That was a fun video to watch. I'm not very much into tea, though I do enjoy listening to others refer to it in such an endearing manner. I learned a lot. Good stuff.
Thank you for this video. I'm a tea noob and I bought some Fuding Silver Needle tea on a whim today. It cost me a small fortune but I'm happy to know I made the right decision. The aroma and flavors that I thought I picked up matches what you've described on this video. Quick question, can I open the pack, use some and keep the rest for a couple of years? Will it continue to age?
I could not have dreamt about a better video subject from Don 😀 Trying Silver Needle for the first time was among the most mind blowing moments of my tea learning experience. I do prefer the Fujian over the Yunnan one anytime, though recently I've started to appreciate some of the different notes of the Yunnan one (just at the same time as I've been starting to appreciate more raw Puer!). Anyway I must repeat this tea comparison myself ASAP!
A question, another source said that Da Bai (the famous storied cultivar) almost never grows in Fuding any longer. That the climate proved unsuitable there, though it is common in other provinces. They said 90+ percent of the whites from Fuding come from Da Fu, a related but different cultivar but it is still often called Da Bai. Could you comment on different cultivars and whether this is relevant to tea choice. Thanks
I haven't checked the channel for a couple of months and I must say, writing the SCOPE on the screen and showing the map of the regions is great!!! Also, small suggestions here... make short, monthly videos with the tea/blend/herb of the month. I tend to stick to the few varieties I know and having monthly suggestions would help me expand and discover new things! f Cheers!
I think that this would definitely be worth a purchase. I don't recall ever trying a silver needle and look forward to the experience. Also, thanks for providing such a great level of detail in your videos. It helped me to discern what to look for and really enhanced my tastings at home.
I've actually been on board with Jinggu white teas since years before I tried yours (which was excellent), and your description explained a number of things I noticed but couldn't put my finger on, in particular how the "wildness" reminded me a bit of a raw pu erh or even a lighter black tea at times. Tried several from a few vendors and found a rich malty quality in comparison to the supremely bright, flowery Fujian white. In fact, this is similar to my approach with a lot of things. For example, why keep up with the latest fashions and pay premiums when I can buy a sexy outfit off last year's shelf that gets looked over and matches my features and complexion? If anything, I generally try teas from famous regions LAST unless I know I'm buying from a vendor whom I trust to sell quality and not to overcharge me (*waves at you*). With that said, I thought I was in a cozy lil niche which my preference for Jinguu teas, but...apparently I'm not alone, and they seem to be growing in popularity. I hope the prices don't surge as a result! :/ as I'm a fan of voice analogies: Fujian whites are basically the highest, brightest, 20 year old soprano you can find (at times they're so sweet they taste almost gaudy). Jinguu whites are more like an early 30s soprano. Still very bright and pleasant, but more 3-dimensional, more texture, like the top has been mellowed out in exchange for more complexity in the middle.
I had a really great Fujian spring 2018 early summer this year, it is all gone but my notes say it was full of cane sugar, elderflower cordial, lemon biscuits, really buttery. It left honey taste in my mouth and created juiciness. Later infusions got grassier and were less sweet, with bit of soupiness but finish stayed sweet. I wonder what it would taste like now, settled...I did not give it a change to wait in the cupboard. Might get some more together with both Mei Leaf whites and compare all three...well, that would be a session :-) right now drinking Wuyishan Da Hong Pao 2008, a very special tea (for a very special price, too)
I´m having Mei Leaf´s Superior Keemun (Qimen Hao Ya) while watching this video. Caramel in the nose, bitter chocolate and spicy notes in the mouth. It´s almost like having something from the assamica variety, because it´s very strong even at a 75 deg C steeping. Making Black tea wiht low temp is strange, but quite appropriate for this particular tea. But I agree, a sesson of all those Whites would be something special.
@@joetexas1546 it was great. I came with my friend and had Nectar Raider with Don and Martin, who also came down to meet me. We had some heavy chats while drinking the tea. It was really nice of Don to find time as he is such a busy man. Then I of course I said hello to the lovely ladies from the e-shop - Nola and Annie and inevitably spent a fortune on tea.
You bring up an interesting subject here about aging tea. What other teas do you suggest get better with time (besides pu erh?) What other teas do you suggest be bought and kept to age? How long should they be aged?
Was drinking my 2017 batch, newly arrived last month from you. Although it’s from Zhejiang, it tasted more in the direction you describe the Jinggu than the 2016 Batch that ran out a month or so ago. The 2017 is more ripe fruits and honey, whereas the 2016 is indeed more like the Fuding you describe. But as you know, my favorite is White peony over Silver Needle- I find it more rounded and ample. But interesting to have tasted 2 years, and looking forward to trying 2018 soon. 😉 ❤️❤️❤️
Joseph Troyer I give everything a go, though tend to work in waves. Current focus on oolong is moving towards puerh. But I drink all the teas, so happy to give these two silver needles a try.
Petra- well i have a gulan cake for drinking ( i break into it several times a month) and then the 'special' cake waiting for nine (hopefully) Years! I do like 'young' Puer👌
Hi Don! I know you said you have a lot of videos you already want to make, but I would really like it if at some point in the future, you made a video about the effects of the water you use on the resulting tea brewed from it. I recently tried using some cheap brand of bottled water and the tea tasted TERRIBLE! I had to stop after a couple of infusions and go back to the tap water I normally use, it was that bad. Why might this be?
Water is crucial but very complicated to understand all of the factors. We have been working on trying to create a water video for years and we will keep working until we can give you some clear guidelines.
@@MeiLeaf Hello Don. Always great watching and hearing your knowledgeable videos. We have started making sun dried silver needle white teas with our Assam Clones. Would be nice if you could explore and evaluate. We are a family growing and making teas since 1858 and 4 generations. Your response will be appreciated, leave a contact where we can talk and converse. Thanks. Rahul.
@@MeiLeaf thank you for your quick reply. I stumbled across your channel and I am so excited to learn and expand my knowledge of teas through your videos. Thank you very much.
It seems my first silver needle was Fujian, then for second batch from another store seems I got Yunnan silver needle (not specified), and it's kind of disappointing. The interesting and magical taste of the Fujian silver needle just isn't there, Yunnan silver needle just tastes sweet, smooth, with a tropical "woody" taste. Some might like that but it's completely different tea and not replacement for Fujian silver needle.
i love pocket tea like lipton crap. im getting wall nuts and orange flavor from it. lipton has this naughty look right out of the box. its 4.99 $ u cant go wrong when u pick lipton ..
That was a fun video to watch. I'm not very much into tea, though I do enjoy listening to others refer to it in such an endearing manner. I learned a lot. Good stuff.
I've always been so in love with white teas. One of my tea goals is to try an aged white tea
Yoo I timed it from when he poured the water in and when he poured it out. It was EXACTLY 45 seconds. what is this man
Thank you for this video. I'm a tea noob and I bought some Fuding Silver Needle tea on a whim today. It cost me a small fortune but I'm happy to know I made the right decision. The aroma and flavors that I thought I picked up matches what you've described on this video.
Quick question, can I open the pack, use some and keep the rest for a couple of years? Will it continue to age?
I could not have dreamt about a better video subject from Don 😀 Trying Silver Needle for the first time was among the most mind blowing moments of my tea learning experience. I do prefer the Fujian over the Yunnan one anytime, though recently I've started to appreciate some of the different notes of the Yunnan one (just at the same time as I've been starting to appreciate more raw Puer!). Anyway I must repeat this tea comparison myself ASAP!
A question, another source said that Da Bai (the famous storied cultivar) almost never grows in Fuding any longer. That the climate proved unsuitable there, though it is common in other provinces. They said 90+ percent of the whites from Fuding come from Da Fu, a related but different cultivar but it is still often called Da Bai. Could you comment on different cultivars and whether this is relevant to tea choice. Thanks
I haven't checked the channel for a couple of months and I must say, writing the SCOPE on the screen and showing the map of the regions is great!!!
Also, small suggestions here... make short, monthly videos with the tea/blend/herb of the month. I tend to stick to the few varieties I know and having monthly suggestions would help me expand and discover new things! f
Cheers!
Great content and info, thanks!
Why rinse? Didnt you say that silver needle shouldnt be rinsed because of the "hair" and the mouthfeel it gives?
I think that this would definitely be worth a purchase. I don't recall ever trying a silver needle and look forward to the experience. Also, thanks for providing such a great level of detail in your videos. It helped me to discern what to look for and really enhanced my tastings at home.
I've actually been on board with Jinggu white teas since years before I tried yours (which was excellent), and your description explained a number of things I noticed but couldn't put my finger on, in particular how the "wildness" reminded me a bit of a raw pu erh or even a lighter black tea at times. Tried several from a few vendors and found a rich malty quality in comparison to the supremely bright, flowery Fujian white. In fact, this is similar to my approach with a lot of things. For example, why keep up with the latest fashions and pay premiums when I can buy a sexy outfit off last year's shelf that gets looked over and matches my features and complexion? If anything, I generally try teas from famous regions LAST unless I know I'm buying from a vendor whom I trust to sell quality and not to overcharge me (*waves at you*).
With that said, I thought I was in a cozy lil niche which my preference for Jinguu teas, but...apparently I'm not alone, and they seem to be growing in popularity. I hope the prices don't surge as a result! :/
as I'm a fan of voice analogies: Fujian whites are basically the highest, brightest, 20 year old soprano you can find (at times they're so sweet they taste almost gaudy). Jinguu whites are more like an early 30s soprano. Still very bright and pleasant, but more 3-dimensional, more texture, like the top has been mellowed out in exchange for more complexity in the middle.
I had a really great Fujian spring 2018 early summer this year, it is all gone but my notes say it was full of cane sugar, elderflower cordial, lemon biscuits, really buttery. It left honey taste in my mouth and created juiciness. Later infusions got grassier and were less sweet, with bit of soupiness but finish stayed sweet. I wonder what it would taste like now, settled...I did not give it a change to wait in the cupboard. Might get some more together with both Mei Leaf whites and compare all three...well, that would be a session :-) right now drinking Wuyishan Da Hong Pao 2008, a very special tea (for a very special price, too)
Petra How was your Camden store experience? Please Share👍
I´m having Mei Leaf´s Superior Keemun (Qimen Hao Ya) while watching this video. Caramel in the nose, bitter chocolate and spicy notes in the mouth. It´s almost like having something from the assamica variety, because it´s very strong even at a 75 deg C steeping. Making Black tea wiht low temp is strange, but quite appropriate for this particular tea. But I agree, a sesson of all those Whites would be something special.
@@joetexas1546 it was great. I came with my friend and had Nectar Raider with Don and Martin, who also came down to meet me. We had some heavy chats while drinking the tea. It was really nice of Don to find time as he is such a busy man. Then I of course I said hello to the lovely ladies from the e-shop - Nola and Annie and inevitably spent a fortune on tea.
Petra Thank you I would love to visit there someday and i bet everyone there was Super!
Is there a best way to age silver needle tea? Air tight container or allow some air to penetrate - e.g., wrapping in paper...?
You bring up an interesting subject here about aging tea.
What other teas do you suggest get better with time (besides pu erh?) What other teas do you suggest be bought and kept to age? How long should they be aged?
Was drinking my 2017 batch, newly arrived last month from you. Although it’s from Zhejiang, it tasted more in the direction you describe the Jinggu than the 2016 Batch that ran out a month or so ago. The 2017 is more ripe fruits and honey, whereas the 2016 is indeed more like the Fuding you describe. But as you know, my favorite is White peony over Silver Needle- I find it more rounded and ample. But interesting to have tasted 2 years, and looking forward to trying 2018 soon. 😉 ❤️❤️❤️
Where does one find a nice set of these glass pots? Thanks for the vids!
Yunnan sourcing
Where can I find the table you use? The squared one with holes in it.
Thank you so much
It us called a Gong Fu Guru tray and we used to sell these. We have sold out but we will be bringing other designed tea trays to the website.
Don, what do you mean by fermented "tang"? What is "tang"?
Thnx
Did I win lapsang souchong tea? Plzz... 😖
Sounds like a good pairing as opposed to a winner and loser. Or personal preference, I guess, given the differences.
Martin do you like fuding whites? Myself not so much. I am an oolong/black kind of guy!
Joseph Troyer I give everything a go, though tend to work in waves. Current focus on oolong is moving towards puerh. But I drink all the teas, so happy to give these two silver needles a try.
Martin I have a Ton of loose and i find myself going to Puerh cakes almost every time. I have a special Farmerleaf cake waiting for 2027!!!
@@joetexas1546 2027? I could never wait that long! life is too short for that lol
Petra- well i have a gulan cake for drinking
( i break into it several times a month) and then the 'special' cake waiting for nine (hopefully) Years! I do like 'young' Puer👌
I want one of those Gurus so much!
Hi Don! I know you said you have a lot of videos you already want to make, but I would really like it if at some point in the future, you made a video about the effects of the water you use on the resulting tea brewed from it. I recently tried using some cheap brand of bottled water and the tea tasted TERRIBLE! I had to stop after a couple of infusions and go back to the tap water I normally use, it was that bad. Why might this be?
Water is crucial but very complicated to understand all of the factors. We have been working on trying to create a water video for years and we will keep working until we can give you some clear guidelines.
@@MeiLeaf Hello Don. Always great watching and hearing your knowledgeable videos. We have started making sun dried silver needle white teas with our Assam Clones. Would be nice if you could explore and evaluate. We are a family growing and making teas since 1858 and 4 generations. Your response will be appreciated, leave a contact where we can talk and converse. Thanks. Rahul.
whats that peanut for?
It is meant to be a tea pet and was given as a gift so I thought I would use it but it is a very strange teapet hahaha
@@MeiLeaf thank you for your quick reply. I stumbled across your channel and I am so excited to learn and expand my knowledge of teas through your videos. Thank you very much.
The peanut!!!!! 🥜🤣
There was a bubble "tea" advertisement before this video. Lol. 😂
cured salami?
13:56 "milky nuts" lmao
Great vid and of course I was drinking my silver needle through entire video :D
everytime i have money to buy its never in stock at twg tea.
It seems my first silver needle was Fujian, then for second batch from another store seems I got Yunnan silver needle (not specified), and it's kind of disappointing. The interesting and magical taste of the Fujian silver needle just isn't there, Yunnan silver needle just tastes sweet, smooth, with a tropical "woody" taste. Some might like that but it's completely different tea and not replacement for Fujian silver needle.
Hey... different background! 😄
Just saw that you guys are out of Silver Needle and of Aged whites
Why is your tea leaves always whole? No matter how much money I spend, it always looks like mine have been cut.
Likely he sorts through the leaves to better show the leaves.
Some suppliers also don't pay as much attention to lead quality as Don does
I had no idea how much caffeine white tea has, just drank 2 infusions by myself and I'm binging off the walls lol
The link For Fuding Silver Needel is no longer selling this tea!
Fujian.
i love pocket tea like lipton crap.
im getting wall nuts and orange flavor from it.
lipton has this naughty look right out of the box.
its 4.99 $ u cant go wrong when u pick lipton ..
don´t drink whiskey every day, folks!!!
i do not like needles😜