Before the Rain

Tea Information:

Leaf Type: Pouchong

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.

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.

liberteas

Anne (aka the Mad Tea Artist) has celebrated her 29th birthday for many years now. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her hubby and her youngest daughter. Her oldest daughter is married and has bestowed Anne with the proud title of "Gramma" and her grandson is about the cutest boy you ever did see. Anne started her journey with tea as a casual drinker and became more serious about her tea drinking when she realized that she couldn't drink coffee. Shortly thereafter, she started becoming obsessed with the beverage and she started creating small-batch, artisan blends of tea that she sold online as LiberTEAS. After a few years, she realized she wasn't cut out to be the sole proprietor of a business so she closed LiberTEAS and started reviewing teas online. She met Jennifer through another blog that they both reviewed for and they decided to start their own review blog. This review blog! Throughout her journey as a tea reviewer, she discovered 52Teas and became enamored with the idea of creating a new tea every week. When the founder of 52Teas decided he wanted to move on, he offered the business to Anne but knowing that she wasn't cut out to be a sole proprietor, she instead offered the company to her oldest daughter who employs her as the Mad Tea Artist for 52Teas!

This post was posted in Jasmine Tea, Pouchong