About a month ago there was a discussion 'Yunnan Mo Zhen Black Needle'
about a tea I then ordered from Yunnan. It arrived recently and I
thought to follow up. First Danny was on the mark in his responses.
I'll add some additional notes. The leaf does have a purple hue in
indirect shaded light depending on the angle at arm lenght distance.
In direct light it is inconsistent dark green like it was seared. It
is all whole leaf rolled like a needle. It is so sharp it will prick
your fingers when handling. I've had several pots and am dumbstruck
with the uniform leaf size with no broken leaf. It seems like this
came from plants picked on the same day with same maturity. The
vendor says the leaves are picked twice a year over several days. The
leaves do not unfurl in the pot but stay tightly rolled. This is the
first tea I would not hesitate to use the spent leaf in a salad. It is
shiny and pliable with no harsh grassy bitter taste. It reminds me of
mustard green colored sprouts. The leaves immediately clump together
on the surface and act like they are tying themselves in a flower
blossoming upside down. The aroma and taste reminded me of my two
yellow teas. It is unmistakeable with the fishy note but lighter than
the two yellows. I looked at Danny's comments and don't see any
mention of fermentation. The aftertaste is very dry almost demanding a
swig of water. The infusion is a very transparent pale green with a
tinge of yellow. Don't hold me to the shaded color or the fishy taste
if your mileage varies. It's hard to get a base line with one isolated
tea. It's a nice addition to the shelf.

Jim