W-NP-012
Nepal Silver Needle
Himalayan silver needle, from Ilam, Nepal.
White tea
Nepal Silver Needle is strongest on smoothness, sweetness and aroma intensity. Typical tasting words: honeysuckle, peach, muscatel, honey, cut hay. Developed in eastern Nepal's high-altitude valleys near Darjeeling as smallholders shifted toward premium orthodox teas in the late 1990s. Valued by specialty tea merchants as a delicate, high-elevation cousin to traditional Fujian Silver Needle.
Also known as Nepal White Tips and Himalayan Silver Needle.
The profile
Taste, 0 to 5
Flavour families, 0 to 5
Facts
- Origin
- Ilam, Nepal
- Plant
- Camellia sinensis var. sinensis
- Harvest
- spring first flush, March to April
- Elevation
- high
- Oxidation
- 5 to 15%
- Roast
- unroasted
- Leaf
- needle
- Price band
- premium
- Availability
- specialist
- Ageing
- a little
- Forgiving to brew
- 5 of 5
- L-theanine
- moderate
Made by: gentle withering, then slow indoor drying, then light baking.
Caffeine
A cup of Nepal Silver Needle carries a typical estimate of 35 mg of caffeine, within a range of 25 to 50 mg depending on leaf amount, water temperature and steeping time. Figures are estimates for a 240 ml cup. Better earlier in the day if you are sensitive to caffeine. The caffeine planner turns this into a daily total.
How to brew it
| Method | Leaf | Water | Steeps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Western, 250 ml | 3 g | 75 to 85 °C | 4 min, 5 min, 7 min |
| Gongfu, 100 ml | 4.5 g | 80 to 85 °C | 30 s, 35 s, 45 s, 60 s, 90 s, 2 min |
| Cold brew, 250 ml | 3 g | Fridge | 10 to 16 hours |
Up to 6 infusions. Scale for your own pot with the brew calculator.
Drinking it
- morning
- afternoon
- morning
- relaxing
- meditation
Pairs with fruit and pastry. Milk: no. Iced: yes. Sweetener: no. Good for beginners: yes.
Tasting words explained
Similar teas
- W-CN-001Silver Needle (Baihao Yinzhen)
shares smoothness and sweetness - W-LK-008Ceylon Silver Tips
shares smoothness and sweetness - W-IN-007Darjeeling White
shares sweetness and smoothness - W-CN-002White Peony (Bai Mudan)
shares sweetness and smoothness - O-TW-025Alishan High Mountain Oolong
shares smoothness and sweetness - O-CN-023Anxi Huang Jin Gui
shares smoothness and aroma intensity
More: all white tea teas, teas from Ilam, Nepal, or filter the whole drawer.