Teavivre, Jasmine Silver Needle White Tea (Mo Li Yin Zhen)

This came as a sample provided by Teavivre. This tea is so light and fluffy it barely fit in the sample bag – seriously. When I opened the bag I was hit with the jasmine scent. I was a little afraid as it seemed very strong, like many of the jasmines I have tried and not liked in the past. Within moments the scent calmed down and mellowed into that beautiful fragrance I love so dearly in their Jasmine Dragon Pearls (my favorite Teavivre tea).

The leaf itself is gorgeous. So light in color and almost brittle looking. Trying to measure out the proper amount for a mug took guesswork. I kept spooning it out until it ‘looked’ like the right amount in the bottom of my French press. In my kettle I heated 12oz of water until it steamed, then let it cool until it stopped making noise and poured. I steeped this for about a minute and a half. The liquor had the faintest yellow tint in the press and looked nearly clear as it poured. The wet leaf gives off an intoxicating aroma somewhere between honeysuckle and grape. Love it.

The sip is jasmine, the good kind – not overwhelming and not medicinal or fake. In addition there is something I did not expect. This tastes and feels very milky to me. It’s almost creamy moving across the tongue. Really nice. At first I was having trouble picking out the white tea. Then I realized it was largely in the aftertaste. It is more noticeable in later steeps. Though the flavor profile is a bit different, this is every bit as delicious as the beloved jasmine pearls. This is seriously good.

Thank you Teavivre for sharing this tea and for showing me again that jasmine (done right) can be a work of art.