Silver Needle Reserve

This year's exceptional Silver Needle Reserve comes from the first white tea harvest of spring. Each leaf bud was hand-harvested from a grove of da bai tea trees in Fuding County, Fujian. Covered in a fine layer of protective down (known as trichomes), these tea buds are so light that it takes over 27,000 individually handpicked buds to make a single pound of finished tea!

Once gathered, the buds were scattered on bamboo trays and slowly wilted with constant airflow for 30 hours. This step, called "fading", is essential to white tea crafting. The floral notes, sweetness and viscosity of white tea comes only from the mild enzymatic oxidation that occurs during this period. Processing is kept to a minimum, with a final six minute bake at the end of the fade period.

The resulting tea is delicate and nuanced, with an enticingly smooth mouthfeel. Initial notes of sweet marzipan and fresh cream give way to a lingering finish with hints of rose water — a brew that is simultaneously bright, luscious, and deeply satisfying with every sip.