Silver Needle White Tea

Comments about Teavana Silver Needle White Tea:

I love this tea. I don't understand why people seem to be buying this thinking it's a strong flavorful tea. It's not. It's a tea for those who can appreciate a very gentle flavor. I like this tea when I have time to sit and appreciate it's subtlety. I enjoy mine with just a little bit of acacia honey. Perfection.

Comments about Teavana Silver Needle White Tea:

The soft, downy white buds are not only adorable but have a delicate flavor which is a great base for combining with other teas. But don't get me wrong, it is fantastic on it's own. I like to use about a half a teaspoon of German Rock Sugar in mine when I want to wind down after a long working day. Watch the temperature of your water otherwise your tea will tase bitter. I do not recommend exceeding the recommended water temperature on white or green teas.

Comments about Teavana Silver Needle White Tea:

When I feel like drinking a lot of tea to warm up, or just want to chill out with a cup that's easy to finish drinking, I offer myself a bit of this tea.

Comments about Teavana Silver Needle White Tea:

White tea requires some knowledge to appreciate fully and in order to fully appreciate this tea, you need to know what you are about to drink before you drink it. That being said, if you are a fan of drinking strong teas in either richness or flavor be forewarned that this will be an interesting departure from the norm for you. This tea exemplifies the virtues of time, labor, and rarity so much so that with a tea of this caliber you should really try it according to the directions, and without sweetness, at least initially and through to a second steeping.

The flavor is a challenge to describe in words. Like others have mentioned, it is the epitome of a light silky sweetness with a subtle hay-like aroma (that most describe as floral but it definitely hits my taste buds more as a shade herbal than it reminds me of flowers) and that is where any base description that can be made ends. To me it is the feeling you get when you drink this tea that has conquered my soul. It makes me feel good; it gives me a feeling of zen that so few teas accomplish so readily in my experience. I drink it when I am sick (with a dollop of honey it does wonders for a sore throat), I drink it when I feel my body needs some generous care in either detox or just to de-stress, and I drink it because I get cravings to consume it again and again.

Temperature is key with this tea, as well as efficiency- please don't toss those buds. You are ruining potential by doing so. I do and have known others who can get 5-6 re-steepings from the leaves. My only complaint is that it is a bit hard to get a precise measurement because of the length of those downy-tipped tea buds , but it is certainly a concession I am willing to make. I wish Teavana offered more teas that were simply all buds because I am hooked. If you like purity, wander no more.

Comments about Teavana Silver Needle White Tea:

I simply take a pinchful of the buds and place them in a cup, pour some almost boiling water on top of them. I sweeten it with a tad bit of honey and garnish with a slice of orange. I like to leave the buds in my cup, as they fall to the bottom. This tea is not one for someone who is not a tea enthusiast or connoisseur as it does contain a complex understanding and appreciation of tea to truly appreciate it's light taste and beneficial, superior health properties.

Comments about Teavana Silver Needle White Tea:

Although a bit pricey, I do really enjoy this tea. I usually use about two teaspoons @ 175F for 5-10 minutes per steep. The trick is finding out how to steep it to your liking. At first I must not have been steeping long enough because I was getting almost no flavor. Now when I make it, I get a delicious almost nutty flavor with hints of pine. It's really great. It took me some time to figure out how to get the flavor I wanted, so don't be afraid to mess around with the steeping times. I find up to 10 minutes is pretty safe, but after that you might get some weird bitterness to it.

Comments about Teavana Silver Needle White Tea:

This is one of the first purchases I made from Teavana on a recommendation from a friend saying it was the best thing he'd ever tried. Maybe the initial fantastic reviews set me up for failure. I purchase a cast iron tea pot and later a Breville brewer to make sure I was brewing to the right temps.

I don't mind the light taste, and the initial taste is clean and fresh, but then this strange aftertaste sets in. I feel like I am drinking the water in a vase of cut flowers, it's a strange, lingering moldy taste. It's gross, and I can never finish more than my initial few sips of tea before washing out the whole pot. I don't know if that is a flavor the other people who love this tea enjoy and I'm just not sophisticated enough to reach that state of enlightenment, or if I just got a bad batch.

Comments about Teavana Silver Needle White Tea:

This tea is an especially light bodied tea. I have found that in order to get the full flavor of the tea you have to brew it for slightly longer (about 6ish minutes) and drink it out of a mug or teacup with a bit of sugar. Normally in the morning I will put my tea in a travel mug, but with this tea you really need to have fragrance to taste the full flavor of this wonderful tea. It is a light bodied vegetal flavor with very slight floral undertones. It finishes smooth, silky and a little bit sweet. I brewed this very strong to see what would happen; to see if I could really amplify the flavor. As with most teas, it was on the bitter side but displayed a new flavor that was very quick and almost darjeeling-like. If you dont like light bodied teas this tea would definitely not be for you. However the flavor of this tea is absolutely wonderful and it a must for frequent tea drinkers.

Comments about Teavana Silver Needle White Tea:

First tea review and hopefully there is plenty more to come. I just recently ordered this tea and Blue Berry Bliss (on a side note I didn't receive my free sample) but being that I already tasted the Blue Berry Bliss I tried the Silver Needle first and I was surprised. It was very refreshing and smooth. One of THE lightest teas I have ever had the pleasure of tasting.

Comments about Teavana Silver Needle White Tea:

i wanted to like this tea but when i got it and steep it for about 5-6 min....i was so DISSAPOITNTED no FLAVOR, NO PUnCH NOTHING....i wish i would of bought something else...worst [$] spent ever!!!!!...if you want something mild to stronger please try something else...this is toooo weak...tasted just like my plain ole hot water....my lipton tea had more flavor...AND COLOR!!!...HOPE THIS HELPs....