I LOVE jasmine green teas when they are done well. Some are not. A lot of jasmine tea is actually pouchong and can have a bit more bite than I care for. Lots of people like those teas, especially with food. But since jasmine tea is my special “take me away” tea, it has to be just so.
The instructions on this one scared me. Boiling water? For green tea? In a teabag? Are you kidding me? I know a few types of green tea thrive on it, but I was afraid this was going to be the train to heartburn city.
I dialed it back to 200F and let it steep right in the middle of the recommended one to two minutes.
Wow. I expected a harsh green base, lots of astringency, and artificial jasmine flavor, but this is infused with real jasmine flowers and it is GOOD. As in, actual tasty jasmine tea with all its calming capabilities in a teabag!
The jasmine is natural and sweet tasting, the tea has minimal briskness that does build a little now that I am on my second cup, and there is a creamy texture to the liquor. The Chinese green base starts to come through more on the aftertaste.
I think this would be a great, affordable tea to serve with food, and now I want spring rolls. Really, really badly. I guess I know what I am having for supper tomorrow night.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Zesta Tea
Description
This delicately fragrant green tea adds a touch of beauty to your day with its imprint of natural Jasmine petals. Zesta’s Jasmine green tea is an exotic tea that can be enjoyed any time of day and is great as an accompaniment to food.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Jasmine Creme Brulee from DAVIDs Tea. . . .
Picture this: young tea reviewer-Mary, at a fancy lunch with her dad, celebrating her 16th birthday. Side note: my parents often took us out for special one-on-one time (hello, life with siblings), especially around our birthdays– but this year was a special one, so my dad pulled out all the stops. After a particularly decadent dinner, my dad insisted we order some dessert. Who was 16-year-old-I to say no? Faced with a delicious decision, I decided to go rouge– crème brulee, a dessert I’d never tried before. All I knew was this: it looked delicious, and had some serious bonus-fun in the form of crackling that burnt-sugar topping before diving in. Sugar AND an activity? Count me in?
Needless to say, ever since that first burnt-sugar-crack, I’ve been a fan of crème brulee. So of course, when I saw this latest offering from David’s Tea, I knew this one was coming home with me. This green tea boasts creamy, burnt-sugar-and-vanilla flavors, with just a hint of floral jasmine on the side. Brewed up solo, it’s delightful– but definitely leans more heavily on those floral notes. I was looking for something creamier, something more reminiscent of the fancy-dessert-nostalgia of my youth. With juuuuust a tiny, tiny touch of honey and a splash of steamed coconut milk on top, this one transforms from creamy floral green tea to magical, burnt-sugar-esque crème-brulee-in-a-cup. In fact, I’m not sure how they manage to perfectly capture that slightly toasty creamy note (almost like a genmaicha, but without a bit of toasted-rice in sight) through flavor alone, but I love it. This is one I’ll be brewing up to share with my dad, for sure.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: DAVIDs Tea
Description
Meet our newest obsession: the crème brulée. French for “burnt cream,” this rich and creamy dessert is famous for its silky custard base and crunchy toffee crust. This decadent green tea captures all the vanilla-cream sweetness of a classic crème brulée – with a pop of jasmine for a light floral touch. It’s satisfying, sophisticated and downright addictive.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Zesta Connoisseur Collection Jasmine Green Bags. . . .
Let’s face it, pre-bagged teas have a bad rap in our circles. I saw some broken leaves, similar to Cut-Tear-Curl but not as uniformly cut.
Although Zesta recommends boiling water for this Jasmine Green, I’m much too impatient for all that waiting to heat up then waiting to be drinkable. I brewed at 160F and discovered a sunny, pollen-yellow liquor, with a strong jasmine scent.
Half the amount of sweetener I usually use brought out the green tea flavors considerably. I can taste the quality in the perfume of the Jasmine flowers, even though they’ve been removed from the pyramid. Jasmine really is the star of the show here.
All in all, Zesta offers a strong floral, yet inexpensive Jasmine tea bag.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green Tea
Where to Buy: Zesta
This delicately fragrant green tea adds a touch of beauty to your day with its imprint of natural Jasmine petals. Zesta’s Jasmine green tea is an exotic tea that can be enjoyed any time of day and is great as an accompaniment to food.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Sweet Magnolia Green from The Tea Spot. . . .
Next for my Birthday-Review-A-Thon, I’d thought I would check out Sweet Magnolia Green, a tea sent to me when I was subscribing to The Tea Spot’s Monthly Subscription Plan. I can’t recommend a better subscription plan to be honest. The only reason I had to stop was because I just found myself with way too many teas that needed my attention. So when my debit card needed to be updated, I just realized I needed to pause the plan for a bit and get back to it in a few months once my tea stash has gone down a bit.
Each month, The Tea Spot would curate a package of teas for you to try- all different varieties for all different occasions. I loved the fact that I wasn’t the one making the choice of what I was going to receive, getting me out of my comfort zone a bit. I’m more of a green and white tea drinking gal, but every once in a while, I need to remember all the love black and herbal teas can give.
This particular tea that I received in one of my tea subscriptions- Sweet Magnolia Green is a tea that I’ve been wanting to try for some tea. Green tea with jasmine flowers and throw in the magnolia scented piece . .be still my beating heart! I’ve been waiting for the right time to check this tea out and I feel like today is the day.
As soon as I open the package, I know I’m in for a treat. This tea has all the floral love and then some. The magnolia scent is for sure noticeable along with the familiar jasmine notes that I have grown to adore. The green tea base is there with a subtle vegetal scent.
Brewed up with water prepped at 175F and allowed to steep for 3 minutes, this hot cuppa floral tea keeps giving and giving in its own beautiful way. The first flavor that comes across is a strong jasmine note and I mean strong. I love my jasmine teas so this didn’t turn me off but I could see this not being a tea for those who aren’t into floral teas.
Towards the end of the sip, you are greeted with this wonderfully silky green tea base that had me coming back for more. Really lovely and one that I can’t get enough of. Highly recommend this one for all my green tea fans as well as anyone that enjoys a floral tea.
This tea is soft and bold with an alluring feel that makes you want to gulp and I mean gulp the tea down. I don’t think I’ll be sharing this tea with my hubby today. I think this gorgeous blend is all mine.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: The Tea Spot
Description
Our award-winning magnolia green tea won the Gold Medal at the 2017 World Tea Championship. Your senses will be exhilarated and your spirits uplifted when you breathe in the sweet, fragrant aroma of our Sweet Magnolia Green. This delicate tea is naturally scented with beautiful white magnolia flowers, giving it a diverse array of aromas that range from deep plum fruit to light citrus. The magnolia scent is in perfect harmony with the buttery green tea, making an unforgettable cup of tea that will infuse peace into any occasion.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Jasmine Green Tea from Zesta Tea. . . . .
With how my life is structure, having a tea that I can pop in a bottle of iced water or freshly prepped water is key. I sometimes need a quicker route to tea than the traditional loose leaf variety. It sounds silly, but being a mom of 4 with all of the other work and home tasks that need to get done on a daily basis, I find that sometimes time just doesn’t always allow for the prep needed for my beloved loose leaf. Yes, I know. Prepping loose leaf tea takes a mere minutes, but sometimes I really do find myself up against the clock to grab shoes and get out the door with kids in two. This is where Jasmine Green Tea from Zesta Tea has been my hero.
Jasmine Green Tea is a bagged tea variety of one of my beloved teas. With a gorgeous elephant as their logo, Zesta Tea knows how to do give you a lot of flavor in a tea bag. Freshly prepped with hot water, this tea gives that familiar and soul loving floral flavor mixed with that brilliant green tea base. The jasmine flavor really is the star here and the green tea is a bit more gentle. . . quite a romantic combination in my opinion. The tea is smooth and really hits the spot when you need something quick. I do still enjoy my loose leaf version of jasmine green tea better, but this tea is perfect for those instances where I need to really get a moving.
What I found that I really adore about this tea is how marvelous you can brew up an iced tea. I fill my water bottle up with ice, water, and a few of Zesta’s Jasmine Green Tea bags. Stick it in the fridge and in an hour or so, I have wonderful iced tea. Perfect for those on the go moments that fill up my day everyday. And this iced tea always compliments whatever lunch I’ve scrounged up for myself.
For a bagged tea, this Jasmine Green Tea has really caught my attention. I’m excited now to jump into the loose leaf teas that Zesta Tea sent us to review along with the other bagged tea varieties. I see lots of tea tasting sessions in my future this weekend!
I’ve had other bagged tea varieties of this tea blend before and for the most part, have walked away disappointed. Not the case here. This may be a tea I need to pick up more of for those busy summer days that are quickly approaching.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Zesta Tea
Description
Chinese green tea delicately flavoured by imprinting the leaves with natural Jasmine flowers and allowing the tea to absorb its fragrance. The flowers are then carefully removed by hand leaving behind this exotic tea that can be drunk any time of the day and particularly makes a great accompaniment to food.