First off, the temperature is not precise, which I know it needs to be for such gentle tea. Hopefully the experience wasn’t compromised.
The leaves are very pretty; they look just like the photo: delicate green needles coated in silver down. The wet leaves are a bit greener, and give off a faint bouquet of roasted nuts and peas. The liquor is pale yellow.
The tea itself is surprisingly sweet. It is very subtle. The first waves are blank, and the flavor doesn’t kick in until the middle tones. From there it very smoothly picks up into a barely vegetal taste, somewhat reminiscent of peas, which is rounded out with a sweet finish and aftertaste like I just finished a bowl of especial sweet peas. I like it a lot, and I am looking forward to comparing it with other silver needles.
This is a good tea for everyone, even novices, but I think that it would take a true connoisseur to appreciate the complexities of this cup.