Lochan

Tea Information:

Leaf Type: White

Tea Description:

This second flush Doke Silver Needle White Tea shows how this family run garden is constantly innovating (Chinese Silver Needles are only harvested once per year). Like most Second Flush pickings, these leaves are loose and slightly darker yet here this simply concentrates the delicious white tea flavors – a truly extraordinary Silver Needle tea. Only the freshest tender young buds, covered in a delicate soft white down, are selected and brew to produce a clean and smooth liquor that’s simply bursting with fresh white tea flavor. Large, downy needles produce a sweet and creamy, full-bodied golden liquor with notes of peach blossom and dried apricot. This is a unique selection from a little-known origin.

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

It’s been a while since I’ve had a silver needle tea, and this one is unique because it’s not a Chinese Silver Needle, this one is from India. I find that Doke Silver Needle teas tend to have a stronger flavor than the very delicate flavor of a Chinese Silver Needle. I appreciate both for their unique qualities, but since I’m reviewing the Doke at the moment, I think I’ll just say that I really like the well defined flavor of this Silver Needle tea!

It has a very sweet, refreshing taste. It’s very soothing to sip. I taste notes of dew and melon and a peach-like flavor … but sweeter. I had trouble putting my finger on exactly how to describe that flavor until I read the above description and saw “dried apricot” and then I realized … yeah, that’s it! It has the almost-sugary sweetness of dried fruit, and it does indeed have a dried apricot-like flavor.

The texture is soft. The taste is very smooth from start to finish. No bitterness and very little astringency (as in I am having a hard time discerning any astringency here at all.) I keep going back to the word “sweet” but that is the word that keeps coming to mind with every sip. It’s deliciously sweet. My mouth waters from the sweetness.

It’s a very lovely cup of tea. I like that this isn’t exceptionally delicate in flavor, the flavors here stand out. It’s a very flavorful cuppa!

liberteas

Anne (aka the Mad Tea Artist) has celebrated her 29th birthday for many years now. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her hubby and her youngest daughter. Her oldest daughter is married and has bestowed Anne with the proud title of "Gramma" and her grandson is about the cutest boy you ever did see. Anne started her journey with tea as a casual drinker and became more serious about her tea drinking when she realized that she couldn't drink coffee. Shortly thereafter, she started becoming obsessed with the beverage and she started creating small-batch, artisan blends of tea that she sold online as LiberTEAS. After a few years, she realized she wasn't cut out to be the sole proprietor of a business so she closed LiberTEAS and started reviewing teas online. She met Jennifer through another blog that they both reviewed for and they decided to start their own review blog. This review blog! Throughout her journey as a tea reviewer, she discovered 52Teas and became enamored with the idea of creating a new tea every week. When the founder of 52Teas decided he wanted to move on, he offered the business to Anne but knowing that she wasn't cut out to be a sole proprietor, she instead offered the company to her oldest daughter who employs her as the Mad Tea Artist for 52Teas!

This post was posted in White Tea