I’ve said this before, but green tea isn’t usually my favourite. I’ve been inspired by recent sucesses on this front, however, and today I decided to try this tea — Twinings Jasmine Pearls.
As with many of these teas I’ve come across before, the green tea leaves are rolled into balls, and then infused with the fragrance from fresh jasmine flowers. As I expected, the somewhat dusty scent of jasmine is the first thing I can smell on opening the packet.
Brewed, the smell is less pervasive, and the flavour is more delicate than I expected. Strangely enough, it’s still something I can smell rather than taste, even as I’m drinking. The jasmine seems to settle at the back of my throat/nose, which is both interesting and somewhat difficult to describe.
The taste is a lot sweeter than I was expecting, though. It’s very smooth, almost honeyed, in texture. There’s no dry bitterness or astringency, and it’s not cloying either. It really is very delicate, and surprisingly refreshing.
The liquor is a clear medium yellow-green, which, again, surprised me. I expected a much paler liquid, given that I only steeped for 2 minutes. A lot of teas are catching me unawares at the moment, it seems.
I have to say that I actually rather like this tea, despite my initial reservations. Green teas, and teas with strong floral notes, have never been high on my list, but I’m having to revise that opinion just lately. Who’d have thought it — two green teas I like, twice in one week!
