Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Green

Where to Buy:  Mandala Tea

Tea Description:

This beautiful green tea is a handmade masterpiece. Premium grade green tea leaves are scented with natural jasmine flowers that create a soothing aromatic experience while enjoying this tea. The leaves are shaped like pearls which are each formed by hand. It is a joy to watch the leaves unfurl as they steep. This is an extremely unique tea that produces a satisfying cup. It is a thoughtful gift and an interesting experience to share with guests.

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it many times to come … in fact, I’ll say it right now:  I love Jasmine Pearls!  And I’m really loving these Dragon Phoenix Pearls from Mandala Tea.  They are absolutely sublime!

Dry, the pearls offer the sweet, exotic fragrance of the jasmine flower together with a hint of a lush, leafy scent.  The brewed tea is enchantingly aromatic without becoming overwhelming.  Instead, it is quite soothing, lulling this sipper into a sense of calm that relaxes my stress and tension from the day.

The flavor is soft and beautiful.  The jasmine is perfectly subtle; it is not perfume-y tasting nor does it taste artificial.  Such a light, lovely taste that mingles with the buttery smooth flavor of the green tea.  The green tea does not taste grassy or even really vegetative, instead, it is smooth and rich, tasting fresh without having a strong vegetal quality to it.

These flavors come together so perfectly!  Thank you Mandala Tea for this truly wonderful tea experience!

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Green

Where to Buy:  Dragon Tea House

Tea Description:

A delicate flower blooms inside this ball tea just before tiny flowers slowly cascade upward like Champagne bubbles. The flowers add their enlivening fragrance and strong taste to this delectably smooth green tea. Our Ball offers one of the most artful spectacles in tea. This blooming tea has an original shape of an tiny ball and when put in boiling water a bouquet of tea leaves and flower. The aromas of both flowers and tea leaves are very well preserved and these exceptional teas develop a wonderful flavor and create at the same time a beautiful “table decoration”.

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

Every once in a while, I like to take a moment to simply watch a tea steep.  There is something so wonderfully relaxing about it.  I think my favorite teas to watch steep are blooming teas, like this Love Game Flowering Tea from Dragon Tea House.  I like blooming teas because they open slowly, taking their time to reveal their splendor, and when they’ve finally fully unfurled, what a breathtaking display!

A better view of the blossom

I infused this tea for six full minutes in 180°F water, and it still had not opened fully … which means MORE INFUSIONS!  Yay!  This first cup is tasty.  The mouthfeel is soft and silky.  The taste is sweet and floral with notes of jasmine, and a slight nutty flavor.  It is very smooth tasting, with very little astringency and no bitterness.

For my second infusion, I set the timer for ten minutes, although it had fully unfurled after about 90 seconds (taking seven and a half minutes total to completely open), but I infused it for the full ten minutes to achieve full flavor for the infusion, and that ten minutes delivered!   The second infusion was even tastier than the first.  The flavor is more focused on the nutty flavors, with hints of jasmine, and a sweet, fresh, slightly grassy tone.

Overall, a very pleasant experience!

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Black

Where to Buy:  Tealicious Tea Company

Tea Description:

Our Kensington Palace Afternoon Tea is a blend of our high quality Ceylon tea mixed with fresh jasmine blossoms, natural bergamot and blue cornflowers. A perfect tea to entertain with.

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

How lovely!  The first time I tried this tea – a few days ago – I had wrongly compared it to the incredible Earl Grey Excelsior (also from Tealicious Tea Company) which was a little unfair … yes, the Earl Grey Excelsior is amazing but, these are two different teas and should be treated that way.

Now that I’ve have a few days time since my last tasting, I recognize this tea for the delight that it is.  The bergamot flavoring here is a softer bergamot.  Still quite noticeable, but, not as vibrant as you would find in a standard Earl Grey, but then, this isn’t a standard Earl Grey but an excellent spin-off from that classic.

What makes this Kensington Palace Afternoon Tea so unique to me is the addition of the jasmine blossoms which adds just a hint of floral taste to the cup, not enough to make it taste overtly flowery but just enough to make my taste buds perk up and say “hey … what was that?  Take another taste so I can explore that flavor more.”  The addition of jasmine not only brings its own lovely floral notes to the party but also highlights some of the natural floral tones of the bergamot.

The black tea here is a smooth, delicious Ceylon tea which gives it an overall mellower flavor, which makes it a perfect choice for the cup, as both the tangy bergamot and jasmine flavors are milder flavors as well.  This tea is a wonderful afternoon tea.  This is the kind of tea that would be ideal to serve at a luncheon or a afternoon tea party.

Another lovely tea from Tealicious Tea Company … so far, I’ve loved everything I’ve tried from them!

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Black

Where to Buy:  thepuriTea

Tea Description:

Our Jasmine Yunnan Buds black tea combines the sweet, chocolaty flavor of our Golden Yunnan with the delicately peppery, floral notes of our Jasmine Silver Needle. It’s made from the fully oxidized buds (or “tips”) of the tea plant, and then aromatized and blended with fragrant jasmine petals. When dry, the tippy, golden buds smell of rich dark chocolate, while the tiny, pale jasmine petals are seductively aromatic and pungent. The deep umber brew has an aroma that’s chocolaty, lightly peppery and topped with fleeting jasmine notes. The sophisticated, mellow flavor of jasmine melds seamlessly with the flavors of chocolate and pepper inherent to Yunnan black tea, making this a fantastic alternative for jasmine lovers and a great choice for fans of flavored black teas. Jasmine Yunnan Golden Bud’s aftertaste is lightly astringent, and later infusions retain the rich flavor of Yunnan black tea. For a special treat, pair this elegant blend with brunch foods, anything with dark chocolate, or coconut macaroons.

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

I do love jasmine teas, but, most jasmine teas tend to be green teas with white jasmine teas becoming increasingly more popular.  But, I don’t often see a jasmine scented black tea.

So, it was quite a find when I discovered this Jasmine Golden Yunnan from thepuriTea!

This tea brings together the amazing complexity of a high quality Golden Yunnan and the exotic floral qualities of jasmine in such a pleasing way.  The sweet floral notes seem to bring out the Yunnan’s natural spice tones, highlighting them in a way that I probably wouldn’t experience without the jasmine’s presence.

On Steepster, I referred to this tea as an example of synergy, because I really love the way the two elements – Golden Yunnan and Jasmine – work together to achieve this delicious, full-flavored tea with its beautifully sweet floral notes.  I also mentioned on Steepster that this may be my new favorite Jasmine.  I don’t know if I’m quite there – yet – but, it is definitely giving Jasmine Silver Needles a run for their money!

This is truly a fantastic tea, and it stands up nicely to a second infusion.  The second infusion is smoother, and I notice the flavors of the Yunnan popping out a bit more, with the jasmine notes becoming more of a soft, background note … still very noticeable, but not quite as center-stage as it was in the first infusion.

I am definitely going to have to get more of this tea!

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Green

Where to Buy:  Capital Teas

Tea Description:

This connoisseur’s green tea has a stunning jasmine character with a full flavored cup and an incomparable aromatic nose; simply the absolute finest quality that there is! First flush peony silver needles are delicately hand-tied to form the shape of butterfly wings then infused multiple evenings with lightly scented jasmine flowers are laid atop the tea leaves to produce a tea as delicate as lace and elegant as Madam Butterfly herself.

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

These little “butterfly” knots are so beautiful, they smell divine and they product the most incredible tasting jasmine tea!  They unfurl very slowly – it took five infusions before the leaves began to look more like Silver Needles than butterfly knots.  But that’s OK, because it means five very delicious infusions of tea!

The jasmine is strong, but, it doesn’t overpower the gentle flavor of the sweet Silver Needle tea.  It has a fresh flavor that is buttery smooth and slightly grassy.  There is no astringency to the cup, just soft, sweet flavor from start to finish.

What I like best about this particular tea is that the jasmine flavor is so abundant but it never tastes sharp or artificial.  It has a silky, luxurious flavor to it – a perfect match for the natural qualities of the Silver Needle.

If you’ve tried jasmine before but weren’t too sure jasmine tea was for you, I strongly recommend trying this Madame Butterfly Jasmine.  It’s exquisite!

Editor’s Note:  I originally called this tea a “white” tea in the leaf type, because it is a Silver Needle and it tastes very much the way a white Silver Needle tastes.  However, because the company categorizes it as a green tea, I changed the leaf type to green tea to avoid confusion.  Yeah… I know, I’m still confused.  Sorry about that.

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Black & Green Teas

Where to Buy:  Teas Etc

Tea Description:

This inspiring blend of Jasmine green tea, Earl Grey black tea and rose petals has become one of our most popular.

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

The dry leaf looks absolutely beautiful and smells incredible.  Lots of red rose petals throughout, and the aroma is an engaging combination of roses, bergamot and jasmine.

And it tastes as good as it looks and smells, too.  I’ve tried this a couple times now, the first time, I brewed it without realizing that there was also jasmine green tea blended with the black tea, so I used boiling water.  This did not seem to have a scorching effect on the green tea, or at least, not one that I could discern.

However, for the second time that I brewed it, I wanted to try a lower temperature to see if I could encourage more of the jasmine and green tea flavors to emerge.  And while I was successful in achieving this goal – brewing at a lower temperature of 185°F brought the jasmine green tea notes more into focus – I think with this particular blend, I prefer the results when brewing with boiling water.

When I brewed it with boiling water, I could taste the “Rosy Earl Grey” notes more prominently, the bergamot and the rose were very distinct, while the jasmine and green tea notes were a little lost.  Not completely lost, as I could taste hints of jasmine and green tea as I sipped, but, there was no real distinct jasmine or green tea flavor.

This time around, using a lower temperature, the jasmine is much more distinguishable, as is the green tea flavor.  I can still taste the rose and the bergamot, but, these become a little more muddled as the jasmine emerges.  Even though I do adore jasmine, I think with this blend, it is best served as what it should be:  Rosy Earl Grey.

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed both cups of tea immensely.  In that first cup, the rose was so strong, almost evenly matched with the tangy bergamot notes.  The blend of teas provided a nice background of flavors:  primarily that of black tea, I could taste earthiness and hints of vegetation as well as a pleasant sweetness.

In the second cup, the jasmine emerged as the focal point, sweet and exotic, and the rose notes accented the jasmine tones very nicely.  There was a hint of sharpness to the cup, something I noticed less with the first cup than now with this second cup.  The bergamot was light but it still had that zesty tang to it, and the tea flavors were more vegetative than earthy this time, lighter and not quite as sweet.

If you have an Earl Grey enthusiast in your life, this would make a perfectly romantic Valentine’s Day tea gift for them!  I am really glad I finally got around to trying this tea, it is spectacular!

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  White (Blooming Tea)

Where to Buy:  Alice’s Fine Teas

Tea Description:

Sweeping jasmine arch over a bright lily. This tea is mellow, even buttery, with a hint of sweetness from the jasmine. Absolutely delightful! Ingredients: Lily (said to enhance energy and to have a cooling effect), Jasmine (sweet fragrance, said to moisten the skin, ease anxiety and anti-inflammatory) and Silver Needle Tea

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

What a beautiful display!  The pale green leaves of the tea open up to reveal a red-orange flower and an arch of white blossoms.  Really pretty.  This is a tea you’ll want to be sure to steep in a tall glass or teapot so that you can fully experience the bloom as it unfurls.

The color of the tea surprised me, it is a bit darker than other blooming teas that I’ve tried.  It is still a light color – I’d say it’s light amber – but darker than the pale yellow liquor that I’ve experienced with other blossoming teas.

The flavor is delightful.  It is sweet, smooth and floral, but, not in a soapy kind of way.  The flavor of the white tea is prominent.  It has a fresh, airy kind of flavor with notes of hay and sweet grass.

There is a creamy element to this tea as well – buttery – and a mouthfeel that complements the creaminess.  The floral notes are definitely jasmine, with a lighter lily tone than I recall tasting with the Jasmine Fairy Blossoming Tea (also from Alice’s Fine Teas).

What a delightful tea experience – one that would be fun to share with friends.

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  White

Where to Buy:  The Persimmon Tree

Tea Description:

A beautifully hand-crafted blooming white tea that displays a ring of jasmine and amaranth flowers, with blueberry and peach essence.

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

There are those who avoid blooming teas because they think they’re gimmick-y and that the tea they produce does not taste up to par.  I used to be one of them!  But, since that time, I have found quite a few blooming teas that are quite delicious.  This blooming tea – Halo from Persimmon Tree Tea – is one of my newest favorites!

This tea is slow to unfurl; it did not completely open after the first infusion of five minutes.  I infused the partially open bulb again, and after the second infusion of six minutes, I enjoyed a beautiful display.  There was a white floral arch that extended to support a pretty bright pink flower.

In the first infusion, I found the floral tones to be sweet and soft, and they meld quite nicely with blueberry and peach flavors.  The flavor of the white tea lends a delicate creamy note to the cup.  With the second infusion, the floral notes were a bit stronger, but it was still a very delicious cup.

This is a really lovely blooming tea.  I think it would be a perfect tea to serve at a tea party, it would surely make a great conversation starter!

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Green

Where to Buy:  Green Tea Lovers

Tea Description:

A luxury Jasmine green tea with cornflower, safflower, osmanthus, calendula and sunflower petals. The cup is a heavenly mixture of sweet floral notes and grassy undertones. A fabulous blend befitting the island that gives it its name.

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

What a lovely Jasmine.  This is the kind of jasmine green tea I’d recommend to someone who has had jasmine in the past and has found it disagreeable because the jasmine tones were too strong, verging on the edge of soapy.  This jasmine is so gentle and soothing, I think that it could those tea drinker’s beliefs about jasmine tea.

The green tea base is light.  It has a sweet overtone and just a hint of grassy taste.  It is smooth with a creamy note that melds quite nicely with the floral tones.  It is not bitter and there is very little astringency to the cup.  A very nice, mild tea to meld with the exotic flavor of jasmine.

As I’ve already indicated, the jasmine notes here are quite gentle.  It doesn’t come across as soapy or aggressive, instead it is smooth; a very harmonious match for the creaminess of the green tea base.

The osmanthus flower is probably the next flavor that I notice, and it offers a whisper of peach-like flavor that weaves its way in and out of the sip.  Adding a bit of contrast is the sharpness of sunflower.  The other flowers – calendula, cornflower and safflower – do not affect the flavor as much as the affect the appearance of the dry leaf, giving it a gorgeous look to match its beautiful flavor.

Overall, a very smooth floral tea, where the jasmine is the most pronounced of the flowers, but it is not so strong that it overpowers the other floral notes.  A very nice cup; this is one of those jasmine teas that jasmine lovers as well as those on the fence about jasmine are likely to enjoy.

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  White (Blooming Tea)

Where to Buy:  Alice’s Fine Teas

Tea Description:

Our Jasmine Fairy starts out as a ‘mushroom’ shape ball. White jasmine and beautiful lily hide inside the silver needle tea. Pouring boiled water causes the red lily petals to rise up trying to follow the white jasmine dancing light-footed like a fairy flying in the sky. This fragrant tea tastes smooth and sweet. Ingredients: Jasmine (sweet fragrance, said to moisten the skin, ease anxiety and anti-inflammatory), Lily (said to enhance energy and to have a cooling effect), Silver Needle Tea

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

It’s been a while since I’ve had a blooming tea, so I decided that now was the time.  I have really enjoyed the blooming teas that Alice’s Fine Teas offers, so I was pretty confident I’d enjoy this one too.

After steeping for six minutes in 175°F water, the bloom was open, but, I fear that my glass cup was not quite tall enough to see the full effect of the white floral extension (as shown in the photo above).  To the right, you’ll see what the bloom appeared like with a slightly shorter glass.  Still beautiful, even though the extension was not fully visible.

But even more important (at least to me) is the flavor of the tea, and I am not at all disappointed with the flavor of this blooming tea.  It is light, sweet, and even a little creamy!  The floral notes are present but in keeping with the overall lightness of the tea, and they do not overwhelm the flavor of the silver needle tea.

The floral is not entirely jasmine here, as I can taste the lily flavor too.  I like that even though it is a combination of flowery flavors, it doesn’t taste like perfume or soap.  It tastes more like … spring.  Like the freshness of spring:  crisp air, full of life as the flowers begin to bloom after winter’s frosty chill.

A very fun and delicious tea!