Tuesday TeaDay 9/09/08 Crave Factor for Whites?

[horsencl]

The first time I ever had white tea was an excellent silver needle prepared by one of the most knowledgeable tea people I have ever met. It rocked my world and I've craved white tea ever since. She's moved her shop to the west coast so I'm craving it even more these days. Just4Tea Jamine Pearl green tea is in my cup today. I actually have no more white left in the tea shelf at the moment

[Chip]

I enjoy white tea, but I don't really drink a lot of them for some reason. Only white tea I have at the moment is Jin Zhi Yu Ye.
Received my Tokoname kyusu and new cups yesterday, so thinking about what tea I want to start with.

Any more info you would like to share with us?!?

Usually you use slightly less leaves with shincha than with the regular sencha version.

I quite agree. I was neglecting this with a sample from a tasting of Yutaka Midori. I used the same amount as with the shincha, but it was just a tad flatter. I added a mere .25 gram and it made a huge difference. Now it is as good as shincha IMHO!

So, I went with YM from O-Cha and it was stellar. 5.25 grams per 6.8 ounces (.77 on the magic TC metric/english scale).

[Beidao]

Finishing the day with kukicha after a wonderful cup of Long Jing. I'm going more and more crazy for green! And there's two senchas untouched in my cupboard!

[kongni]

So many great photos! Wow!!!

salsero- can you say a little bit more about the tea you photographed? Looks amazing!

I do like most of the white teas I've tried. I keep thinking it would be good to get a few for evenings when I don't want too much of a jolt before going to bed.

Can anyone give me some suggestions on a good white tea to buy? I tried a whole slew of Adagio white tea samples that a friend of mine gave me but it was a long time ago before I really know much about tea types. I remember that one type was made up of furry needle-like leaves and another small blond ringlets....

[Pentox]

Can anyone give me some suggestions on a good white tea to buy? I tried a whole slew of Adagio white tea samples that a friend of mine gave me but it was a long time ago before I really know much about tea types. I remember that one type was made up of furry needle-like leaves and another small blond ringlets....

In the realm of white teas you will really run across two main teas, silver needle and White Peony. Silver Needle are the "furry needle-like leaves" This is because of the way they are processed and they consist only of buds. White Peony is processed similarly, but consists of leaves. Silver Needle has a more refined taste than White Peony in my experience, if you're looking for something that exemplifies what a white tea tastes like, that's it. If you're looking for something a bit broader and cheaper, White Peony is for you.

[Chip]

Finishing the day with kukicha after a wonderful cup of Long Jing. I'm going more and more crazy for green! And there's two senchas untouched in my cupboard!

Are your sencha in heat sealed bags, the unopened ones. If so, you can cold store them for added freshness.

Can anyone give me some suggestions on a good white tea to buy? I tried a whole slew of Adagio white tea samples that a friend of mine gave me but it was a long time ago before I really know much about tea types. I remember that one type was made up of furry needle-like leaves and another small blond ringlets....

Yin Zhen, aka Silver Needles is the best white. Bai Mudan, aka white peony is generally more flavorful and cheaper. But Yin Zhen is sublime in such a nice way.

I am enjoying a Taiwan oolong from Victoria, Thè Luanze, Shan Lin Shi, 1,650 meters, Spring 2008. Quite nice. The leaf is extremely well made, virtually no residue or dust or particles. Nice and sweet. Teanmasters is the source.

[Victoria]

Can anyone give me some suggestions on a good white tea to buy? I tried a whole slew of Adagio white tea samples that a friend of mine gave me but it was a long time ago before I really know much about tea types. I remember that one type was made up of furry needle-like leaves and another small blond ringlets....

Yin Zhen, aka Silver Needles* is the best white. Bai Mudan, aka white peony is generally more flavorful and cheaper. But Yin Zhen is sublime in such a nice way.

Non-Mod EDIT: Bai Mudan, aka white peony is the best white. Bai Mudan is sublime in such a nice way.

[Pentox]

Non-Mod EDIT: Bai Mudan, aka white peony is the best white. Bai Mudan is sublime in such a nice way.

Non-Mod Reversion: Yin Zhen kicks Bai Mudan's butt.

[chamekke]

I've tried White Needle, but was not as transported as I expected to be. Perhaps I did not use quite enough leaf... or maybe the result was just too subtle for my greenish palate to detect. I will try again at some point, but I'm not in a rush.

In my cup... some Milan Dan Cong from Jing Tea Shop. Very very nice.

[Pentox]

I've tried White Needle, but was not as transported as I expected to be. Perhaps I did not use quite enough leaf... or maybe the result was just too subtle for my greenish palate to detect. I will try again at some point, but I'm not in a rush.

In my cup... some Milan Dan Cong from Jing Tea Shop. Very very nice.

Silver Needle is one of the lightest flavored teas I have ever run across. Also the volume of leaf is very deceiving, to use 5g for example makes many people balk at the sheer volume of it.

[Victoria]

That's why you need the full-bodied boldness of the Bai Mudan - FTW!!

[Pentox]

That's why you need the full-bodied boldness of the Bai Mudan - FTW!!

Or simply appreciate the simple cleanliness of a Yin Zhen without all that other stuff that a bai mudan complicates the flavor with.

[Chip]

Bai mudan is harvested after the premo silver needles are harvested, so, it is like leftovers of the tea world.

[scruffmcgruff]

Quit fighting, children. We all know they are equally terrible.

[Pentox]

Bai mudan is harvested after the premo silver needles are harvested, so, it is like leftovers of the tea world.

*high fives Chip*