This 2019 early spring picking of Bai Hao Yin Zhen (白毫银针) comes from Panxi, the core tea region of Fuding, Fujian, at the same A+++++ exhibition grade as the 2021 — but the extra years of aging have taken it somewhere different. Where the 2021 is semi-aged, the 2019 is deeper into its aged character, and the flavor has grown richer and more varied with the years.
Tea Profile
At a glance: 2019 · White tea · Silver needle buds · Panxi core region, Fuding · A+++++ exhibition grade · sun-dried
- Dry leaf: Aged buds still thick with fine white hairs.
- Aroma: An aged-tea fragrance, deeper than the fresh needle scent.
- Taste: More aged than the 2021 — a cocoa note over fuller herbal flavor, rich and varied from steep to steep.
- Mouthfeel & body: Sweet, smooth and soothing.
- Aftertaste: Soothing and lingering, the aged sweetness staying on.
- Best for: Old-tea drinkers looking to improve their tea experience — a silver needle whose aged character is fully formed.
Brewing Guide
- Water: 85°C–90°C (185°F–194°F) — below boiling, to preserve the delicate buds.
- Vessel: a glass pitcher or a porcelain gaiwan, so you can watch the needles dance in the water.
- Steps:
- Warm the vessel; add about 5g per 100ml.
- Steep 20–30 seconds for the first three infusions.
- Lengthen the steep gradually with each round after that.
- Pour every steep fully into a fairness cup before serving.
- Treat these as starting points rather than fixed rules. Try high or low pours, fast or slow, and brew in different seasons to find the method that suits you. Brewing the same tea well in any year, season, weather or place takes practice, and that skill is the real goal.
Storage
Store in a cool, dry, odorless place, in an airtight container away from direct sunlight. A high-quality white tea like this can be enjoyed as it is, or kept longer to develop deeper, medicinal “date” notes over time.
