Review: Silver Tips, SORWATHE, Rwanda

"What kind of tea do you like" ? asked the lady at Inzora Cafe in Kacyiru, Kigali, which like all the best tea/coffee places these days, is attached to a book shop and offers fantastic views of Kigali.

At the outset her tea selection was minimal. However when i told her Chinese teas were my thing, she immediately pointed me to Silver Tips by Sorwathe. Sorwathe is a massive tea concern in Rwanda, it may even be government owned, and has started on its journey into speciality tea. I was intrigued.

The cafe lady told me to let it steep for a few mins and I was immediately suspicious....no good Chinese tea should be steeped for more than a minute on first brewing! However this is a relatively common faux-pas in european tea shops too (over-brewing green and white teas).

Note that over brewing usually leads to the teas tasting bitter no matter how careful you are with water temp or how quality the tea is.

Silver Tip [White??, faintly woody] ** $ at Inzora Cafe, Kigali,  Rwanda



This tea looks a little like Silver Needle, I have no idea if its a white or green or black tea but I would suspect from the very faint nutty smell of the leaves and its pale colour it a white tea.

 After brewing for longer than I would ever brew a tea, I still had only the vaguest flavor from the tea. Mind you, they used very very little leaves: a tiny teaspoon as far as I could tell. 

It is certainly a chinese style tea but beyond being warming and tea-like I could discern a flavor...leading me to conclude that the tea is the very definition of inoffensive. 

Similar Teas: White teas?.

Review: Bai Mu Tan

Bai mu Tan Superior China [White, Floral] *** $$

Other Names: Pai Mu Dan, Bai Mu Dan

The leaves dont give much smell, slightly grassy if anything but I find the smell of this tea exremely comforting....almost milky. Light floral taste with smooth, sweet finish.

Simliar teas: Satemwa antlers

Review: White Needle

White Needle, China [White, Floral] *** $$

Other Names:白 毫 银 针,Baihao Yinzhen or Bai Hao Yin Zhen, white hair silver needle,  

Heavier colour than Bai Mu Dan and somewhere between its taste and that of Silver Needle teas. A bit like a version of Bai Mu Dan where the astringency and creaminess have been turned up a notch.

Simliar teas: Bai Mu Dan

Review: Pai Mu Tan by Yumchaa

I picked up a 50g packet of Pai Mu Tan on a recent trip to London and bought it at the Yumchaa teahouse, 
drank it continuously for a few weeks. Yum!  

Then it ran out and I regretted the decision to leave a good dose of the tea at my friend's place in London. 
Cry!

Pai Mu Tan, China [White, Floral] ***** $$$           by Yumchaa, UK 

Other Names: 白牡丹, Bai Mu Dan, white peony, 

The leaves are really colourful and both the taste and

smell was very unlike my only other white tea experience

Silver Needle. 
First Brew: can be quite subtle unless you give it a long 

enough brew, first taste is smooth

Second Brew: the floral notes really start to open up on 

this brew

Simliar teas: Chinese florals