LITTLE-GOLDEN-NEEDLE-2026
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Black Tea · Fully Oxidized · Spring Golden Buds
Little Golden Needle 2026 Black Tea
LITTLE GOLDEN NEEDLE 2026
Golden tips, honey-sweet crimson liquor
Name & Taste
Little Golden Needle 2026 is hand-picked from early-spring single buds and bud-and-a-leaf shoots, a fully oxidized bud black tea. The dry leaves are slender and needle-like, evenly twisted and coated in abundant golden tips with a golden-brown, glossy sheen. Once awakened by hot water, a caramel-honey aroma unfolds over floral and fruity sweetness. The liquor is bright golden-red, sweet and mellow on the palate with a full body, finishing clean and sweet with a long, lingering aftertaste. Best enjoyed plain to taste its pure honeyed character, with the high-mountain terroir running through every sip.
Introduction
From the high mountains of Yunnan's Dianhong tea region, a fully oxidized bud black tea. Coated in golden tips with a slender needle shape, it carries a caramel-honey aroma over floral & fruity notes, and a sweet, mellow, bright golden-red liquor.
| Origin | Yunnan · Dianhong high-mountain tea region (approx. 800–1200 m elevation) | Harvest | Spring · around Qingming to Guyu (early-to-mid April) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oxidation | Fully oxidized, approx. 80%–90% | Shape | Slender, even, needle-like strips, abundantly covered in golden tips, golden-brown & glossy ("Golden Needle") |
| Storage (Unopened) | Room temperature, away from light, sealed and dry, away from odors | Flavor | Caramel-honey aroma with floral & fruity notes; sweet, mellow, lingering finish |
| Storage (Opened) | Reseal, keep dry and away from light, consume soon; refrigeration preferred | Shelf Life | 24 months (sealed, cool & dry) |
PackagingPackaging
Shipped at random in an eco paper box or eco pouch; if you have a special request, please note it in your order. We put more of our cost into tea quality — premium gift boxes are sold separately.
How to Brew
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Warm the Wares
Rinse the gaiwan and cups with boiling water to raise the temperature and release trapped air, so the aroma opens up better.
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Add Tea & Smell
Place 3–5 g of dry leaves into the gaiwan, give it a gentle shake, and first enjoy the caramel-honey and floral-fruity fragrance.
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Rinse & Awaken
Pour 90–95°C water slowly along the inner wall, give it a quick rinse and pour out to awaken the leaves.
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Steep & Pour
Infuse the first three brews for 5–8 seconds and pour quickly; add 5–10 seconds per later steep to savor the honeyed notes and aftertaste.
The Tea Garden
Little Golden Needle 2026 comes from Yunnan's Dianhong high-mountain tea region. The gardens sit mostly between 800 and 1200 meters, where large day-night temperature swings and misty clouds, over gravelly soils, slow the tea trees' growth and build up rich inner compounds — giving this black tea its distinctive high-mountain terroir.
Dianhong is an important branch of Chinese black tea, made from the large-leaf Yunnan variety with plump buds and visible golden tips. High-mountain buds demand the highest standards of leaf and craft — only the fullest, most even single buds of early spring are taken, long prized as the refined expression of black tea.
The Tea Tree
Little Golden Needle 2026 is taken from early-spring single buds, mostly one bud with a young leaf just unfolding. The buds are plumper than ordinary golden needles and abundantly coated in golden tips — the very source of its name "Little Golden Needle" and its lavish golden fuzz.
Spring buds sprout around Qingming; the harvest is just one season a year, with a short window and limited yield. The fresh leaves go through withering — rolling — oxidation — drying to become a bud black tea with revealing golden tips and honeyed liquor.
Recommended Teaware
White Porcelain Gaiwan
The top pick for tasting golden needles plain — neutral and non-absorbing, it shows the bright golden-red liquor at a glance and locks in the first infusion's honeyed aroma with a quick pour.
View ProductYixing Clay Teapot
Holds heat and nurtures the aroma for a fuller, smoother body; for those who love a rich cup, one pot draws out all the sweet roundness of the golden needles.
View ProductGlass Cup / Glass Teapot
Crystal-clear to the bottom, it sets off the "golden buds, golden liquor" perfectly — watch the leaves unfurl and the golden tips float, ideal for solo or office sipping.
View ProductTasting Cup
Small sips gather the aroma, making it easy to admire the golden liquor and smell the honeyed notes as you slowly savor the black tea's aftertaste and sweetness.
View ProductServing Pitcher (Gong Dao Bei)
Evens out the liquor so every cup is the same strength front to back — each person's cup carries the very same golden-red brew.
View ProductTea Strainer
Filters out fine leaf bits and broken golden tips for a clearer, brighter pour — the golden liquor looks all the purer.
View Product
