It's hard to believe this is my first review of a true, unflavored, loose leaf white tea, one of my favorite types of tea. While Darjeeling is commonly referred to as the "Champagne of teas," I've always felt quality white tea should really be granted that status...it's smoother, cleaner, and simply more elegant than Darjeeling. White tea is almost exclusively Chinese, and is the least processed of any type of tea. For example, black teas are picked, bruised to expose the essential oils, then allowed to oxidize (a process that is frequently and incorrectly called "fermentation." Actual fermented tea is called Pu-erh, and is a story for another day.) Green tea is picked, allowed to wilt, and then usually heated to halt any further oxidation. White tea is picked and allowed to wilt, then dried to halt oxidation, sometimes in steam, but in the highest quality teas, in nothing more than direct sunlight. The resulting leaves are minimally processed, and brew up a liquor that is fresh and clean, often with lots of natural sweetness and floral notes. Perhaps not surprisingly, white tea is often the priciest of teas, due to a limited harvesting window and non-mechanized processing. Though the price is a stumbling block, I still think everyone should try a quality white tea. The taste and texture are similar in some ways to many green teas, but without the strong vegetal and mineral notes that often show up in greens, and with more natural sweetness and fruit or floral elements.
So, then, on a recent trip to Mrs. Bridges, the mood for a white struck, and I decided to try the Silver Rain from The Republic of Tea. I'll admit, I tried the tea on name alone; one of the best teas I've ever had is a famous Chinese white called Silver Needle...it's absolutely amazing, and rather outrageously priced. So, I thought, Silver Rain is close to Silver Needle, but won't break the wallet. And it was close. Silver Rain is a high quality tea, and while I won't put it on the same level as Silver Needle, it's almost there. It brews up a fresh and clean cup, with natural sweetness and plenty of hints of fruit. I find Silver Needle to have more floral notes and a more complex profile, while Silver Rain has more straightforward sweetness and fruit.
While I didn't brew this cup myself experience has taught me that brewing white tea is every bit as tricky as green. It requires a lower steeping temperature and careful attention to steeping times, and usually requires more loose tea...one variant I tried in the past called for two full "soup spoons" per cup! As for temperature, it will vary from tea to tea, but briskly steaming (not bubbling) water is a good rule of thumb. Most white should only steep for a minute or two. However, all this attention to detail (as well as the steep price) is at least somewhat offset by the fact that most white teas respond very well to multiple infusions. All that is required is a slightly longer brew for each new infusion. Though I didn't try it with the Silver Rain, the Silver Needle was usually good for four infusions per cup. The tea may cost an arm and a leg, but that's still a bargain you won 't find with black tea!
Score: 90 (A-) I think I talked as much about Silver Needle as I did Silver Rain, which is perhaps unfair; Silver Rain is a decent, quality tea in it's own right, and at least somewhat cheaper than Silver Needle. Also worth noting, white teas are naturally low in caffeine, usually as low as 5 - 20 mg per cup.
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