Premium Silver Needle Vendors

[Ethan Kurland]

So, what is white tea supposed to be?

I think of white tea as more delicate and lighter in flavor than a roasted or steamed green, oxidized oolong, or fermented puerh. I think of floral, fruity, spicy, and vegetal notes, if present, are more muted/subtle.

Thank you, debunix. I used to think much like you (all of what you wrote, save the spicy). Now, white for me is about the feel of what I drink, not the flavor. For 2 months I have been enjoying flavors that I would associate with Himalayan black tea. What I feel is much different than when I drink black tea, when I drink the white tea. There is no aftertaste. There is no effect that lingers. Lightness prevails, not deepness; yet, there is plenty of flavor that I would not call muted/subtle.

[aet]

There is no aftertaste. There is no effect that lingers. Lightness prevails, not deepness; yet, there is plenty of flavor that I would not call muted/subtle.

this defect happens often to teas sitting in Guangzhou tea market too long.

[Ethan Kurland]

There is no aftertaste. There is no effect that lingers. Lightness prevails, not deepness; yet, there is plenty of flavor that I would not call muted/subtle.

this defect happens often to teas sitting in Guangzhou tea market too long.

I don't think this tea is old nor stale. I think I know what you mean & that this is a different situation.

I don't think of its absence of aftertaste as a defect. The tea is not hitting the body hard anywhere. It is very tasty & pleasing as one drinks it. It does not penalize me for drinking a lot of it. Everything about it feels fresh. It's another type of experience in my daily rotation.

I do enjoy teas that effect me long after drinking them; however, it is also nice to have a tea that does not.

[Sweetestdew]

Dont do Shang, i was disapointed by them.
I am going to Fu Ding in a few weeks, if you send me some money I can pick you up some stuff.

Yes I was disappointed by Shang too. If the silver needle is of similar quality to the one you sent Roy L & me a few years ago then yes I want to get some.

Better I think. I went to a new town a little deeper in the mountains, and found a very nice lady with great tea. Im talking up hard this August.

[d.manuk]

Bump in case anyone has new ideas

[Victoria]

I asked around and the recommendation was to wait until May to buy fresh Silver Needles because they use summer second flush buds. In India Summer starts in April and ends in June. Also, after wondering if there is a noticeable different between Chinese and Indian Silver Needles, the reply was that Indian is more flavorful and spicier. Lochan Tea was recommended as a good vendor for Silver Needles, they have a Facebook page as well. If you search Lochan Tea Silver Needles you can see their FB posts. Their web site seems to have a problem, at least I wasn’t able to open. They are located in Siliguri just south of Darjeeling and have a farm Doke Tea Estate in Bihar. Here is a write up about their Silver Needle by Tea for Me Please, another write up here, and an article of interest here and a fun video talking about the farm, the Lochan family, and second flush Silver Needles.

[Ethan Kurland]

I'm looking to sample some high quality Silver Needle offerings. Do you have any recommendations?

Your statement could be clearer.
Are you looking for green tea?
There is silver needle white tea.
Please clarify.

[d.manuk]

Bai Hao Yin Zhen white tea

[d.manuk]

bump

[klepto]

*Bump* What's the consensus? Which vendors have the best silver needle? I'm buying a friend of mine a porcelain teapot and some white tea but I want the good stuff .
I may get some for myself, just to break up the puerh rut I'm in.

[Victoria]

*Bump* What's the consensus? Which vendors have the best silver needle? I'm buying a friend of mine a porcelain teapot and some white tea but I want the good stuff .
I may get some for myself, just to break up the puerh rut I'm in.

Since you are in USA, and international shipping is still an issue, you might check out a few USA based vendors that I have heard (from TF members) carry quality white teas. I personally haven’t ordered from these vendors yet;
Seven Cups in Phoenix, AZ
Tea Trekker in Massachusetts
Verdant Tea in Minnesota

[klepto]

*Bump* What's the consensus? Which vendors have the best silver needle? I'm buying a friend of mine a porcelain teapot and some white tea but I want the good stuff .
I may get some for myself, just to break up the puerh rut I'm in.

Since you are in USA, and international shipping is still an issue, you might check out a few USA based vendors that I have heard (from TF members) carry quality white teas. I personally haven’t ordered from these vendors yet;
Seven Cups in Phoenix, AZ
Tea Trekker in Massachusetts
Verdant Tea in Minnesota

Thanks!! I've had some teaware from Bitterleaf stuck in customs for a month.

[YahYue]

Tao Tea Leaf in Toronto Canada has, in my experience, offered some excellent silver needles. I've had the organic and premium qualities before and the differences were subtle, but still memorable.

Admittedly though I am more a shou mei drinker, but I always keep some of Tao's silver needles at hand for those rare quiet weekend mornings.

[Janice]

I’ve bought silver needles from Rishi tea in the past and it’s been excellent. I’m tempted to purchase the wild silver needle but I just have SO much tea here.

[Nis]

So, what is white tea supposed to be?

That's a good question. The most common way to describe it seems to be something along the lines of light and fresh. However, I suspect that it's mostly something that gets repeated by people that either don't really know what they're talking about or have only had Fuding-style silver needle.

This Yunnan white is indeed light and fresh.
The 2018 Turtle Dove from w2t is very much the opposite, with a heavy forest honey-like taste.
This Nepalese white was decidedly spicy when I bought it a few years ago.