Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Teavivre
Tea Description:
The leaves of Black Dragon Pearl tea would only be picked around the time of Qingming / Pre-Ming, which is around Apr. 5, 2011 in spring. It’s the highest grade in spring teas, with marked white hairs. The pearl of this tea are 8 to 12 millimeters in diameter. When carefully smelling the flavor of dry tea, you can easily figure a slight smell of chocolate beside the aroma of black tea.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I do love a good black pearl tea, and this certainly qualifies! This is right up there, just as good, if not better, than the ones I’ve tasted in the past.
I brewed this in my gaiwan so that I could watch the leaves unfurl (I can’t really do this in my breville!) I dropped three pearls into my gaiwan, and poured over the nearly boiling water (I used 205°F water for brewing this tea) and watched them open. After about a minute and a half, they were nearly opened, but still had a little left in them (which means more infusions! Yay!)
The flavor is so incredible. If you like those rich, malty black teas with the cocoa-ish flavors to them, you really MUST try this tea, because that is exactly what I’m tasting right now.
With the second infusion, the richness and maltiness continues, as does the chocolate-y notes. I also notice a savoriness beginning to emerge … just a hint of bitterness from the cocoa, a lovely contrast between bitter and sweet dances on the tongue.
I decided to give this a third infusion to see what other flavors I might discover. This third infusion is even smoother than the first two, with the rich and malty tones melding together with the chocolate. The savory elements have softened somewhat, to create a remarkably smooth taste from beginning to end.
An absolutely LOVELY tea experience awaits those who indulge in these amazing black pearls from Teavivre! Add this one to your must try list!
Two Dragons and a Pearl from Teavivre
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Teavivre
Tea Description:
When you brew Two Dragons, two arms of jasmine and globe amaranth petals will slowly expand upwards cupping a single marigold flower – and so it is given the name of Two Dragons and a Pearl. Thanks to the jasmine and amaranth, this tea has a wonderful sweet, flowery aroma and taste. The taste is long-lasting and will survive 2 or 3 infusions.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This is the third and final tea from my Steepster Select box from February: Year of the Dragon. It is a very slow-to-open blooming tea from Teavivre. It’s fun to watch it slowly unfurl to reveal the beautiful flowery display tucked inside the handcrafted bulb.
The instructions suggest using boiling water and 2 minutes steep time. However, I couldn’t bear to pour boiling water over these bulbs, I was afraid I’d burn them. Instead, I heated the water to 185°F, and steeped for 2 1/2 minutes. Only a few leaves opened away from the bulb, so, I infused it a second time, adding 1 minute onto the steep time. With the second infusion, the bulb expanded more, revealing hints of the colors of the display, but, still did not open fully. 
It wasn’t until the third and final infusion that the bulb fully opened, revealing a beautiful orange flower at the base of the leaves, and jasmine “arms” that reach up to hold a gorgeous red flower. The photo to the right doesn’t begin to do justice to how lovely this bloom really is.
The tea from the first infusion was a very gentle flavored tea, with notes of jasmine and hints of fresh grass and hay. It was delicious, but I do think it could have improved with a longer steep time. Perhaps a hotter water would have produced more flavor as well, but again, having scorched more than my share of green and white teas in my past, this is something I do not wish to repeat.
The second infusion provided a much more flavorful cup. The flavor is sweet and floral, and the tea tastes fresh and even a little creamy. Very smooth, with no notable astringency or bitterness. The third infusion was a little less flavorful, but still was quite enjoyable … and even though the flavor had waned a little, the splendor of the bulb finally opening fully made it worth the effort to steep it a third time.
Another lovely tea experience from Teavivre. I’ve come to expect greatness from them, and they’ve yet to fail!
Jasmine Pearl from Octavia Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Octavia Tea
Tea Description:
Although we work with sources and gardens that offer less expensive grades of Jasmine Pearl (and you may see many out there on the market), we have chosen to forgo these lesser grades because none of them compare to the quality, appearance, fragrance and flavor of the grade we offer here. This tea is the absolute best Jasmine Pearl on the market and we are very proud to offer it to you!
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
These pearls are indeed of high quality, as evidenced not only in the exquisite flavor of the tea, but also in the appearance of the pearls. They are very uniform in size and shape, and there are very little “stray” bits of tea leaf with these pearls – very few broken or crushed tea leaf parts mean more beautiful pearls!
I steeped these pearls in my gaiwan, and while I do keep the lid on the gaiwan as the tea infuses, I would occasionally peek inside to watch the pearls slowly open. Such a lovely dance! I combined the infusions in my designated “Jasmine” Yixing mug (a total of five infusions!) and the result is an absolute jasmine paradise in this tea mug. It smells delightful – the sweet, exotic fragrance of jasmine with no chemical-y or artificial aromas present. Just pure tea and flower. The way a jasmine tea should be.
A very well-balanced flavor of green tea – light, slightly vegetative, with a buttery undertone – and jasmine flower here. The jasmine is not too strong, nor does it come off perfume-y. It isn’t a sharp flavor, instead, it is very smooth and sweet.
An excellent jasmine pearl, one I’d recommend to those who love jasmine as much as I do.
Jasmine Pearls from Canton Tea Co.
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Canton Tea Co.
Product Description:
The long silvery tea buds are hand-picked from the white tea varietal used for Silver Needle, but are heated as in a green tea process. They are then carefully stored for several weeks until the Jasmine flowers blossom. The tea buds are very skilfully hand rolled into perfect spheres and layered over several nights with the fresh Jasmine blossoms. Just a few pearls yield a highly fragrant liquor, bright with refreshing jasmine and sweet with the soft creamy undertones of the tea buds.
Read more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Wow! What an exquisite tea!
Jasmine has long been one of my favorite tea flavors, and I am especially fond of jasmine pearls. Up until about a couple of years ago, though, I was of the belief that a pearl is a pearl … and boy was I ever wrong there. Not all pearls are created equal, and this one deserves to be recognized as one of the very best!
The flavor is so soft and creamy. Not a buttery kind of creamy taste (although every once in a while, I could swear I taste a buttery note). Instead it’s a smooth, rich kind of creamy taste. The green tea/white tea tastes so fresh and even though it is a lighter tasting tea, it has a richness to it that ties in to that creaminess I mentioned.
But a jasmine pearl is not a jasmine pearl without the jasmine, right? Here, the jasmine tastes so light and sweet, it does not have a perfume-y taste to it at all, nor does it have that chemical-y kind of taste that sometimes is detected in jasmine teas. This must be the real thing, folks!
This is a phenomenal jasmine pearl, certainly one of the very best I’ve yet to try. I’d recommend it highly to all those jasmine aficionados out there.
Organic Dragon Pearl Jasmine from Red Blossom Tea Co.
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: Red Blossom Tea Co.
Product Description:
Crafted from IMO-certified organic tea buds from Fujian and Jasmine flowers from Guangxi, our Organic Dragon Pearl Jasmine is produced over the span of two seasons.
In early spring, the hand-picked leaf buds are steamed then meticulously hand-rolled and dried. Once finished, the rolled teas are stowed until summer, when they are scented with fresh Jasmine blossoms over seven consecutive evenings.
The resulting fragrant pearl unravels in water, releasing a persistent Jasmine aroma in a smooth, lightly sweet liquor.
Taster’s Review:
This is the third (and final) package of tea that I received in my August Steepster Select package … and it is proving to be my favorite of the three! These Jasmine Pearls have really surprised me.
First of all, I am surprised that these pearls have been classified as a white tea. I do not see this classification on the Red Blossom Tea Co. website, but on the Steepster Select packaging, it is shown as a scented white tea. Most of the Jasmine Pearls that I’ve encountered have been categorized as green tea. But, after tasting this, I can see why it might be considered a white tea. The flavor itself is surprising! It is much softer and more delicate than any other Jasmine Pearl I’ve tried.
The white tea is sweet and subtle and has such a tranquility about it. When brought together with the essence of the exotic jasmine, it becomes euphoria in a teacup.
Yes, my time with this Dragon Pearl Jasmine has been an surprising experience for me. The only thing that didn’t surprise me is the fact that I love these pearls, even though I am surprised at just how good they are. These may just prove to be my favorite Jasmine Pearl I’ve yet to try.