Ceylon Oodoowerre Silver Needle is a rare Ceylon white tea, made only in small quantities at the Oodoowerre Estate in Uva Province — one of the few gardens in Sri Lanka producing white tea at all. Uva is remote territory, its provincial capital reached only by steep mountain roads, and the estate itself sits around 3,500 feet above sea level, which shapes the character of what ends up in the cup. Sri Lankan tea is usually black; a white tea from this region is the exception rather than the rule.
Silver Needle is generally reckoned the finest grade of white tea, made from the plant's uppermost buds, still covered in fine down, picked young and tender. This one is often set alongside the better-known Chinese Bai Hao Yin Zhen: both show large, handsome leaves, a faintly fruity aroma, and a mellow, grassy edge. Teatico's tasting notes add date and a touch of medicinal depth to that fruit-and-grass base. Expect a light, peachy-yellow liquor rather than anything dark or heavy.
Because white tea is barely oxidised, it drinks lighter than green tea and carries a small caffeine load. Tea & Coffee, who stock it, pack it fresh to order at their Kent facility once it arrives from Sri Lanka.
For brewing, use water cooled to around 80°C and steep for about three minutes. It is best taken plain, without milk or sweetener, so the fruit and grass notes stay clear.
