Name: Imperial Grade Silver Needles
Brand: Tea Runners
SKU: 20190473
Price: 6.75 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 5.0 (3 reviews)

A very pure form of tea with little to no oxidation and a gorgeous array of sweet and subtle flavors.

Pure tea

Medium Caffeine

🍵 This tea is currently available in this month's subscription & one-time boxes.

$6.75

Size

Small

3 oz

In stock, ready to ship
Backordered, shipping soon

Silver Needles are among one of China's most famous and most prized teas. Only the first flush top buds are picked from the plant very early in the season, giving special care not to cause any damage or breakage to the bud. They are then dried in the sun.

Silver Needles are a very pure form of tea with little to no oxidation. It produces a lovely cup of very lightly colored tea, with a gorgeous array of sweet and subtle flavors.

We love enjoying this beautiful white tea in the early afternoon.

Spring 2026 Harvest

Origin:

Yunnan, China

Ingredients:

White tea.

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5 stars: 3 (100%)
4 stars: 0 (0%)
3 stars: 0 (0%)
2 stars: 0 (0%)
1 star: 0 (0%)

A delicate, but flavourful tea. A little more work, but worth it.

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.

Took a little practice

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.

A new experience for me with great rewards

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.