Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Green

Where to Buy:  Octavia Tea

Tea Description:

Although we work with sources and gardens that offer less expensive grades of Jasmine Pearl (and you may see many out there on the market), we have chosen to forgo these lesser grades because none of them compare to the quality, appearance, fragrance and flavor of the grade we offer here. This tea is the absolute best Jasmine Pearl on the market and we are very proud to offer it to you!

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

These pearls are indeed of high quality, as evidenced not only in the exquisite flavor of the tea, but also in the appearance of the pearls.  They are very uniform in size and shape, and there are very little “stray” bits of tea leaf with these pearls – very few broken or crushed tea leaf parts mean more beautiful pearls!

I steeped these pearls in my gaiwan, and while I do keep the lid on the gaiwan as the tea infuses, I would occasionally peek inside to watch the pearls slowly open.  Such a lovely dance!  I combined the infusions in my designated “Jasmine” Yixing mug (a total of five infusions!) and the result is an absolute jasmine paradise in this tea mug.  It smells delightful – the sweet, exotic fragrance of jasmine with no chemical-y or artificial aromas present.  Just pure tea and flower.  The way a jasmine tea should be.

A very well-balanced flavor of green tea – light, slightly vegetative, with a buttery undertone – and jasmine flower here.  The jasmine is not too strong, nor does it come off perfume-y.  It isn’t a sharp flavor, instead, it is very smooth and sweet.

An excellent jasmine pearl, one I’d recommend to those who love jasmine as much as I do.

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Green

Where to Buy:  Teavivre

Tea Description:

Hugely popular in China, Silver Jasmine Green tea is produced by adding jasmine flower petals to the tea buds during processing, so infusing this premium green tea with a subtle fragrance and taste of jasmine.  After drying the flower petals are removed, leaving the tea with its unique taste and fragrance.  TeaVivre’s Silver Jasmine is made from premium Fuding Da Bai and Da Hao tea trees grown in Mt Taimu, Fujian.

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

If you’ve been reading my reviews for very long, you’re probably well aware that I am quite fond of jasmine tea.  It is one of my top three “tea flavors” (the other two are bergamot and chocolate … yeah, I know that chocolate isn’t really a traditional tea flavor, but, what can I say?  I’m a chocoholic!)  And this is a very fine jasmine tea.

I’ve enjoyed this twice now and have found it to be a remarkable representation of jasmine tea … or shall I say, what jasmine tea should be.  It doesn’t taste perfume-y or artificial.  The flavors are very well balanced.  The jasmine is sweet, delicately floral and not sharp or off-putting at all.  The green tea tastes fresh and offers hints of a nutty undertone.

The second time I tried the tea, I added a bit more leaf, because the brewing parameters on the website suggests 1 – 2 teaspoons of tea for 8 ounces of water.  The result is – obviously! – a stronger brew, but, the flavors remain remarkably balanced.  All of the flavors I mentioned above from the first cup are present in this second cup, they’re just intensified from the addition of tea leaf.  It did not cause the tea to become bitter or off-putting, and I found that I enjoyed both servings of the tea.  For a relaxing cup later in the evening, I’d recommend just 1 teaspoon per cup, and for a more invigorating cup earlier in the day, use up to 2 teaspoons per cup.

A very nice jasmine, no matter how you choose to serve it.

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Green

Where to Buy:  Steven Smith Teamaker

Product Description:

Delicate, tender green tea leaves from China’s Fujian Province are harvested each May and steam-fired to maintain their flavor – then placed amid just- picked jasmine buds, which open slowly to share their fragrance. Many call it the perfect marriage.

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

I live in the Pacific Northwest, and there are many things to love about living here.  I love the change of seasons (coming from Southern California, where it would seem that there is one season), I love all the trees and I even love the grey skies.  And recently, while driving home with my husband after lunch in Portland, I realized something else that I love about living up here… the TEA.

Over the past few years (the last decade?) the consumption of tea has increased, but let’s face it, as a nation overall, the United States seems to be a coffee nation.  Even I used to drink coffee until I came to the realization that it was the cause of my daily feelings of nausea around 11 am.  Once I stopped drinking coffee, those ill effects also ceased.  Since then, I’ve embraced tea and I love it.  Even more than I ever liked coffee.

Steven Smith's teashop in Portland, Oregon

Anyway, the Pacific Northwest seems to be home of the coffee explosion (aka Starbucks), but we are also home to some pretty fantastic tea too.  In fact, Portland is home to none other than Steven Smith, who is (at least, in my opinion) a ROCK STAR of tea!

And it definitely ROCKS that I can travel just 15 minutes or so and be in the presence of greatness at Steven Smith’s teashop.  And even if you don’t live close by, most of Steven Smith’s delicious teas can be procured online.

As a jasmine fan, this was a tea I was most eager to try, and it certainly did not disappoint me.  It lived up to the quality that I’ve come to expect from Steven Smith.  The flavor is light and fresh – evoking thoughts of springtime (not that I’m eager for the change in season, but, the thoughts of the season are beautiful).

The green tea is sweet and light. There are vegetative tones to it which add a crispness to the flavor, but even with these slight vegetative tastes, I wouldn’t call this a grassy tasting tea.  Just lightly vegetal, which is matched perfectly with the flavor of the jasmine, which is a soft, flowery taste without tasting overdone, perfume-ish or artificial.  These two flavors are well balanced, and play off each other well.

Thank you, Steven Smith, for helping to bring the joy of tea to the Pacific Northwest.

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Green

Where to Buy:  Tea Licious

Product Description:

Green tea with jasmine petals.

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

This is a delightful jasmine tea – the flavor is so light and sweet. The jasmine essence here is one of the more delicate jasmines I’ve encountered.  It doesn’t have a heavy flavor nor does it taste perfume-y or soapy.  It is sweet and gentle.

In fact, gentle is the word I would use to describe this tea overall.  The green tea does not possess a strong, grassy profile.  It is fresh and soft with no bitterness and very little astringency – in fact, I only notice the astringency when I am actually focusing on finding it.  Otherwise, the delivery is smooth from start to finish, with a light sweetness in the aftertaste.

This tea has a very light, crisp demeanor.  There are vague hints of vegetation, but like the astringency that I mentioned previously, it is really only noticeable when I am focusing to find that vegetal taste.

This is a lovely tea, ideal for someone who has had jasmine teas in the past that were too overbearing or perfume-ish.  This tea can offer a taste of the softer side of jasmine.

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  White

Where to Buy:  Verdant Tea

Product Description:

This jasmine has helped us understand what jasmine is all about.  It starts with a silky smooth silver needle white tea from Yunnan with notes of cinnamon sweetness.  Jasmine blossoms are scattered around the tea while drying for several nights in a row, and removed in the morning to be replaced by fresh blossoms, scenting the tea in the traditional method.  The result is a perfectly integrated flavor, that starts off with the textures of a white tea, and sweetness drawn out and extended by a silky jasmine aroma.  Continue steeping this out, and an intriguing apricot jam flavor starts to come out and compliment the subtle spice of the yunnan white.  In later steepings there is even the slightest hint of pine needle.

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

What a splendid jasmine!

Some time ago on Steepster, I recall reading a forum post from an individual who suggested that scented teas were of inferior quality.  I think that if that sipper were to try this Yunnan White Jasmine, they just might change their mind!

Of course, just like any thing else, there are good scented teas and there are bad ones.  This is definitely one of the good ones!  I’d even go so far as to say one of the best.  The deliciously sweet, light white Yunnan tea has a delightful flavor that possesses fruit-like tones and hints of that peppery spice for which Yunnan black teas are often celebrated.  It has a creaminess to it that when combined with the sweet, luscious flavor of the jasmine becomes quite an indulgence.

My jasmine Yixing mug holds about five infusions from my gaiwan, so I steeped these leaves five times and combined all five infusions in my Yixing.  It is interesting because the flavors change with each infusion, so I taste many different things in this cup.  The sip starts with the sweetness of jasmine, along with just a hint of spice.

By mid-sip, the creamy flavor washes over the palate, and as the sip nears the finish, an intriguing, almost-resinous note arrives … it almost tastes of pine or perhaps rosemary.  I thought maybe my palate was playing tricks on me, until I read through the tasting notes from Verdant Tea, and I notice that they also experienced this flavor.

What a truly remarkable jasmine tea … it will surprise even the most seasoned of jasmine aficionados out there!

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Green

Where to Buy:  Canton Tea Co.

Product Description:

The long silvery tea buds are hand-picked from the white tea varietal used for Silver Needle, but are heated as in a green tea process. They are then carefully stored for several weeks until the Jasmine flowers blossom. The tea buds are very skilfully hand rolled into perfect spheres and layered over several nights with the fresh Jasmine blossoms. Just a few pearls yield a highly fragrant liquor, bright with refreshing jasmine and sweet with the soft creamy undertones of the tea buds.

Read more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

Wow!  What an exquisite tea!

Jasmine has long been one of my favorite tea flavors, and I am especially fond of jasmine pearls.  Up until about a couple of years ago, though, I was of the belief that a pearl is a pearl … and boy was I ever wrong there.  Not all pearls are created equal, and this one deserves to be recognized as one of the very best!

The flavor is so soft and creamy.  Not a buttery kind of creamy taste (although every once in a while, I could swear I taste a buttery note).  Instead it’s a smooth, rich kind of creamy taste.  The green tea/white tea tastes so fresh and even though it is a lighter tasting tea, it has a richness to it that ties in to that creaminess I mentioned.

But a jasmine pearl is not a jasmine pearl without the jasmine, right?  Here, the jasmine tastes so light and sweet, it does not have a perfume-y taste to it at all, nor does it have that chemical-y kind of taste that sometimes is detected in jasmine teas.  This must be the real thing, folks!

This is a phenomenal jasmine pearl, certainly one of the very best I’ve yet to try.  I’d recommend it highly to all those jasmine aficionados out there.

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Green

Where to Buy:  Fusion Tea Room

Product Description:

This jasmine tea consists of green tea grown in China and is scented with jasmine petals multiple times. A typical grade of jasmine tea will be scented once. The green tea leaves used as the base are young as indicated by its small, slim needle-like leaves.

Our Jasmine tea has a sweet floral scent with green tea undertones, that is very refreshing, with a lingering aftertaste that is delicately sweet.

Taster’s Review:

Ahh… jasmine!  (I have probably exclaimed that more than once before while sipping a jasmine tea)  And I know that I’ve mentioned before that my three favorite tea flavors are:  Bergamot, Chocolate and JASMINE.  There was a time when I would only drink jasmine pearls, but, I have finally learned not only appreciate other jasmine teas, but, understand that while they are not the same jasmine teas, they are not necessarily inferior.  Just … different.

This jasmine green tea reminds me quite a bit of a pot of green tea that might be brought to my table at a Chinese food restaurant.  It is sweet, crisp and light, and it has an agreeable palate cleansing aspect to it as well, making it a good choice to sip with a meal.

The jasmine aroma is light and beautiful.  The brewed tea does not have an overwhelming floral fragrance; instead, what this aromatic tea reminds me of is the sweet scent of fresh air and green grass and jasmine flowers.  It’s a lovely combination that translates into the flavor of the tea, which is also quite light and has a crispness to it, like the crisp feel of the morning air in the early spring.

A wonderful jasmine that is really quite affordable, making it a great choice for daily consumption.

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  White

Where to Buy:  thepuriTea

Product Description:

If you’re new to white teas, start with our Jasmine Silver Needle. Like our Silver Needle white tea, it is plucked from the buds of the tea plant in springtime and then naturally scented with fresh jasmine flowers in summertime. This labor-intensive process results in a robust, sweet, smooth jasmine flavor that’s completely unlike the bitter, artificially flavored jasmine teas out there. Drink Jasmine Silver Needle for its silky mouthfeel, full jasmine flavor and banana-like undertones. For an added treat, try it with Cuban beans and rice, Chinese chicken soup or Thai mango sticky rice.

Taster’s Review:

Perfection!  That is what I said to myself after I took my first sip of this tea:  Perfection!

My love for jasmine scented teas is well documented through my various tea writings, it is one of my top three tea “flavors” (the other two being chocolate and bergamot).  And, there was a time when I thought that jasmine pearls offered the very best jasmine flavor available.  I have since discovered, however, that I prefer the flavor of jasmine scented Silver Needle:  the jasmine ends up tasting softer … almost velvety.  And this Jasmine Silver Needle from thepuriTea is absolutely ethereal!

The Silver Needle is a delicate flavor.  It is very lightly grassy, but more sweet than grassy or vegetative.  It has a crisp, almost airy kind of quality to it.  When met with the sweet, delicate flavor of jasmine, it is truly a match made in tea heaven.

The jasmine does not taste sharp or bitter or artificial.  It tastes natural and sweet and delicate … just like the flower itself.  The sip is silky soft, smooth, and sweet.  The finish is smooth and sweet with very little astringency.  I really had to focus to see if I could notice any astringency at all, and there is only a very slight astringency which I would say is unnoticeable unless you’re really trying to notice it.  The aftertaste is lightly floral, and if I inhale just after a sip, a sweet crispness of air and flower floats over the palate.

An AMAZING jasmine experience awaits with this tea!

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Pouchong

Where to Buy:  Grace Tea Company

Product Description:

Each year we carefully select our Jasmine base tea from the finest pouchong teas available from China. These leaves have been picked at their flavor peak in the spring, traditionally before the rain and the period of fastest growth. Our selection is then held with the utmost of care until summer, when the most remarkable Jasmine flowers are available for blending. It is indeed a tea of teas’ fine, delicate and aromatic. We suggest our Flowery Jasmine Before the Rain be served in the afternoon and at special occasions, when its particular virtues can be appreciated.

Taster’s Review:

When I infused this tea, I did so thinking that this was a green tea.  The size of the leaves did not indicate to me that this was a Pouchong.  It looked like a green tea to me.  Fortunately, my green tea brewing parameters did not affect this tea.  It’s delicious.  However, a slightly longer steep time might have intensified the flavor somewhat.  As it is, though, I’m enjoying the cup of tea that sits before me.

Jasminum Sambac - photo from Wikipedia

The dry leaf is very aromatic, just as I would expect from a jasmine tea.  It has a beautiful, flowery fragrance.  The aroma of the brewed liquor is equally as enjoyable.  That is one of the things I love most about jasmine teas – the amazing fragrance.

But it is not all about the scent of the tea, of course.  The flavor is wonderful.  It has a soft, velvety mouthfeel.  It feels thicker than a typical jasmine green tea would.  The jasmine is delicate and pleasantly sweet.  It doesn’t have that artificial perfume-y taste of some jasmine teas.  It is light and floral.  There is very little astringency to this tea and no bitterness.  The aftertaste is sweet.

This is an absolute delight to sip.

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  White

Where to Buy:  Red Blossom Tea Co.

Product Description: 

Crafted from IMO-certified organic tea buds from Fujian and Jasmine flowers from Guangxi, our Organic Dragon Pearl Jasmine is produced over the span of two seasons.

In early spring, the hand-picked leaf buds are steamed then meticulously hand-rolled and dried. Once finished, the rolled teas are stowed until summer, when they are scented with fresh Jasmine blossoms over seven consecutive evenings.

The resulting fragrant pearl unravels in water, releasing a persistent Jasmine aroma in a smooth, lightly sweet liquor.

Taster’s Review:

This is the third (and final) package of tea that I received in my August Steepster Select package … and it is proving to be my favorite of the three!  These Jasmine Pearls have really surprised me.

First of all, I am surprised that these pearls have been classified as a white tea.  I do not see this classification on the Red Blossom Tea Co. website, but on the Steepster Select packaging, it is shown as a scented white tea.  Most of the Jasmine Pearls that I’ve encountered have been categorized as green tea.  But, after tasting this, I can see why it might be considered a white tea.  The flavor itself is surprising!  It is much softer and more delicate than any other Jasmine Pearl I’ve tried.

The white tea is sweet and subtle and has such a tranquility about it.  When brought together with the essence of the exotic jasmine, it becomes euphoria in a teacup.

Yes, my time with this Dragon Pearl Jasmine has been an surprising experience for me.  The only thing that didn’t surprise me is the fact that I love these pearls, even though I am surprised at just how good they are.  These may just prove to be my favorite Jasmine Pearl I’ve yet to try.