Premium Jasmine Dragon Pearls Green Tea

A surprising tea. Especially for a girl that isn’t particularly big on jasmine teas.

Video Review: http://iheartteas.teatra.de/2012/01/video-tea-review-jasmine-dragon-pearls-green-tea-teavivre/

I was really surprised by the scent of this tea, opening the package. I’ve had a fair number of very nice jasmine teas and dragon pearls at this point, and my previous aversion to what I thought of as a soapy flavour has been overturned. With slight variances, they largely smell and taste the same. This one, though, instantly came across very markedly sweet. Very floral, but with a candy-like sweetness. It translated into the flavour in what is probably the freshest-tasting, least perfumey jasmine tea I’ve had to date.

I still don’t find this the most exciting type of tea, personally, but Teavivre’s is the nicest dragon pearls I’ve had. Several pearls yielded three great big flavourful infusions, too.

Since I just had Teavivre’s other jasmine tea yesterday, I’m going to compare the two.

First impression, yum! These are quite similar teas, but I’m detecting a heavier sweetness to these pearls. The jasmine is again very nice and very well executed, but the pearls seem a little less floral than the Mo Li Yin Hao. The green tea is also more absent.

With both teas, I started out with a 1.5 minute steep and increased subsequent steeps by 30 seconds. They both held up to multiple infusions equally well. However, I am detecting a tad more astringency. I remember the Mo Li Yin Hao getting astringent at the end of the third cup. But the astringency appeared in the pearls halfway through the first cup.

I don’t want to be too critical. It’s still a delicious cup of tea. I think I just prefer the other one. The Mo Li Yin Hao was just so perfectly balanced. Still, this tea wins out on cuteness.

How adorable are these little tiny pearls??! I’ve never had jasmine pearls before, so I’m glad I finally got to see what all the hype is about. They’re much smaller than I expected, but they unfurl really beautifully. I’m not sure what pearls have to do with dragons though…Perhaps they hoard them?

Overall, a very nice tea experience tonight. Very relaxing after an incredibly stressful couple of days.

I haven’t always been a fan of floral teas. Over time, I’ve begun to develop a fondness for jasmine, osmanthus, and orchid scented teas. I still don’t care much for rose scented teas because rose tea tastes like the smell of old lady perfume… blerg.

Jasmine “Dragon Pearls” Green Tea is a damn fine jasmine scented tea. The green tea is very high quality and the jasmine flavor is distinct but subtle. I thoroughly enjoyed my sample and I’m very grateful to Angel for sending it to me.

Whenever I see dragon pearls tea I marvel at the labor that goes into hand rolling tea leaves into little balls in such quantity. It makes me appreciate my cupful even more.
I actually was so surprised by the pale tan color of this tea that I thought I’d not followed the directions correctly. The 1-2 minute recommended steep time could be extended a wee bit more without creating a bitter cup of tea, I think- but I’ve been mostly conservative about brewing this.

I find myself reaching for cups of this one more than any of the other Teavivre ones, much to my surprise. The jasmine taste is really pleasant and mellow. The tea feels surprisingly refreshing, and might be good iced when it’s not so cool out. I keep thinking of great food pairings for this one, but again I associate jasmine tea with particular Chinese restaurants in my area… mmm salt baked tofu, cold glass noodles with sesame.

I need to back off- it’s not time for lunch :)
Anyway, a relaxing, mellow cup of jasmine tea. Yum.

Edited to add that I am just learning about multiple steepings and I tried the technique on this one. The second steeping was actually the best because the pearls opened up fully. So give that a try!

Also, if you think you hate jasmine teas this one might win you over. It’s really mild and almost pretty.

I received this after being contact by a lovely woman from Teavivre. Sadly it had been sitting at the post office for over a week before anyone got around to deliver it. (Thankfully my postman rocks and signed for it himself and left it at our place)

Anyway, when I opened the package I smelled the jasmine instantly. I’m not usually a huge jasmine fan, but I was willing to give this a try. I’m very glad I did. This was very yummy. It has a very sweet and crisp taste to it. I can’t wait to try the others as this was a good start to the samples that were sent.

So this is my tea break of the day; I’m trying to get through all this reading…It really never ends. This was a very generous sample provided by Teavivre! :)
I’ve had an interesting relationship with jasmine. It’s not always my favorite because of its very heady aroma. This one would not disappoint true jasmine fans! It is beautifully rolled and I can almost taste it as I open the bag. My first steep did not fully unfurl the leaves of these pearls. There is also a very deeply complex smell to this jasmine.
The liquor itself is very light and the taste is actually much more subdued (a good point for me!). I put less leaf into this because of my slight jasmine phobia. I actually really enjoyed this one. It’s not overly floral; most of this flavor hits my palate on the end of a sip. I think that this could be the jasmine that changes my ideas of what jasmine tea should be.
edit I’m now on my 3rd steep of this tea and I’m surprised by its ability to last. I’m quite sure that a 4th and at least a 5th steep could be taken from these leaves. This would be a great tea for the penny-pinching-jasmine loving-poor college student. :p lol

I guess you would say I’m double fisting Teavivre style this morning. I enjoy jasmine teas quite a bit. They are not everyday teas for me but there is a comfort that jasmine brings to me. It reminds me so much of summer and going on vacation. Dragon pearls fascinate me as well…as do other artisan teas. Yes Hollywood has corrupted me because every time I hear pearl I think Pirates of the Caribbean. If you saw my previous post about pirates and drinking tea. Arrr! I think there is a beauty in watching the pearls open up like watching a Ti Kuan Yin open up. I really like this version of pearls because the jasmine is a little more subtle and not overpowering. This would be a great after dinner or afternoon tea. Thus continuing my high esteem for Teavivre.

Thankyou so much again TEAVIVRE for this generous sample!
Dry leaf smell: sweet jasmine, very floral
Liqour: light golden
Watching those cute little pearls unroll is pretty!
Taste: light, sweet, not overly perfumey or scented like a lot of other jasmines. This tea has a silky, full mouth feel.
2nd steep: 80degrees, 2minutes, still silky and smooth
3rd steep: 85degrees, 2.5minutes, getting a little weak now, but still has a hint of sweet jasmine
Overall, I would say that this is the best jasmine tea I have had to date! Just wonderful…..this tea deserves to be served at fancy tea parties in pretty glass teapots!

This is the one sample I have feared the most. I even turned down one jasmine sample because of my fear of it. Thus far, in my tea journey, I have only tolerated straight jasmines. Teavivre really has their work cut out for them if I am to like this one. Putting on my brave face…

I open the bag and breath in. Hey, this is different. The jasmine doesn’t make me flinch. It is a pleasant fresh floral and not overwhelming. In addition there is a fruitiness like Concord grape or maybe grape soda that is very appealing. Maybe this won’t be too bad…

Steeped 2 minutes at 80 C. Note to self, remember to only go 1 minute next time. Very light amber liquor. The fruitiness is still in the brew and the wet leaf. Even better, it is in the sip. The best part of this cup is breathing in before you sip. It fills your senses with flowers and grapes until your brain stops processing anything else but the aroma. There is even a hint of rose in here. You catch the green tea at the back of the tongue after the fragrance subsides.

Wow. This is really good. Is this what jasmine is supposed to taste like? If it is, then I have never really had jasmine before. Seriously, I could drink this everyday. Bring on cup two.

I drink GALLONS upon GALLONS of green tea, and Dragon Pearls are among my favorite varieties. It’s just great how the little pearls slowly unfurl steep after steep. They’re super-portable, and among my favorite teas to travel with.

I’ve had Dragon Pearls from over a dozen different tea companies, and these are among the best of them. They do what Dragon Pearls are supposed to do, and taste how they’re supposed to taste. The oily, floral taste is present on the forefront and the aftertaste, but it isn’t overbearing at all. Just perfect. This is the third tea that I’ve tried from Tea Vivre, and they’ve really won be over with their high-quality teas.

Loose
Appearance: bicolor pearls
Aroma when Dry: light floral, creamy jasmine
After water is first poured: same notes as dry, addition of faint earthy woody note
At end of first steep: slightly floral, jasmine
Tea liquor:
At end of first steep: buttery brown
Staple? Type yes
Preferred time of day: any
Taste:
At first: bitter, floral, jasmine
As it cools ? Notes open up, tea starts tasting soapy, tea starts to sour
Additives used (milk, honey, sugar etc)? No
Lingers? Yes, jasmine soap texture

Second steep (3 min)
Taste: Jasmine soap

Very delicious tea, that was not overly powerful with jasmine fragrance. Very smooth and sultry!! A nice jasmine “pearl” that can be enjoyed anytime ;)

Thanks to Teavivre for this and the other generous samples!

I’ve been really scared to try this. Back when I first got into tea, I had some bad experiences with green teas and jasmine greens in particular. I’m sure it was mostly due to my lack of brewing knowledge, but it still made me shy away from green teas. But for some reason, I saw this today and just really wanted to try it. I’m definitely happy I did.

I’m used to overly floral, intense jasmine teas. Some people may like those, but they just give me headaches. This is not overly strong, in smell or taste. It smells great. I was tempted to not even drink it and just smell it instead.

I wish I could thank this tea for giving me hope. It tastes so good that I want to try more green teas now! It was sweet, which I wasn’t expecting. Most green teas I’ve had have tasted kinda like burnt grass. The jasmine is light, not overpowering.

I’m not really sure what else to say about it, as I don’t know what to look for in green teas, but this is really great! If you’re looking to get into green teas, give this a try!

This was a very lovely tea. I already have some that was purchased in Flushing N.Y. and I really love it. It is one of those Jasmines that have a very soft fragrance and the flavor is sweet and delicate and it becomes more intricate with each steeping. I brewed this in the Gaiwan and it is one of those teas that seems like it could steep forever without losing its flavor. I had around 6 steepings and it was still going strong. I truly believe Jasmine are a nice nightcap. They are very relaxing and in all honesty I think last nights Silver Jasmine knocked me out. So far I am very happy with all of the tea that Angel from Teavivre has sent me. I like to cold brew Dragon Pearls not only to watch the pearls unfurl but to enjoy the beautiful flavor….

It smells amazing and tastes just like it smells. Very floral wirh a slight hint of bitterness at the end which I find common with jasmine. Very nice and relaxing. I left my tea loving friend with the rest of the sample. I know he’ll appreciate it. :)

Does anyone else want to bathe in jasmine tea? I think I’d smell so good afterwards.

Started my day off with this tea :] The flavor is bolder than I thought it was going to be. The green is sweet with hints of floral notes. I thought the jasmine was going to be the more dominant flavor but they equal out pretty nicely.
Sweet, crisp, and very refreshing :]

I’m not typically a jasmine fan but after this sample from Teavivre I may be a convert. It was incredibly smooth with no astringency whatsoever, and the floral taste was fresh and bold without being overpowering. I had it at work and felt like I had momentarily escaped to a garden tea party. I just wish I had made this in something transparent so I could watch these little guys unravel more and more with each steep. Resteeped twice with just as much flavor as the first time. Another hit from Teavivre.

1st steep:
Steeped this at the same time as another Jasmine pearl which I shall not name here.

The initial aroma from the other pearl was more evident (tho the scent was stronger from this package than from the other one)

I left both teas steeping until I finished sipping them.

This Jasmine pearl had a deeper color liquor and stronger aroma. But it was not too strong for me. It was: just right!

The flavor was perfect too! I also love that it was super smooth…

Thank you Kasumi and Teavivre (samples from them arrived at the same time and Kasumi’s was a surprise! shouldve picked a different tea to sample from Teavivre, hahaha)

will report on resteeps later

Tonight I did a tasting of this tea and Silk Road Teas Jasmine pearl tea, to see if I could pick a favorite. I’m still not sure. Teavivres pearl won me over in the aroma category; it was sweeter, even though neither were overpowering in any way. Silk roads pearl was a little heavier on the jasmine ( but still not actually heavy, just heavier than Teavivres) in flavor, so at first I was leaning towards that one. But Teavivres has a sweeter aftertaste. Overall, I like this tea and I am very happy to get the chance to try some! Thank you to Angel and Teavivre! I am looking forward to spending more quality time with this tea sample. :)