The Silver Spiral Yinnou green tea is made from camellia leaves from the Yunnan region of China. Here, by following green tea production techniques, a solid product has been created that is excellent for anyone who wants to start approaching this category without starting with the more famous Long Jing or Mao Feng, of which there are so many variations on the market. Looking at the leaves also we can see that there are buds with still their silver fluff clearly visible, indicating that they were harvested right at the beginning of spring at their best time in order to be enhanced by the production process by the tea master.
In the cup this tea demonstrates a great freshness on the palate, which often takes on floral or even citrus connotations. The vegetal part in this green tea is reminiscent of boiled herbs, which, however, in this case, will always remain of the right intensity to leave the freshness as the protagonist in the mouth. During tasting, one can also feel a slight roasted trace left by the production process followed by the leaves.
Tasting - Sight and Smell
Silver Spiral Yinnou green tea leaves are rolled over and over again on themselves to form small spirals, as the name of the tea itself suggests. Colors range from the darkest green to sage green, with silver-white tips at the many buds. As soon as they are infused, the leaves give off rather intense plant aromas: from fresher hints of green salad and basil, to notes of cherry tomatoes and olive oil. The liqueur is a magnificent golden color, very bright: the astringency is slight and the body has an excellent gaiwan evolution, from light and silky to thicker and oilier as the infusions progress.
Tasting Notes
GONG FU CHA
The first infusion of Silver Spiral Yinnou green tea has rather gentle herbal notes reminiscent of spinach and herbs. These are then joined by fresher hints of basil. It is with the second infusion that the tea grows in intensity on the palate, revealing notes of tomato and earthier vegetables such as chard and watercress, as well as a surprisingly pleasant hint of smokiness. Indeed, the third infusion brings with it savory notes of grilled vegetables, such as eggplant and zucchini, and a barely perceptible acidity on the finish.
TO THE WEST
The first notes of Silver Spiral Yinnou green tea reveal an intense vegetal character, with all the strength of Yunnan teas: in fact, in the opening we find the flavor of herbs with a fresher hint of basil and a distinct note of extra virgin olive oil. This is followed by sweet and slightly acidic notes of salad tomato and artichoke in oil, while the finish has hints between smoky and grilled. Indeed, the flavor of grilled vegetables lingers on the palate for a long time and, in persistence, that of olive oil.
Location of origin
Yunnan, China
Production
Green tea Silver Spiral Yinnou has a very classic processing process that involves, after an initial withering in the open air, cooking the leaves in large woks heated to temperatures around 180°C to block enzyme activity and prevent its oxidation. After these steps, the leaves receive their characteristic rolled shape and are allowed to rest so that they still lose a little of the residual moisture inside.
Preparation
We strongly recommend infusing green tea Silver Spiral Yinnou in the traditional Chinese method (gong fu cha) to best enjoy these leaves. Following this preparation, 4 grams of leaves(about 2 teaspoons) can be used in a gaiwan of about 100 ml to make several infusions with different tastes. After a quick rinse of the leaves in water at 80°C you can proceed with an initial infusion of 10 seconds and, after that, keeping the water at the same temperature, proceed with multiple infusions increasing the time each time by 5 seconds (10 - 15 - 20 ...)
This tea has a longevity of about 4 infusions.
For a classic preparation according to the Western style, we recommend 2 grams of leaves (about 1 teaspoon) in a 150 ml cup with water at 80°C for an infusion time of one and a half minutes.
The tea can be filtered for ease when tasting and also the infusion times given above here are meant to be purely indicative so you can also adjust according to your personal taste.
We recommend storing in a cool and dry place away from direct sunlight.
