.  Their smell is a mix of straw and dried fruits.
Wet Leaf:  The scents of the wet leaves are cocoa and dried apricots.
Liquor:      The tea is straw color.  It is light and round.  It is sweet and herbaceous or woody.  It is quite long in the mouth.

Tee Score: 4 out of 5

Thé À L'Opéra

Mariage Freres' Thé À L'Opéra or Tea at the Opera is a flavored green tea.   By the looks of the leaves, it is likely a sencha with red berry flavoring.   The smell of the leaves is sensual and lovely, including sweet strawberries, caramels and chocolates.  However, the steeped tea is not as adorable and does not evoke feelings of a night at the opera.  In fact, the artificial aftertaste brings to mind plots of soap operas.

But Thé À L'Opéra excels when pairing with pastries and desserts.  Its slight sourness and astringency cut through the richness of pastries and desserts, such as Bourbon pecan pie and New York cheesecake.   Its aftertaste also becomes less noticeable.

L'Opera tea

Type:  Green     Blending Country: France    Preparation:  85°C 3 Min

Dry Leaf:   Red berry, caramel and chocolate aromas overpower sencha's grassiness.
Wet Leaf:  A faint grassy note hides under berry candy notes.
Liquor:      The amber tea has light astringency from green tea and sourness from berry flavoring.  It is quite refreshing but leaves an artificial aftertaste.

Tee Score: 3 out of 5

Paris Breakfast

One of the new teas from Mariage Freres, the famed tea establishment based in Paris, is befittingly named Paris Breakfast.  Unlike English Breakfast, Paris Breakfast is not meant for a hearty meal of bacon, sausages and eggs.  Think petit dejeuner: a pain au chocolat and brie.

The first impression of the tea is sweet citrus or candied orange, the familiar tang of a traditional Italian panettone.  Paris Breakfast appears to be a blend of Assam-type black tea, Chinese green tea and citrus vanilla flavoring.   Taking Paris Breakfast straight without milk is delightful and pairing it with a rich chocolate croissant is divine.

"The chief danger about Paris is that it is such a strong stimulant..." - T.S. Eliot

petit dejeuner

Paris Breakfast

Type:  Black     Blending Country: France    Preparation:  95°C 4 Min

Dry Leaf:  These broken leaves have some gold tips.  Citrus and vanilla notes shine through black tea.
Wet Leaf:  The leaves are unmistakably orange soda with vitamin C.
Liquor:      It is coppery in color.  Orange or citrus dominates.  Black tea in the background reveals soft chocolates. There is some green tea astringency at the end but no aftertaste at all.

Tee Score: 4 out of 5

Jin Jun Mei Souchong

Jin Jun Mei is a Johnny-come-lately and kin to Lapsang Souchong.   Both teas come from the small leaf variety (Souchong) grown in Fujian, China.  Smoky Lapsang Souchong tea has never been popular in China even though it has enjoyed fame overseas.   Jin Jun Mei is a black tea created in 2005 by several Chinese tea masters using hand-picked buds from Souchong tea trees.  Jin means gold.  Jun is the name of some of the tea masters and means handsome or a handsome stallion.  Mei is eyebrow.  The wet leaves indeed look like Mr. Potato Head's eyebrows.

Jin Jun Mei Souchong took off and won many awards.  Its price also skyrocketed.  Some critics called it a mere hype and a marketing ploy.  Nevertheless, it is a fine black tea that can stand up to multiple infusions.  It is flavorful and takes milk well.  

Yin (silver) Jun Mei is similar to Jin Jun Mei but contains both buds and leaves.  Yin Jun Mei is less expensive.

Jin Jun Mei

Type:  Black     Producing Country:  China   Preparation:  95°C 4 Minutes

Dry Leaf:  The buds are dark brown and tiny.   The aromas are spices, biscuits, dates and cacao nibs.
Wet Leaf:  The wet leaves are spicy, floral, peppery and chocolaty.
Liquor:      It is a reddish brown tea that is smooth and not smoky.  Its flavor notes include coco, dried fruits and roasted sweet potatoes.

Tee Score:  4 out of 5