80
drank Jasmine Oolong by Tea Ave
17349 tasting notes

Thank you Tea Ave for the sample! I’ve tried a couple jasmine oolongs now, so I was excited seeing this one included in my samples since I’ve absolutely got a point of comparison. Besides, jasmine teas really seem to work for me (jasmine whites are my favourite though; admittedly) in general.

I made a pot of this one tonight when I got home from work to drink while I watched The Voice with Tre tonight. And, I was sure to use the aroma cup as well. In fact, Tre was really interested in what I was doing so I wound up teaching him how to use it too (not like he ever will though). So thanks for that as well Tea Ave; it was cool sharing tea stuff with him!

I have to say; the aroma cup didn’t make a huge difference for me; not like it has with the other teas I’ve tried it with, anyway. Absolutely made the floral notes in the tea stand out – and was very sweet, but I didn’t personally think I made any observations I would’ve missed otherwise. I let Tre smell though; but he didn’t like it much. Then again, he really hates most things floral so I should’ve expected it.

Taste wise, I thought most of the cups from my pot tasted very consistent. The ratio of jasmine flavour compared with the natural flavours of the oolong was pretty even; neither over powered the other, and both got a chance to shine. Definitely a sweet jasmine; absolutely and completely natural tasting. I can’t imagine it’d ever find its way into “chemical” or “cheap perfume” territory!

The oolong was very soft and I tasted similar butter and cream notes to what I experienced with Ginger Lily; but I believe the two share the same base (someone correct me if that’s wrong though; I don’t have the packaging on me) so that’s not surprising. Maybe it was the flavour pairing; but I do think Ginger Lily’s “milk oolong” like flavour notes were stronger, and more drawn out. I missed that in this blend. Obviously, the floral notes were more exaggerated though – lots of orchid but also honeysuckle. Different than Ginger Lily; I also tasted more vegetal notes. Sugar snap peas, in particular. Crisp and sweet!

Final thoughts; the jasmine in this is excellent. Insanely well balanced, and completely natural tasting. Probably better than any other jasmine oolong I’ve had – or at the very least just as good. The oolong itself is also very good but less interesting here than it was in Ginger Lily.

However, taking a moment to be a little more critical – Ginger Lily is much more unique and a more surprising find for me. That, combined with the way the flavours of the oolong were brought out, is why I think it’s significantly better. While this certainly is a very good Jasmine Oolong, they aren’t terribly uncommon either. So I don’t think this is one I’d want to purchase – though I really, really did enjoy it. I still think I’d buy Ginger Lily though.

I think this note jumps around a lot but it’s also 1:00AM so bare with me.

Stephanie

I loved this one! I really want to try ginger lily when they open

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Stephanie

I loved this one! I really want to try ginger lily when they open

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Bio

Hello! My name is Kelly, though many people in the tea community call me Ros or Roswell.

I am a mid-twenties tea addict, blogger, and all around nerd. I grew up in the Prairies, but a few years ago I relocated to Quebec to pursue a career with DAVIDsTEA in the tea industry! I’m still working on getting my French language skills down…

My first introduction to tea, in any form outside of instant and bottled iced tea, was about seven years ago when I happened to stumble upon DAVIDsTEA while looking for a birthday present for a friend! I tried their Birthday Cake rooibos blend, and I’ve been hooked on tea ever since! In those seven years; I was introduced to the online tea community, expanded my interest in flavoured teas to include a deep love and appreciation for straight teas and traditional brewing methods, got a tea themed tattoo, started reviewing teas, amassed a sizable tea and teaware collection, became a TAC certified Tea Sommelier, & even came full circle by beginning a career in the tea industry with DAVIDsTEA!

I consider myself a Jack of all Teas, and strive to have a knowledge and appreciation of all tea types, formats, and styles of drinking. I don’t like to feel boxed in to just being a “flavoured tea” or “straight tea” drinker – my expectations may vary depending on the type of tea or how it’s been processed/prepared but if it’s good tea, it’s good tea no matter how it’s been made!

You name it, I probably drink it- and I’ll absolutely try anything at least once.

My default method of preparation is hot, Western style, and straight – but I’m not opposed to additions if I’m in the right mood. If I ever add something to a tea or use a different method of preparation I will ALWAYS call it out in the tasting note though.

I like to listen to music when drinking tea, especially when I’m brewing a large pot at a time or steeping Gongfu. Often I curate very intentional tea and music pairings, and sometimes I share them here in my tasting reviews. Music is something that I find can deeply affect the experience of having tea.

I’m also one half of the “tea and fandom” podcast GeekSteep where, weekly, we discuss newly explored fandoms over tea as well as try to figure out the perfect tea to pair with each fandom. You can find us on Spotify and Apple & Google podcasts.

Favourite flavour notes/ingredients: Pear, lychee, cranberry, cream, melon, pineapple, malt, roasty, petrichor, sweet potato, heady florals like rose, hazelnut or walnut, sesame, honey (in moderation), and very woody shou.

Least favourite flavour notes/ingredients:
Lemongrass, ginger, strongly spiced profiles (and most Chai in general), mushrooms, seaweed, chamomile, stevia, saltiness or anything that reminds me too much of meat that isn’t supposed to taste like meat…

Currently exploring/obsessed with: Sheng from Yiwu, Yancha (Qilan in particular), anything with a strong sweet potato note. Also, I need to try ALL the root beer teas! Searching for a really good caramel flavoured blend, ideally with a black tea base.

Please contact me at the instagram account listed below if you would like me to review your teas.

Currently I’m employed in the tea department of the DAVIDsTEA head office. While I’m still sharing my own personal thoughts on new & existing DAVIDsTEA blends, I am no longer numerically rating them due to the obvious conflict of interest. Any comments expressed are a reflection of my own thoughts and opinions, and do not reflect the thoughts and opinions of the company. Any DAVIDsTEA blends you currently see with a numeric score were reviewed prior to my being hired there and have not been adjusted since becoming a DAVIDsTEA employee.

Location

Montreal, QC, CA

Website

https://www.instagram.com/ros...

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