Silver Buds 2019 – 2022
The Producer
Kapkoros sits on the western edge of Kenya, in the Rift Valley province, at an elevation between 1,500ft and 2,100ft. We developed this style of white tea with Kangaita estate a few years ago, and it was a total surprise to us how well it worked at Kapkoros. The key to success seems to be the presence of particular tea varietals which work with this style of processing.
Batch 20220110 2022
Picked on 10th January 2022, at the peak of the dry season. This is an exceptional, delicate, young white tea. The tea opens with delicate rose and violet notes, leading to tropical stone fruit, hints of almond, and a touch of anise at the end. This batch is already delicious and can be enjoyed young but will also age well if you intend to keep it a drink in the years ahead.
Batch 23012021 2021
A true white tea should be cool-processed. While other teas have a heating process to de-activate the enzymes, true white tea should be kept enzyme-active. The buds for the Silver Buds are picked and sun dried. As the name suggests, we only use the young fresh leaf buds for this tea, chosen from one particular varietal, and our process brings out the flavours beautifully. This batch was picked on the 23rd January 2021. It’s naturally sweet. There are notes of almond milk, berries, and flowers. Later infusions introduce bright fruity notes similar to gummy sweets.
Batch KP21122020 2020
Picked in December 2020 (dry season) this batch of 32.8kg was naturally sun dried and ageing very well. On the palate, the tea opens with notes of sweet almonds, leading to a touch of incence, and light spice like juniper, fennel, and anise. The second infusion explodes with florals, tropical stone fruit, and spice. Later infusions are smooth, floral, and sweet with the character of gummy sweets. Given the ageing potential of this batch, it comes with a strong ‘buy’ recommendation.
Batch KP19200724 2019
This particular batch was picked in the high quality 2019 cool season (September) and sun dried. 10kg were made of this excellent lot, which has been ageing very well. The first infusion is sweet, medium to think textured, with almond hints. There are notes of tropical stone fruit, dried berries, and dried flowers. The second infusion is sweeter, tasting of heather honey and wildflowers, with a hint of honey roasted almonds in the finish. This tea is gentle, complex, sophisticated, and self-assured.
Storage and Ageing
As with most genuine white teas, the Silver Buds will age for many years. We would be confident of at least 5 years, and perhaps up to 10. If you’re into collecting teas, we recommend making use of the case discount by buying a case for your personal tea library and putting a few jars aside to age.