Jasmine Grey

Bubble Gum. Yep. That is my first impression of this tea. Double Bubble bubble gum, more precisely. The kind that has the little comic strip inside and that as a kid I could buy 2 for a nickle. Yeah, that says a little something about my age, doesn’t it?

OK then.

Actually, my very first impression was not bubble gum, because my first impression was formed when I first opened the package and smelled the dry leaf. I could smell the jasmine and the bergamot. The bergamot was not as overpowering as in some Earl Grey teas, and it mingled rather nicely with the jasmine. It smelled delightful.

It is the brewed liquor that smells a bit like double bubble bubble gum. And in my very first sip, when it first hit my tongue, I could taste that sweet taste of double bubble bubble gum.

This is not a bad thing, mind you, because I like double bubble bubble gum. It is just a bid odd and unexpected.

But then, I’ve come to expect the unexpected when it comes to Frank and 52Teas!

Now that I am sipping it a little more, the flavors are becoming more defined. I can taste the jasmine notes – it is very pleasant. The bergamot is not as distinct – it is certainly not the overpoweringly purfume-y, sharp bergamot that is sometimes encountered with an Earl Grey tea. It is a nice citrus note that is smooth and sweet.

There is a faint sharp note to it though, but, it isn’t a typical Earl Grey sharpness, I think it has more to do with the jasmine. It isn’t an unpleasant sharpness, though.

I like it.

This was my teapot tea for the day because as we all know I do not learn from experience. Oh hay the green did not actually let me sleep last night? Clearly that was a FLUKE we should try it again and see if the experiment is repeatable except that we will use a completely different green because it is not like we are invoking scientific principles in order to justify our behavior. Also why are we using the royal we? I don’t know.

Good lord I am so glad that Liberteas is down in the other reviews section saying she also got bubble gum from this because that is the overwhelming scent that I get as well. Sadly, I do not like bubble gum – the taste is too sugary and artificial for me most of the time and I feel it encourages the habit of not chewing with your mouth closed which is just gross. Fortunately, the taste for me, is much more complicated than just bubble gum. There is an initial point of bubblegum, it’s true, but then it resolves itself into this fascinating mixture of flavors that I really enjoy trying to tease out. The jasmine here is very subtle but definitely there if you look for it and I actually quite enjoy trying to pinpoint it within each sip. The base tea is also quite subtle allowing the flavors to really interact with each other. And it is an interaction, not a mixture, I think, they almost seem to be in conversation with each other. It’s neat!

I really like this tea in my teapot because I don’t mind having several cups of it in a row, since the taste is so complex.

Thanks to LiberTEAS I was able to try this one. This has a pleasant green tea and floral smell. A little browner and darker than more green teas I have seen once infused. The green tea itself has a very delightful taste then you taste the Jasmine. It seems to be just the right amount and has a nice even taste all the way thru the sip!

It is official: tea disappears in our household at an alarming rate. I got a neat little package from 52teas and I’m trying Jasmine Grey right now. It smells like bubble gum or gummy bears … ah the simple pleasures of childhood. The taste is really pleasant: not overly sweet, with some underlying citrus tartness which I really like. Most of the time I drink unflavored teas but I’m not a tea purist so I do enjoy flavors as well and this is definitely enjoyable.