Imperial Grade Silver Needles

While I've found that you CAN get okay results with boiling water on this one, it's best to be a bit below that for better flavour. I will boil the water and let it sit for 2-3 minutes before a pour. Then steep for about 7 minutes for what I'd consider 'ideal' flavour balance of floral and sweet. Steeping much longer will give you more flavour, but it will add just the slightest touch of bitterness to it (not bad bitterness, but noticeable in contrast to the earlier sweetness).

Overall, this is a really nice tea. It has a scent like sweet Osmanthus flowers on a late Autumn day, and I spend a lot of my time drinking it with my nose up to the cup simply enjoying the full experience. The flavour is delicate, but not in the sense that it's light on flavour. I find it's great for simply drinking in the quiet moments, but it also pairs super well with food, as it doesn't linger so long on the senses as to upset the balance of a dish.

I'm super pleased that I bought this one, and I'll definitely be picking up more.

This took a couple brews to get it right and it doesn't seem to last as many cups as others but still worth it. Nice and mild. Surprising flavor for such a light tea.

I'm new to silver needle teas and it took me a couple of brews to get it just right. Use more tea per cup than you think you might need, and steep it at a lower temp (just off boil) and for longer to experience the wonderful, semifloral flavors.