Silver Needle, as the top grade of White Tea, is often a favorite among white Tea enthusiasts. So, when purchasing, how can we judge the quality of a Silver Needle based on its dry leaves?

01.

Dry Leaf Shape

Silver Needle requires plump buds with visible downy hair. The first flush Silver Needle has robust and vigorous buds, while the second flush tends to be slimmer. Summer and Autumn Tea buds are thin and small, usually not used for Silver Needle production. Wild-grown Silver Needle, due to its scarce production, is very precious and appears even more plump than plantation-grown Silver Needle, sometimes in a “bamboo shoot” shape.

Silver Needle made directly from buds is stout and compact; those made using the “stripping” method lack compactness and generally have small stems, locally referred to as “needle feet.” Pre-Qingming (before April 5th) Silver Needle is more compact, while post-Qingming Silver Needle is less so. Silver Needle should be straight in appearance; frequent turning during withering will cause it to bend.

02.

Dry Leaf Integrity

Silver Needle is made from single buds, at which point the raw material's internal substances are not yet at their richest. Picking single buds is time-consuming and labor-intensive, with low production efficiency. Generally, only Spring Tea can be used to make Silver Needle, and top-tier Silver Needle must be made from the first flush's plump buds, with limited production.

Silver Needle, as a representative of white tea, is renowned for its comprehensive quality in color, aroma, taste, and shape, with “shape” playing a significant role. Therefore, the requirement for the integrity of Silver Needle's shape is higher than for other white teas.

Silver Needle requires intact bud shapes and robust buds. Broken buds greatly reduce the grade of Silver Needle. For the same year and grade, the value of compressed Silver Needle (cakes) and loose Silver Needle cannot be compared, with a significant difference in value.

03.

Dry Leaf Purity

Rigorously processed Silver Needle has uniform shape and consistent color, with fish scales and scales picked very cleanly, and no impurities like weeds or bamboo leaves. Unrefined Silver Needle may contain impurities and occasionally mixed one-bud-and-one-leaf materials.

04.

Dry Leaf Color

Well-crafted Silver Needle has vibrant color, silver-white like snow. Under-withered Silver Needle is greenish, while over-withered or improperly stored Silver Needle is dull gray. As it ages, the downy hairs on Silver Needle do not turn red or black but gradually stand up and become more prominent.

However, after repeated friction, some Silver Needle loses much of its downy hairs, revealing the reddish-brown color of the bud. It is important to distinguish between downy hairs turning reddish-brown and the natural reddish-brown color of the bud itself, with silver-white downy hairs, which is normal.

Generally speaking, Silver Needle stored in the south has a darker, ashen color, while that stored in the north retains vibrant silver-white color. Unfortunately, there is very little Silver Needle stored in the north.

05.

Dry Leaf Aroma

Properly withered Silver Needle has a light downy aroma, with a fresh scent in new tea and a slight grassy smell. Under-withered Silver Needle has a pronounced grassy aroma.

Silver Needle dried at high temperatures has a pronounced downy aroma, but leaves the mouth and throat feeling dry after drinking. Over-withered or improperly stored Silver Needle lacks a pure aroma and has a waterlogged smell.

As it ages, the downy aroma of Silver Needle becomes more pronounced, with a faint sweet fragrance after ten years.

Poorly stored Silver Needle may have off-flavors. If these off-flavors disappear after rinsing before brewing, it indicates that the flavors come from external sources and, despite being slightly off, the tea is still drinkable. If off-flavors persist after rinsing, the tea has spoiled and is no longer suitable for consumption.

We hope that through these five points, you'll be better equipped to discern the quality of Silver Needle when purchasing. Of course, the true test of a good tea is in tasting it to see if it suits your palate. After all, “tea can be of high quality, but what suits your taste is truly precious.”