Silver Needle (Bai Hao Yin Zhen)

Silver Needle is the highest grade of white tea, made exclusively from plump, unopened buds covered in silvery-white downy hairs. Produced in Fuding and Zhenghe, Fujian province, each bud is carefully hand-selected during a brief spring window. The infusion is pale straw-gold with a subtle, honeyed sweetness and delicate melon-cucumber notes.

Recommended vessel: Porcelain gaiwan or glass cup

Silver Needle buds are dense and tightly closed, requiring longer steeping than other white teas. Use 85°C water and be patient — 4 minutes for the first steep. The buds can handle 4 or more infusions, becoming sweeter with each round. A glass cup showcases the beautiful floating buds.