I have to start by mentioning this is my very first taste of Jasmine Tea, and to make it even more exciting it was a free sample delivered right as I happened to be outside cutting long tendrils of blooming Jasmine to scent the house :D
I thought it best to put it aside for a bit as my head was already intoxicated with the fragrance, so I finished up what I was doing then did some more tasks in another room for an hour or so .. Finally I went online and figure out how long & at what temp I was going to brew it as there was no recommendation written on the sachet wrapping ?!
Steep #1 (80°C – 3min 30sec)
Steep #2 (80°C – 5min)
My first impressions when unwrapping the sachet were ‘WOW it’s really Jasmine!’ , I seriously didn’t expect it to smell so strong – but no complaints as it’s my favourite floral aroma .. I chopped the silken bag open to set them free during infusion, oh and I weighed them too (3g / 21 pearls) .. Poured on the water and what a wonderful sight, and smell! I absolutely loved watching them ‘come alive’ :P
Now I’m currently sipping the dregs of my second cup so these are the notes I wrote earlier: very floral scent & taste .. I don’t usually enjoy greens but am emptying the cup pretty darn quick, and looking forward to a second steep .. Taste reminds me of Summer and swimming pools – in fact it reminds me of getting a mouthful (small splash) of pool water – but NOT in the gross way as this no-doubt sounds! Really clean, sun warmed pool water – lets call it sprinkler water perhaps ..
It’s Summer in the Garden in a Cup!
Second steep: To be honest I can’t tell much difference in taste, colour, or aroma .. it’s really nice! Only thing I have to add to the above is that I don’t enjoy it so much as it cools off, so no chilling of this for me .. When it’s cool I’m finding it a bit pucker-some on the tongue and roof of my mouth, and a bit ‘too’ floral ..
I’m going to wait for a bit and try steep #3