Pan Long Yin Hao (Curled Dragon Silver Tip)

Tasting Notes:

Pan Long Yin Hao, or Curled Dragon Silver Tip, is one of Zhejiang's treasures, and one of the most distinctive green teas in our Origin Reserve Collection. The tightly coiled leaves are covered in fine silver down, and they unfurl slowly in the water, releasing a luminous jade liquor with a freshness and clarity that is immediately noticeable. This is not a bold, grassy green tea. It is soft, sweet, and nuanced, with a silky body that sets it apart from anything you've likely tried before.

In the cup, soft vegetal notes of sweet pea and bamboo shoot give way to floral hints of orchid and magnolia. A touch of roasted chestnut emerges mid-cup, lending warmth to its otherwise cool, green character. The finish is clean, sweet, and silky, lingering delicately long after the last sip. This tea steeps up beautifully 3 to 4 times, with each infusion a little different from the last.

Features:

• Origin: Linhai, Taizhou, Zhejiang Province, China
• Style: Hand-Rolled Green Tea
• Harvest: Late April 2025
• Elevation: 400 to 800 meters
  
• Processing: Pan-fired, hand-rolled
• Steeps: 3 to 4 infusions per serving
• Caffeine: Low to Medium
• Ingredients: Green Tea (Camellia Sinensis)
• Lifestyle-Friendly: Vegan, Paleo, Keto

Ingredients: green tea

What Is Pan Long Yin Hao?

Pan Long Yin Hao is a hand-rolled green tea from Zhejiang Province, one of China's most celebrated tea-growing regions and the birthplace of some of the country's most iconic green teas. The name translates to "Coiled Dragon Silver Tips," a reference both to the tea's tightly spiraled leaf form and to the fine white down, or "yin hao," that covers the tender spring buds used to make it.

While similar in processing to Zhejiang's famous Gunpowder green tea, Pan Long Yin Hao stands apart for its elegance and complexity. The rolled leaf style protects the tea's volatile aromatics during storage and allows for a slow, even release of flavor during steeping, so every cup is as fresh and fragrant as the last. The fine silver trichomes on the leaves contribute to the tea's characteristically light body and sweet, lingering aftertaste. Records of tea cultivation in this region date back to the Tang Dynasty.

The Kuocang Mountains: Where Pan Long Yin Hao Comes From

The tea gardens of Linhai climb misty slopes between 400 and 800 meters against the backdrop of the Kuocang Mountains, along the eastern edge of Zhejiang Province. The region's proximity to the East China Sea moderates temperature extremes throughout the growing season, while abundant rainfall and diffused sunlight nurture the tender, aromatic spring leaves that Pan Long Yin Hao is made from.

Deep red and sandy loam soils lend subtle mineral tones to the cup, and the cool mountain air slows the growth of the young buds, concentrating their natural sweetness and floral complexity. Generations of small farming families in this area have spent centuries refining the hand-rolling and pan-firing techniques that define Pan Long Yin Hao's iconic coiled leaf style, and that accumulated knowledge shows up directly in what ends up in your cup.

The Tea Master: Cai Tongsheng

Pan Long Yin Hao at this level requires both deep knowledge and exceptional skill. Cai Tongsheng is a leading figure in Linhai's specialty tea industry, and his approach to Pan Long Yin Hao combines Zhejiang's ancient tea artistry with modern refinement and precise craftsmanship.

Young, downy spring leaves are harvested in late April, briefly withered, and pan-fired to halt oxidation and lock in their fresh green character. Skilled artisans then roll each leaf by hand into a tight spiral, creating the coiled dragon form that gives this tea its name. A second low-heat firing locks in the aroma and preserves the silver-white down on the leaf surface. Cai's production facilities use precise temperature and airflow control to maintain consistency across each batch without compromising the tea's delicate character. The result is a tea of exceptional freshness and purity, harvest after harvest.

How to Brew Pan Long Yin Hao

Western Brew
Use 1 teaspoon (approximately 2 grams) of loose leaf per 8 oz of water at 175°F and steep for 2 to 3 minutes. Do not use boiling water — it will dull the delicate floral notes and can make the tea taste bitter. The same leaves can be steeped 2 to 3 times using this method.

Gongfu Brew
For the full experience, Pan Long Yin Hao rewards gongfu style brewing in a small glass teapot or gaiwan, where you can watch the coiled leaves slowly unfurl in the water. Use 4 grams of loose leaf per 100ml of water at 175°F and steep for 20 to 30 seconds for the first infusion, adding 10 seconds for each subsequent steep.

The first steep is bright and floral. By the second and third the chestnut warmth and sweetgrass notes come forward. The liquor stays clean and sweet across every infusion, finishing with the silky texture that makes Pan Long Yin Hao so distinctive.

Either way you brew it, Pan Long Yin Hao needs nothing added. The natural sweetness is entirely the tea's own.