Tea Reviews | It's All About The Leaf

Posts Tagged ‘China White’

The Grace Tea Company originally hails from New York and was founded by one Frank Cho – a man deemed an experienced tea taster. The focus of the company has always been on bringing rare teas from many different areas to the palates of the public. In 2009, all operations were moved to Acton, MA., under the care of Elliot and Hartley E. Johnson – better known as the owners of the Mark T. Wendell Tea Company. I was so slow in realizing the connection I even commented how the websites looked similar. This is why I love “About Us” sections.

Grace’s Organic China White Fujian Silver Needle hails from – you guessed it – Fujian province. Also known as Bai Hao Yinzhen (White Hair Silver Needle), this white tea is made using the buds of the Dai Bai or “Large Leaf” varietal. Said buds are hand-rolled into needle-like shapes after a light fermentation process. The best whites are picked in the early spring; the more fuzz on the leaves, the younger and better they are.

I don’t consider myself an “expert” tea taster by any stretch, but I am quite familiar with Silver Needle whites. They were the first loose leaf tea I ever tried, and to this day remain one of my favorites. I’ve had good ones, fair ones, and wretched ones. Quality can usually be discerned on first whiff. This Silver Needle smelled of melons, lotus blossoms, cream and spice – absolutely wonderful. Also appealing were the leaves themselves, tightly-rolled and basking in their furry display.

Brewing instructions on the sample bag called for 1 tsp of leaves per cup (likely 8oz). Grace Tea instructed that water should be brought to a boil and then allowed cool for a minute. The actual steep recommended was one-and-a-half to two minutes. I didn’t like the temp instructions. Instead, I went with my usual approach of water heated to 165F and a steep of two-and-a-half minutes – same leaf measurements, though.

The liquor brewed up almost clear, save for a slight yellow tinge. The aroma was wonderfully fruity, faintly citrus-like with a grape-y lean. Any melon echo it had was gone, but that was okay. Flavor-wise, it lived up to how a Silver Needle should be – floral, creamy, fruity, slightly nutty, and no vegetal profile. This was just as impressive as the Silver Needle put out by Mark T. Wendell. A fabulous late-afternoon cup o’ subtlety. It made me feel like a Chinese aristocrat…even though I was wearing gym shorts at the time.

You can purchase the Organic China White Fujian Silver Needle directly from the Grace Tea Company website.

This tea is one of the most celebrated white teas and the drinking proves it.  The dry leaf is exceptionally long, tippy, and silvery (just like a silver needle).  Clearly a lovely tea, the dry leaves glow with the promise of an exceptional brew.   The promise is more than fulfilled.  The flavor is phenomenally delicate and sweet.   The pale but lovely brew unfolds in waves of apricot, pear and melon with a simple, yet elegant, base of what can only be described as a naturally delicate freshness.  The tea’s aroma and taste evokes a fruit orchard in early spring, when the flavors and odors are young, delicate, and intoxicatingly seductive.  The bright fruitiness is the keynote here and if there is a slight green or hay-like taste, it is a back-up player to the delicacy of newly ripened fruit.

This tea is best consumed with careful consideration of its innate beauty and delicacy.  I would not drink it with anything but the lightest of foods:  you would not want it overwhelmed.  I think that the natural grace of this tea might be overwhelmed by milk.  The natural flavors could probably sustain and even be enhanced by some sweetener.  I chose not to use sweetener, because the fruity taste of the tea itself added a kind of honey.

Grace Tea Company’s Organic China White Fujian Silver Needle is one of the very finest teas I have consumed and can stand up nicely to multiple infusions.  I paid careful attention to the brewing instructions and was well-rewarded with one of the very best cups of tea.   It would be a triumph to serve this as the opening or closing course to a dinner party if your guests are paying close and careful attention to flavor and taste.

You can purchase the Organic China White Fujian Silver Needle directly from the Grace Tea Company website.