Definitely the best aged white tea I’ve ever had. Not that I drink much of this category, but I’ve aged my own Silver Needles before, and occasionally stumble upon something interesting that is stored well and has good flavors, so I have some familiarity with how white tea can change over the course of time. I’m no expert but this is easily the cleanest and most pristine flavor profile I’ve experienced with an aged white tea – it feels like King Silver was aged in a pharmaceutical-grade time capsule, where not even a single particle of dust was introduced. The aging and storage of this tea is entirely without flaw. An initial rinse with warm water or a blanch with boiling water opens these leaves up – the aromatics are vibrant and complex, yet convey all of the tempered characteristics one would expect from 10-15 year old tea. It’s tempered like perfectly smooth chocolate that has zero grit whatsoever, but is still explosively fragrant and complex. It’s not musky, it’s not stale, and it doesn’t smell like fermented stonefruit – it feels like the compounds which have aged in these leaves are volatile and in their prime, ready to leap up and grab you by the nostrils to pull you in. The flavors are unreal. It’s the depth and viscosity of that licorice root note that really captivates me. This is a total flavor bomb, even the initial sip is an explosion of sticky-sweet licorice root (Glycyrrhiza glabra). The more I drink, the more the flavor profile builds up, increases in its complexity, clings to the throat, sits stubbornly on the palate, and reverberates long into the aftertaste. The way the flavors layer themselves on the palate and wash away into the long-lasting aftertaste is really special, this is way more sophisticated than any other aged white tea I’ve had. In my opinion, the price to quality ratio of this makes it a no-brainer. Good luck finding even half the quality for twice the price. If this is in stock and you’re reading this, do yourself a favor and get a bag, this is rare and exceptional.
