Lover's Bloom

This tea smells like Florida at dusk, if you’re sitting by the ocean, and just able to taste a bit of the salt off of your lips. In taste, though, it is very light and floral, and the contrast is really pleasant in combination. Has the coloring of a light oolong, smells like green tea, and tastes like jasmine. Definitely more steeps to come!

My first blooming tea. This was a most thoughtful gift from a friend.

There are no real instructions on the packaging. I looked on the website and could not find a statement on how large a cup/pot to use. The canister said 12 blooms, 36 infusions, over 250 cups. Doing the math that is about 7 cups per steep. How big do they think a cup is? Is it 4oz, 6oz, – 8oz? I am sure it is not the 10oz I normally use. My kettle came with a 6 cup pot, or roughly 36oz. I figured that was close enough.

The bloom opened up nicely with minimal debris. The broken off leaves were due to me pouring the water over the pod in a bit of a brutish manner. The artistry in these things is truly amazing to behold. There is a beautiful tiny red flower at the heart of the bloom. A wonderful conversation piece around a table with friends. Highly recommend for the visual appeal.

Now I have always heard blooming teas are less than spectacular in the taste department. That may be true, however in this case I must say I was thoroughly surprised. You see, I don’t or didn’t like Jasmine. I have never liked the smell, the taste, or how it settles on my stomach. This tea has the Jasmine smell but the taste is very mellow and subdued. It is so sufficiently sweet on its own that even I was tempted not to add the yellow packet.

I made two pots out of this. Didn’t try the third Primula claims. I suspect it would have worked. If you like an in your face Jasmine, this is not a tea for you. If you think you don’t like Jasmine, you may well enjoy this. I poured and finished 4 cups myself. That’s more Jasmine than I have been able to finish in my whole life. A pleasant cup. Looking forward to more.

Sure it’s Jasmine and green tea scent and taste…but this one has the coloring of an oolong once steeped/bloomed. Will be doing multiple infusions with this one just because. A nice tea.