@Amuk, sorry for belated response.
This is actually a very complicated thing to put in words. I know Leo is preparing an article on taste, so hopefully you’ll find answers in there. However, to answer it shortly, most green tea silver needles in the market are rather grassy, or they taste completely like a typical green tea: aroma of cooked mung beans and some very light floral tones as in other finer green teas.
Whereas the dry tealeaves of a white tea silver needles would smell of the tones of dried mushrooms, bouquets and accents of chocolate in a broad wash of ripened hay. They are all very delicate though.
The color of the dry leaves are very indicative too, as you may have read in the silver needles article. The best way to find out is to compare.
