[Spring 2022 harvest]
I quite like this Silver Needle, but it has been 4 years since I ordered the last one. The 2022 harvest is as good as I hoped it would be.
The aromas are complex, with notes of white wine, dry grass, leather, and wood at first; and hints of honey, rocks, lavender, ale, bitter melon, and licorice throughout the session.
The tea is light and elegant in the first two steeps, while the rest of them give rise to a much more robust brew. First one has a broad sweetness that is not overpowering, as well as flavours of dry grass, cucumber, and nectar. From the infusion, the tea is more bitter with a touch of smoke/ash and a strong aftertaste that reminds me of semi-aged sheng.
Throughout, the mouthfeel is very smooth, almost like a session IPA.
Flavors: Ash, Beer, Bitter, Bitter Melon, Cucumber, Dry Grass, Honey, Lavender, Leather, Licorice Root, Mineral, Nectar, Smooth, Sweet, Wet Rocks, White Wine, Wood
