Fujian Jasmine Pearls

Got a sample size of this the other day along with a few of the other Master’s Collection teas. The tea is labeled as green tea but tastes and looks a lot more like a white to me. The smell of jasmin is very pleasant and tastes very light and smooth. As of this time I am on my 5th infusion and it has lost very little taste as well. In all, I am loving it.

First off, I love the way the hand rolled pearls look- they are dainty,delicate and just beautiful. The strong smell of Jasmine is a bit overpowering. Although Jasmine is a natural strong scent, that some people don’t enjoy, I do enjoy it- it’s sweet smelling and floral at the same time- which is appealing. The taste of this tea is not as strong as the smell by any means, the liquor is very delicate and wonderful all around. It’s light, it’s floral, it’s just great. I really think this tea would be wonderful to drink on a summer or spring day when it is not warm or cold, but just in between. All around, I think this tea is great and I respect Adagio offering higher quality teas in their new Maestro Collection.

Well, I wasn’t planning on placing another order so soon, but I just couldn’t miss out on this once in a life time opportunity so I ordered my 1st pouchong to get this.

The pearls are indeed small, as the description states, and I like that because it makes it easier to get an accurate desired portion size no matter if you measure your tea by volume or weight. As soon as I pop the tin I’m hit in the face w/ jasmine. This makes me question the suggested steeping time. I love their Jasmine #12 (also an oolong) which is also suggested to be steeped at 5 min, but I prefer it at 3. I also love their Jasmine Silver Needle (a white) steeped at 3 min inspite of the 7 min suggested steeping time. Oh well, I’ll make it as suggested 1st and see what happens.

2.25g pearls (~33 pearls)/6oz water. The liquor is a gorgeous medium golden color and the aroma is definitely that of Jasmine, but I can also smell the oolong in the back ground which makes me happy.

Wow… that’s surprising… This is not a “hit you in the face” jasmine that I was expecting based on the steeping time. The jasmine flavor is quite substantial, but the oolong is also clearly evident and gives this tea a smoother, more delicate flavor and mouth feel.

Beautiful pearls even made a crackling sound during steeping. Almost didn’t want to cover the tea so I could here the sound. Light and delicate jasmine flavor. To me it feels so peaceful and brought in a little light in an otherwise dreary day.

The only other rolled Jasmine pearl that I’ve tried is Adagio’s Jasmine #12 so I’m basing my review in comparison to that one. This Jasmine is exceptional. The floral notes may overpower some but I say “bring it on!!” This tea steeps so well multiple times and the flavor just continues to get better. Like the Jasmine #12 the tea is expensive but it is such a great experience for all of your senses. From the feel of the “fuzzy” handrolled pearls to the sight of the leaves unfurling and to the amazing fruity and floral taste of the resulting tea. This one is well worth the experience, and the fact that you can steep it over and over means you can drink somewhere around 5-6 cups of tea without changing the leaves. That brings more and more value to this tea.

First steep was 185º, 3g leaves/8oz water, 3 minutes. Second was 1 minute longer and third was another minute longer. Extremely enjoyable tea.

Free sample from Adagio. Being a huge fan of jasmine, I am very impressed with this blend. I have had some other’s that are just pure in your face jasmine that I really dislike. This blend is a little smoother and more subtle. Probably due to the oolong that kind of tames it down a bit.

These pearls arrived in a beautiful tin which was a good start to this tea. The pearls aroma was silky smooth and I have been anticipating this tea since before I ordered it.

On my first pot, I let it steep for 1:45 and the tea came out with a hint of bitterness. Although delicious, it tasted a little burnt.

On my second infusion, I lowered the time to 1 minute and the water temp to around 190 and it was much better but still not perfect.

Third infusion was also a little bitter but I wasn’t sure if it was the time, or the temperature.

I made this tea multiple times adjusting the amount of pearls, time, temperature, and covering the pot, and I got it right a few times where the taste was just perfect.
I want to give this tea a solid 95 for taste, but it is just so delicate and needs to be absolutely perfect to come out right. If any mistake is made, the punishment is harsh.

My free sample (thank you twitter!) arrived today, and so I naturally had to try this “sneak preview.” Very jasmine-scented and -flavored, it has almost no notes of the oolong base. First steep – 180F, 4:30. Second steep – 185F, 4:15. Third steep – 175F, 3:45.

Upon opening the tin, the unmistakeable scent of jasmine wafted through the air. This worried me at first, because I generally associate strong scents to artificial flavor, and artificial jasmine flavors come off as chemical-like to me. I was pleasantly surprised, however. The jasmine taste is very smooth and pleasant without covering up the oolong. This tea is very relaxing to me, and has proved to be one of the only jasmine teas I have actually liked. I have to thank adagio on this one for the new maestro collection. It’s an exciting experience to try higher quality teas at affordable prices.

Part of Adagio’s Maestro Collection. from the fujian province in china.

Nose and Color: Beautiful jasmine smell. Hand rolled pearls look exceptional. Leaves unroll as they are steeping wonderfully. not overpowerful

Taste: very floral. good after mutiple steeps. light flavor. tastes like most jasmines. this may be a little too overpriced for me considering you can get some good jasmines for better prices

Full review here: http://www.indieteas.com/home/2010/4/9/tea-review-15-adagios-fujian-jasmine-pearl.html

I feel like I want to like the tea more than I do. One of my favorites is Adagio’s Jasmine #12 pearls, so I figured I’d like their master’s collection tea better…but I don’t. The tea flavor is a bit more subtle, so I feel like the jasmine overpowers the base. All that being said, this is an enjoyable tea. The jasmine flavor is clear and the tea is easy to drink. I definitely like it, but I don’t love it.