A returning favorite to the annual spring lineup, our Zhenghe County sourced 白毫银针 Bái Háo Yín Zhēn ("White Hair Silver Needle" or Pekoe Silver Needle) tea this year is as charming, delicate, and vitalizing as always.

Producers and sellers in the ever-growing market for Fujianese white tea have begun to distinguish between two grades of this particular tea.  Whereas Yin Zhen used to be all longer, banana-shaped buds harvested in mid-late March, now a new shorter bud, earlier-harvested variety has begun to win over the tastes of the connoisseur market: 米芽银针 Mǐ Yá Yín Zhēn ("Rice Bud Silver Needle").  These  needles are cute, early early spring little rice buds!

Always pursuant of these types of emerging specialties, we're glad to present to you this Mi Ya grade Yin Zhen grown from Zhenghe Dabai cultivar bushes, harvested on March 12th at 1200 meters in Zhenghe.

This is a tea that handsomely rewards slowing down and tuning in during the tea session: fragrant, nutritive tones of sweet grass swim in a delicate and entertaining mouthfeel that eventually gives way to an aftertaste of sweet nuttiness — 甘 gān.  We hope you'll get a chance to try this tea.

Reviews from last year's Yin Zhen by the same producers can be found here + more Zhenghe County white teas are to be found here.