Customer Reviews

Rishi Organic White Tea, Silver Needle Loose Tea, 1.41-Ounce Tin (Pack of 2)

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Don't get me wrong--Silver Needle (which is considered the top grade of Chinese white tea--the only true white tea, incidentally) is delicious hot but at the risk of sounding heretical, it's FANTASTIC chilled on a muggy summer day. It's also easy to make.
For those who are serious about getting into tea, I recommend the purchase of an inexpensive, analog candy thermometer as correct water temperature is crucial to the successful brewing of any variety of tea. Boil water and add to your empty brewing vessel (I use my Bodum De Chine for white tea). Bring 10 or so ounces of good water, i.e., filtered or bottled, NOT distilled, to a boil and set aside to cool to 185º. In the meantime, empty the tea pot, add one tablespoon+one teaspoon of Silver Needle, and cover (this warms the buds). Add the cooled water and brew for the minimum recommended total of four minutes (I allow for the amount of time it takes to drain the tea leaves--20 or so seconds in my case). Decant completely (try not to leave any liquid in the pot) into a heat-proof pitcher and repeat twice (no need to preheat the pot again) reusing the same leaves at the same temperature, adding 30 seconds each time so that the final infusion brews for the recommended five-minute maximum. Refrigerate the combined infusions. That's it! Don't add anything--just kick back and enjoy about a quart of pale champagne-blond refreshment. It sounds a little complicated, but it's not--you'll be surprised at how quickly the routine is established.
A fine-mesh strainer will ensure that no leaf fragments remain to make your tea bitter (overbrewing=bitter tea). And one of the advantages of brewing Chinese teas such as this in glass is the ability to watch the leaves unfurling as they steep. A needle-type tea such as this eventually aligns itself vertically--very cool to watch!

Rishi Silver Needle white tea ( Bai Hao Yinzhen) is a good introduction to the world of "quality" tea. High quality silver needle tea is known to be expensive... with some batches reaching an estimated $122.00 an ounce.

This white tea is not "premium" quality as listed on the can.
It's around medium quality, as you can see small fragments of white peony (lower grade white tea) intertangled with the silver needle tea leaves. . However, any way you look at it... this is a superb deal for quality tea. Drink this tea... This is the real deal.

This is tea I prefer to all others. It's organic, it's white tea (healthy!), it's delicious and it doesn't get bitter from over steeping. I get two steepings from each tablespoon of tea leaves. The second time I steep it for 20+ minutes (to get every last drop of the good stuff!) and it's still perfectly delightful. Enjoy!

My original review: This is a very high quality white tea. It can be infused at least twice. The second infusion was possibly even better than the first, but the third seemed a little weak.

Update: I liked this tea so much that I ordered another shipment. Unfortunately, the quality of the second shipment is considerably lower than the first. It appears older and less fresh, although the date on the tins is later. About a third of the buds are brownish or even blackened, and those have few of the characteristic silver hairs. I've even found some unidentifiable foreign matter in one of the tins. When brewed, it lacks much of the subtlety and complexity of the earlier shipment. I'm disappointed. I found my favorite tea, and when I ordered more, it just wasn't the same.

Good value and quality. The tea is mild and not bitter at all. A little raw sugar to sweeten and it is excellent.

Very good quality teas, a bit pricey and packaging is wastefull.
However; tea itself is very good.

Delicious tea. Can be enjoyed at night since its natuarlly very low in caffine. Definitly steep this product twice. Four miniutes the first time 20 the second to get the most value out of this expensive product. Worth the money in my opinion and if used properly a tin lasts quite awhile.

Initially when I bought this tea it cost me $17.27 for a pack of 2 with Subscribe & Save; since then Amazon gradually raised the price on this item and now it costs $20.73; that's more expensive than Whole Foods! I highly recommend this product but don't buy it from Amazon, not at the current price.

If you are a tea lover, this white tea variety is likely to
surprise you with a pleasant taste and aroma. However, just like with any other white tea, make sure you brew it right.

This tea is ok, but nothing special. It's drinkable (I certainly won't throw it out) but I won't buy it again. The flavor is a little bit harsh for white tea. There is definitely better stuff out there.

Bottom line: it's not worth the price (I paid $28.64 for 3 tins). Overall, the packaging is nice, but the product is so-so. I wish they spent more money on getting good-quality tea and less money on the fancy tins. On the other hand, the tins are a convenient size, an have a good airtight seal, so if I buy some good tea in bulk packaging, I can store it in these tins.