Silver Needle 2017

from €10.00

Naturally aged since 2017, this vintage Silver Needle brews a golden-amber infusion with a smooth, mellow body and honeyed sweetness. Layers of dried apricot and soft herbal notes unfold across the session, finishing long, warm, and comforting.

Gram:

Naturally aged since 2017, this vintage Silver Needle brews a golden-amber infusion with a smooth, mellow body and honeyed sweetness. Layers of dried apricot and soft herbal notes unfold across the session, finishing long, warm, and comforting.

  • The tea is made entirely from slender spring buds covered in fine white hairs, giving them a silvery sheen. Their long, straight shape resembles delicate needles, which is why it is called Silver Needle (Bai Hao Yin Zhen白毫银针).

  • This is a 2017 vintage aged white tea, stored naturally for years. Aging transforms Silver Needle from a light, fresh tea into one with depth, warmth, and complexity. Beyond taste, aged white tea is traditionally valued in China for its gentle, restorative qualities, believed to aid digestion, circulation, and overall wellness.

  • In traditional Chinese tea culture there is a saying: “One-year tea, three-year medicine, seven-year treasure” (一岁茶，三年药，七年宝). It means fresh white tea is enjoyed for its delicacy, but after three years of aging it is valued like medicine for its soothing, restorative qualities, and after seven years it becomes a true treasure, with rich flavor and even greater health benefits.

  • Golden-amber liquor; smooth and mellow; honeyed sweetness with dried apricot and subtle herbal undertones; a long, gently warming finish.

Recommended Gongfu Brewing Method

Recommended Teaware:

  • Porcelain gaiwan

  • Yixing clay teapot

Water Temperature:
100 °C (boiling)

Brewing Instructions:

  1. Rinse (optional): Quick wash with boiling water, then discard.

  2. Tea-to-water ratio: 1 g : 30 ml (1:30).
    Example: 5 g for a 150 ml vessel.

  3. First infusion:

    • Gaiwan: ~50 s at 100 °C

    • Yixing: ~1 min at 100 °C

  4. Subsequent infusions: Add 10 s each round.

  5. Tip: Decant fully between infusions to avoid stewing.

This aged Silver Needle yields 6–7 infusions with deep, warming complexity. (Even 10 infusions)

Essential Info

Chinese Name: 白毫银针 (Simplified) 白毫銀針 (Traditional)
Region: Fuding, Fujian Province, China
Harvest Time: 2017

Description:
An aged Fujian Silver Needle from spring 2017. Years of careful storage yield a golden-amber cup with honeyed sweetness, dried-fruit nuance (apricot), and soft herbal depth. Smooth, mellow, and soothing from the first pour to the last.

Tasting Profile:
Color: Golden-amber
Body: Smooth, mellow, comforting
Notes: Honeyed sweetness, dried apricot, soft herbal undertones
Finish: Long, warm, elegant