I am normally not a huge fan of tippy, lighter-colored white teas like this, but I thought this was pretty exceptional and was one of my favorite lighter white teas that I've ever tried. It isn't exactly a silver needle, but I compared it as one, it would be the second-favorite one I've ever tried.

The dry leaf is wonderfully fragrant, very floral, and like melon as well, with a hint of autumn leaves. It evokes canteloupe and honeysuckle, with a hint of autumn leaves in there, and overall, makes me think of a hot day in late summer.

Upon brewing, this starts smelling more different from familiar white teas. It smells soft and gentle, but also fairly present. There's a hint of overripe fruit in there, and a surprising vanilla-cocoa scent, like sweet hot chocolate.

Flavor is sweet and mouthfeel is a bit lower in astringency than I like, leading it to be a bit syrupy, but there's more body than some white teas.

Many white teas place me a bit on edge; I found though that I liked how I felt after drinking this more than is typical for white teas.

This tea tastes nuanced and balanced when I pay attention to it, but it's also oddly forgettable if you don't pay attention to it. Nothing about it grabs my attention; I need to actively focus on it in order to detect the complexity in its aroma...otherwise it just sort of sinks into the background and something smooth and pleasant, easy to drink. The most memorable part of it is towards the end of the sip, there's a rich honey-like sweetness which vanishes into a floral scent in the finish.

Overall I liked this. I thought it was WAAAY ahead of any Chinese silver needle teas I've sampled, and I felt less jittery after drinking it (most tippy white teas do not agree with my body).

I like to steep twice, three minutes followed by a second, very long steep. Not much leaf is needed to produce a very flavorful cup, which makes the price more reasonable than you might think. This is a high-end tea, something for a splurge or treat, but I would say one of the few high-end white teas worth it.

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