What Does White Tea Taste Like?

As a tea fanatic, white tea is a prominent member of my tea repertory. And, along with green tea, black tea and red tea (rooibos), it's also chock-full of antioxidants. But what does it taste like?

First, the flavor is not strong. White tea has a very delicate flavor, even if you use boiling water and steep it for hours. It just does not develop a harsh flavor, no matter how hard you "abuse" it.

Here's how I would describe the flavor of white tea, like a good Yin-Zhen (silver needle):

• vaguely naturally sweet
• slightly malty (a very faint taste of something like white beer/witbier, or water after you've boiled some pasta in it!)
• if not overbrewed, it can have a delicately perfumy taste that's nice and light

If you're wondering how it tastes compared to green or black tea:

• not bitter or astringent at all, like oversteeped green tea
• not strongly acidic like black tea or coffee
• not grassy/herbal tasting like green tea

However, since the flavor is so delicate, white tea does not lend itself to a nice iced tea. It tastes insipid and dull when cold. (I know Snapple has a line of flavored white teas, but I doubt very much that the little white tea they use contributes in any way to the flavor)

In my opinion, white tea is the easiest tea to get used to, because the flavor is not strong or polarizing.