While checking over my email, I noticed an email about brain boosting tea and I was intrigued. More or less, because I’ve seen brain boosting teas more and more on Amazon and the like. One of the companies listed as having a brain boosting tea was Thesaurus Tea. Since I hadn’t ever heard of this particular company before and there was a picture of T-Rex drinking tea as their logo. . . I had to learn more. So a few minutes on the site and I had already set myself up with a tea of the month club and an order.
This particular tea blend caught my eye right away. I’ve been finding myself diving deeper into white teas lately and with this blend pairing the white tea with green tea, jasmine petals and bamboo leave- I was super intrigued.
Using the brewing parameters on the back of the sample package- this tea hit the spot on soooo many levels. I loved how the white and green mingled so beautifully. Typically with tea blends that use a white tea and a green tea, you can easily identify each of the teas while you enjoy the tea. But not so much with this blend. All of the flavors combine to give you a buttery rich floral slightly vegetal with a hint of honey cookie. Yes. Cookie. I’m getting cookie/dessert vibes from this tea blend and I’m 100% loving it. Each steep is just as good as the last and I’m just so in love with the vibes this blend is giving me.
Sadly, I used all of the tea I had for this first brew and I’m wishing I would have had a bit more to cold brew properly. But on the other hand, I couldn’t be happier with the results. I can imagine this tea would give off lovely light spring/summer notes as a cold brew. This wold be a lovely blend to share with others at a tea party.
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: White/Green
Where to Buy: Thesaurus Tea
Description
White tea, green tea, jasmine petals, bamboo leaves.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Jasmine Snow Bud (Mo Li Xue Ya)/Teavivre. . . .
My favorite jasmine teas have come from Teavivre, a tea company located in the Fujian Province in China. My number one jasmine to keep on hand is their Premium Jasmine Dragon Pearl tea, as well as their Peach Jasmine Dragon Pearl, which is a favorite with guests. I think I have owned nearly every type of jasmine tea they have ever carried!
I also kept their “economy” jasmine tea on hand for serving with food, because the meal masks the high quality of the other teas and it made sense to go with something less expensive when I couldn’t taste and enjoy the tea fully. But I really preferred the others for special tea times and gong fu steeping.
Jasmine tea is a great de-stresser for me. It is as effective as a bubble bath, if not more so, for making tight muscles relax and tense nerves mellow. I love to make a pot when there is a lot of hubbub, like lots of guests and mad holiday cooking going on full speed ahead. So when I found out they have added new jasmine teas to their line up, I had to try them!
This snow bud tea is a loose tea that is first scented repeatedly with fresh jasmine flowers and then finally, more strongly scented jasmine flowers are added to the leaves and left to impart even more flavor.
Does this make it too flowery? Too soapy? Not at all. This costs about the same as the economy grade jasmine I used to buy but is far superior to it, in my opinion. At this price point, I will gladly serve it with food, but the flavor and smoothness of the base is so good that I can happily enjoy it all by itself or with a treat. It is a worthy addition to the Teavivre jasmine collection.
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Teavivre
Description
Rich jasmine fragrance with sweet aftertaste
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Jasmine Spring Blossom from Qi Aerista
I have been all about floral teas lately and thought it was time for me to check out Qi Aerista’s take on a jasmine green tea. Qi Aerista recently released a tea brewer and also started offering teas as well. After having some pretty delicious floral teas, I was ready to give this blend a go.
Brewed with water prepped at 185 and allowed to brew for about 3 minutes- this tea instantly set the mood with a HUGE burst of floral aromas. And when I say huge, I mean the floral tones are almost overwhelming but I’m one that really digs a floral tea so I tallied forth.
Sat down and enjoyed this tea cuppa after cuppa this afternoon. I wouldn’t say that there was anything that really stood out as amazing on this jasmine spring blossom, but the tea is really good. A solid version of a jasmine green tea for sure. The floral notes are extremely strong and sometimes border on intense but I enjoy that in a tea and would love to brew this tea up as a cold brew for the summer. I bet that is where this tea would shine since you really only get pops of the green tea base here or there.
To give this tea a bit of jazz, I did end up throwing in a bit of butterfly pea flowers and I really enjoyed how the green tea, jasmine, and butterfly pea flower played against each other. Butterfly pea flower has a unique flavor and I really enjoyed how the flavor lent itself to give the jasmine tea a bit of pop.
Just goes to show that even if a tea isn’t something amazing, with just a little of this and a little of that, you can create a marvelous gem!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Qi Aerista
Description
Naturally floral and refreshingly soothing, this Jasmine green tea came from Fuding City of Fujian Province, China. Young leaves and buds were picked in April 2017 and immediately processed into the base green tea.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Jasmine from Arbor Teas. . . .
Arbor Teas is a family business based out of Ann Arbor, Michigan which is surprising to me as I did not take Ann Arbor as a town with a tea scene. Nevertheless, Arbor teas is sourcing some of the world’s finest organic teas for those looking for organic options.
My Sororitea Sisters were kind enough to send me a sample of Arbor Tea’s Jasmine tea. Normally I would not pick a jasmine tea for myself but I am happy to try anything once and this tea is no exception. I was given just enough for a hot cup of tea and an iced cup so I got to brewing per the company’s suggested brewing parameters.
The hot tea tastes like most other jasmine teas I have had, dark and floral with an intense briskness that comes off almost drying. The iced tea is more of the same with that drying floral flavor that tastes as if potpourri is what was steeped and not tea.
Basically this is like all other jasmine teas and by that I mean it is not for me. People who like this flavor can always give this a try but nothing stood out to me as distinct or particularly unique so unless you like this flavor and are placing an Arbor Tea order, it might be better to go with a more easily accessible option.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Arbor Teas
Description
This organic, Fair Trade Certified Jasmine Green Tea offers a wonderful jasmine fragrance backed by a fuller-bodied organic chun mee green tea base. This is acquired by picking the jasmine flower late at night when the blossom is in full bloom. The flowers are layered upon the organic tea leaves to impart their fragrance and create the most exquisite jasmine green tea experience around! By morning, the jasmine fragrance has transferred to the organic Chinese tealeaves and the blossoms are then discarded. This process is carried out on multiple successive evenings to impart the superior flavor and aroma of this specially selected organic green tea.
Ingredients: organic Chinese green tea
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Ha Giang Jasmine/ Rakkasan
Jasmine in green tea is as well known as milk in coffee. And yet despite how many companies sell it, not all possess the quality that Rakkasan does. Upon opening your bag you will find beautiful tea leaves; dark green. The scent of jasmine will consume your sense of smell. Enjoy it now because the smell fades as it is brewed.
For the best jasmine flavor try it first at 2 minutes. Seems to me that after 4 minutes the jasmine flavor is somewhat diminished by the tannins. If you are a fan of honey in your tea this is a good one for it as it brings out more of the jasmine.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Rakkasan Tea Company
Description:
Harvested by ethnic Dao families at 4,600 feet in Hà Giang Province, Vietnam, this is a wild green tea infused with real jasmine blossoms. Hand-blended during the season that runs from May to August, the blossoms are layered overnight with tea during which time the flowers open and the fragrance is absorbed. The tea and flowers are separated and the process is repeated for three more nights until the tea has absorbed just the right amount of delightful jasmine fragrance.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
