2018
2018 Fujian Silver Needle White Tea
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Silver Needle is made exclusively from buds, making it the most delicate and labor-intensive of all white tea styles. This 2018 loose leaf lot has been aging for 8 years, crossing the threshold of what Fuding tradition calls “seven years treasure.” Honey, soft florals, and a silky smooth texture with a complexity that only time can bring.
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Bought in person from the farmer who made it, on a yearly sourcing trip to China.
Tasted before bought
We taste every lot ourselves before we buy, often against alternates from the same village.
Small lots, single origin
Every tea is named by its village, farmer, and harvest year. Never a warehouse blend.
What is Fujian Silver Needle?
Silver Needle is made exclusively from buds, with no leaves included. This makes it the most delicate and labor-intensive of all white tea styles: each bud is hand-plucked during a narrow window in early spring, covered in fine silver hair, and processed with minimal intervention. The result is a tea that is lighter and more refined than Bai Mu Dan, with a natural sweetness and clarity that is difficult to find elsewhere.
This lot has been aging since 2018 as loose leaf, which develops differently from compressed cakes. Without the pressure of compression, the leaves age more openly and evenly, allowing the transformation to happen at its own pace. At 8 years, this tea sits just past the threshold of what Fuding tradition calls “seven years treasure.”
In the cup, the years of aging have deepened and rounded what was once a delicate fresh tea. Expect honey, soft floral notes, and a silky smooth texture with a long, sweet finish. The refinement of Silver Needle remains, but with an added complexity that only time can bring.
Tasting Notes
Silky and refined, with soft floral notes, natural honey sweetness and a depth that only years of aging can bring.
Oxidation
Stimulation
Fermentation
Body
Brewing Instructions
- Amount
- 5–8 gper 200 ml
- Temperature
- 80–90°C176–194°F
- Infusion Time
- 20 sec+5 sec each steep
- Infusions
- Up to 10
Rinse the leaves once with hot water before the first steep.
Aging & Storage
Store in a cool, dry, airtight container away from light and strong smells.
Origin
Origin
Fuding, Fujian
Cultivar
Da Bai
Elevation
500 meters
Fuding in Fujian Province is widely considered the birthplace of Chinese white tea, and the region where the style’s defining standards were established. The area has a mild, humid climate with abundant rainfall and frequent mist, conditions that slow the development of the tea leaf and allow its natural flavors to concentrate gradually. Fuding is home to two native cultivars, Da Bai and Da Hao, which have been cultivated here for generations and are the foundation of all authentic Fuding white tea. The best leaves are harvested by hand in early spring, when the buds are at their most tender.
