Country of Origin: Nepal
Leaf Appearance: small, mostly whole downy buds
Ingredients: white tea
Steep time: 3 minutes
Water Temperature: 180 degrees
Preparation Method: mesh infuser basket and porcelain teacup
Liquor: bright gold
I’d heard a lot of good things from fellow bloggers about Nepali Tea Traders but never had a chance to give them a try myself. I was able to briefly meet them at World Tea Expo last year and they were kind enough to leave me with several samples. I’m a lover of (almost) all silver tips tea so naturally, this was the one that I gravitated to first. The leaves were like a miniature version of your typical Chinese silver needle. Smaller and a bit more delicate but still covered in downy hairs. The taste was wonderfully complex, starting out with herbaceous notes of sage and lemon grass. Honeyed peaches popped up in the midpalate while the finish brought hints of vanilla and clove. I couldn’t help but be reminded of a really good white wine. The mouth-feel was smooth and buttery without any astringency. My second and third infusions were just as good as the first. Sadly there weren’t enough leaves to experiment with brewing methods but I have a hunch that this would do really well in my glass gaiwan.
Nepalese Silver Tips sample provided by Nepali Tea Traders.