Cultivar: Fuding Da Hao
Elevation: 500 - 700m
Harvest Date: March 29-31, 2019

Fuding Silver Needles is a heritage white tea from the coastal town of Fuding, a famous white tea producing region situated on mist-enshrouded mountainsides that overlook an estuary leading to the sea. The maritime air and oceanic mineral soils rich in basalt are said to lend a savory quality to the white teas grown here. This special batch was harvested during the Mingqian period in early spring, the most prized harvest of the year made from the first tea buds that sprout in the new season. These buds are thickly coated in a downy white coat of sweet trichomes, and are highly concentrated in amino acids and other nutrients that were stored in the plant's roots during winter. The result is a sublime, elegant balance of savory umami and floral sweetness with hints of wheatgrass, lanhua orchid, and maple sap. These high-class white teas also have the potential to age gracefully. Compare this 2019 vintage against our 2018 vintage (while it lasts).