Black Jasmine Cream

Thanks Sil for this sample (via Nicole, I am suspecting?)

Brewed up, this tea smells almost ridiculously perfumey/floral… but somehow, I don’t mean that in a bad way. There’s jasmine, for sure, and I wonder if the rest of the aroma is “cream”? Tough to tell. As it cools, however, I can identify the cream moreso in the aroma.

Flavourwise, this is certainly interesting. I’m not sure I’ve had a black jasmine before, come to think of it, so this may be my first. However, I’m fairly sure that this is a jasmine green combined with a black cream, so this isn’t really a jasmine black either. Anyhow. It tastes like I brewed it too strongly (I used 1.5 tsp per 8 oz.), as it’s quite strong, and verging on bitter, although I steeped this as a black, so that could be my fault. The predominant flavour is heavy jasmine, with a strong but pleasant black base, and some definite cream notes.

Overall, I don’t hate it, but I also don’t love it. For starters, I think it needs to be more dilute for me to enjoy it, as it’s just a bit overpowering how it is, and also the jasmine is coming off as a bit artificial to me. I’m not the hugest fan of jasmine to begin with, so I’m not too shocked. I think I was expecting a tea that would be slightly more subtle, which this is far from.

Anyhow, an interesting blend to try out! I think I have a generous cup’s worth left… we’ll see what becomes of it, haha.

ETA: Hah, it just occurred to me that what I’m being reminded of with this tea is bath products. Ah well!

Made up a small pot of this tonight since the hub is out for the evening learning Russian. That means I can sit with the cats in one place and read long enough to do a whole pot justice. :)

Still very good. I brought down a bit of fat free half-and-half in case I thought I might want to experiment. I’m very glad I did. The milk ups the creamy factor a lot and mellows out the jasmine. It was good before, now it’s really, really good. I have sugar on the tea tray as well, but haven’t felt a need to use it.

Have you ever been hit by a sudden tea revelation? Here I was, sipping my chai and watching Once Upon A Time and suddenly my brain was like, “HEY you got a sample of Jasmine Cream months ago! I want it!” Honestly, I had totally forgotten about it and it was at the very bottom of my sample basket (which has actually expanded into a sample basket and a giant bag as well).

So after much digging I managed to find it and was overwhelmed with the delicious smell. I wasn’t sure if I’d like this or not so I only got a sample, but I’m kind of regretting it now. Then again they have free shipping so I guess I could just order some!

Jasmine is often an overwhelming flavor, but it works so well here. I thought this was a black base instead of a black/green so steeped it with boiling water for 4 1/2 minutes… oops! Well, it didn’t come out bitter at all so I guess there’s not a whole lot of green in here. It really does taste like just a black base, with the floral jasmine tempered by yummy vanilla. Such a weirdly unique blend! It kind of takes some getting used to, but the floral and cream really do work together beautifully.

Tea of the morning……. (SRP #21)

Initial thoughts: I am undecided on this one. It definitely comes across as jasmine vanilla, but I think the tea base is too smokey (which does not really mean it is all that smokey, just too smokey for this flavor profile.) When I imagined this tea, I imagined the flavor of jasmine and vanilla on a lighter, sweeter black tea base. This one seems a little heavy. In my opinion, jasmine and a heavy black tea base just don’t seamlessly blend on the palate. I taste the distinct flavors. They did do a good job of matching the depth of the jasmine to the vanilla. I might have to play around with the steeping parameters a little. I did go with slightly lower temps on the water just because there is green tea involved in this blend.

Usual mug method with slightly cooler water.

Edit to add: I am going to try adding some jasmine pearls to my Vanilla Black from Harney. I have a feeling that this one will be rehomed. Surprising, because I love the Earl Grey Jasmine Monkey King.

Interesting! There’s a cool fruity smell in this, and I love the dried jasmine flowers.

The jasmine itself is strong, but it mixes well with the cream, which gives it a little bit of “juiciness” back and keeps it from being too perfumey. I missed the note that it’s a black/green blend, so I used boiling water and it’s a bit harsher than I would like, but I’ll have to try it with a lower temp. I really like it so far though, and I’m impressed with NMTC.

Black Jasmine tea! with creamy? Ohhhh! The dry leaf and steeped cup smells freaking amazing, I just wanna rub it all over me as lotion!

Using the steeping instructions on the package, 212f water for 4 to 5 minutes, the tea came out bitter and dry, too much for my liking. The floral level is pretty good and a nice creamy aftertaste. Adding sugar is a must! Milk would be really good to add here too. And some scones. A nice afternoon tea!

After that, I tried this tea with 200F water for under 3 minutes – it was less bitter and dry, more to my personal tastes – the shorter steep is better if you don’t want to add milk and sugar as well as not like a bitter tea.

However, this tea is good though I think I like DavidsTea’s Black Jasmine Pearls more as I personally prefer the base there better as it is not as heavy.

Full review on my blog, The Oolong Owl http://oolongowl.com/black-jasmine-cream-new-mexico-tea-company-oolong-owl-tea-review/

Thank you Nicole!

So I was a little wary of this one because I am not a fan of floral/jasmine teas. However, it’s not often you get a jasmine tea with a black base so I was totally curious.

As it turns out, even with the black base I am just not a fan. However, setting aside my dislike of jasmine, I can see how this is is a pretty decent tea. It’s smooth though I’m having trouble identifying any “green” tea.

Thanks again for the sample nicole! :)

I found this wonderful little sample hiding at the bottom of my tea drawer. I can’t believe I missed this one for so long! This is my first tea from New Mexico Tea Company, and I think I’ve read a few reviews about this one that made me even more excited to try it. It smells very floral and lightly sweet. The tea is very thick and heavy. There is a strong jasmine flavor and finish. The aftertaste is sweet and fruity and it lingers for awhile in your mouth. It reminds me of fruit sherbet, or even of fruity pebbles cereal, yum! This tea was surprising, and not what I was expecting, but in a good way. Thank you, Nicole, for this sample that I’ve neglected for so long!

-Dry blend has medium black and green tea leaves and twigs.
-Dry leaves smell floral and lightly sweet. Tea liquor aroma is heavily of jasmine.
-Tea liquor is a clear medium brown color.
-Heavy jasmine flavor and finish. Lingering sweet and fruity aftertaste. Thick mouthfeel.
-Milk and sweetener optional.
-Good tea. Strong floral flavor. Aftertaste is reminiscent of fruit sherbet.

I got 1oz because I wasn’t sure if I’d enjoy this tea — I’ve got a love-hate relationship with jasmine. I tend to find it bitter, astringent, too perfumey, etc. I’m just getting over a chest cold and my sense of taste & smell has JUST returned, so I decided to try this blend with a fairly open mind and clean palette. The jasmine is gentle and not at all bitter or harsh, and it leads into a more mellow & soft vanilla flavor on a fine base of black & green tea. I sweetened it with raw echinacea honey and am drinking it from a small teacup which cools it down perfectly. The small amount in the cup doesn’t have an overwhelming jasmine aroma before you sip, as I found my heftier mug did.

It certainly has enough jasmine to please the people I know who are floral-fanatics, but it is gentle enough for people who AREN’T jasmine-connoisseurs to enjoy. :D