So… I finally gave up to the hype surrounding this tea and ordered myself a sample.
I read all the praising tasting notes before trying it and was prepared to face something extraordinary.
I like jasmine teas and am always on the lookout for the perfect jasmine. This isn’t gonna get to the top, that’s for sure. My main gripe is the smell. What I’m looking for is fresh-off-a-bush-jasmine and all I’m getting instead is old-lady-perfume-jasmine. It’s heady, powdery and strong. I can vividly picture an old English lady wearing jasmine perfume and serving this tea to her grandchildren. The lady is so stuck in my mind that I think of her each time I brew this.
I decided to use a gaiwan because I figured since it’s Silver Needle it should stand up to several infusions. And indeed it does. Actually I like the subsequent infusions much better than the first one. The perfume is pretty much gone and now I can enjoy Silver Needle taste with the traces of jasmine flowers.
I’ll continue my experiments with this tea and maybe I’ll find a way to beat the first wave of flavor…
Preparation
People who liked this
Comments
Sad day. This is one of my favorites! I started steeping mine at the recommended 7 min.
If I’d steeped it for 7 minutes I’d had to pour it down the drain, that’s for sure :D
I also find Adagio’s recommended 7 min steeping time for whites to be quite excessive.
I think the full seven minutes are necessary, then again I like stronger tea. For the smell, just let it cool a bit and it’ll die down. Oh god, now I have the old lady picture in my head, haha. Next time I drink jasmine I might think of it and I won’t enjoy my cup of tea.
Oolonga: Sorry for the unrelated comment, but I saw your discussion (which I have since deleted) about problems adding new teas and I just wanted to follow up and see if you're still having an issue (I tried to email you using your signup email but it didn't work). Shoot me an email at jasonsteepster.com if you are having problems and include any relevant details about the situation if possible. Otherwise…have fun experimenting with the jasmine tea :)
Sad day. This is one of my favorites! I started steeping mine at the recommended 7 min.
If I’d steeped it for 7 minutes I’d had to pour it down the drain, that’s for sure :D
I also find Adagio’s recommended 7 min steeping time for whites to be quite excessive.
I think the full seven minutes are necessary, then again I like stronger tea. For the smell, just let it cool a bit and it’ll die down. Oh god, now I have the old lady picture in my head, haha. Next time I drink jasmine I might think of it and I won’t enjoy my cup of tea.
Oolonga: Sorry for the unrelated comment, but I saw your discussion (which I have since deleted) about problems adding new teas and I just wanted to follow up and see if you're still having an issue (I tried to email you using your signup email but it didn't work). Shoot me an email at jasonsteepster.com if you are having problems and include any relevant details about the situation if possible. Otherwise…have fun experimenting with the jasmine tea :)