A treat!
Yay! This felt like a gamble and I’m so glad I took a chance on this. Smooth, sweet, and delicious - a joy to drink. Brews to a very light color, then darkens quickly. Resteeps well.
Yin Zhen is a variety of remarkable and ethereal Chinese teas made with an exacting skill in plucking, handling, and processing. A delicacy, it is made using a fine pluck standard in which only buds are harvested. We think this lot captures the essence of the spring harvest. Yin Zhen is a tea that should be regularly tasted by lovers of tea.
Lot Notes. This lot is made from Varietal #6, a notable cultivar developed in the Fu'An area. Our lot is the first pluck of the season as the farm is located at an elevation of approximately 800 meters. The buds were withered using a warm-air method followed by light heat with minimal oxidization. This year's lot is FA# 34.
Tea Facts. By tradition, YinZhen or Silver Needle, is made only of tender spring buds. The cultivar for this year’s tea is locally known as Varietal #6, developed from the famous Fuding Da Bai cultivar. The buds are slender, a light green color and covered with tender, downy hair giving it a velvety appearance. It takes a skilled "pluck" to harvest these buds and thousands are needed to create a single kilogram of tea. The result is in the cup - there is simply no comparable tea. Harvest date is April 2022, a "before the rain" lot.
Tasting Notes. The liquor is fresh & delicately sweet tasting. Enjoy savory flavors of fresh apricots and honey as they coat the tongue. Offers a long, gentle grassy finish.
Brewing Suggestions. Use a rounded tablespoon or 3-5 grams of leaf for 8 ounces of water at a temperature of 165-195 degrees F. A lower temperature will preserve this tea's softer notes and preserve the flavors of the leaves. Steep for 2 minutes and taste. This tea can be steeped quite a bit longer to strengthen taste and it will remain sweet. Leaves offer multiple steeps.
