Best Jasmine Pearls tea you've tasted?

I love love LOVE the Butterfly Jasmine tea from DAVID’s. That is by far the best jasmine tea I’ve ever tasted!
I love jasmine so much and I’ll definitely get more sometime, but I’m waiting for my tea stash to dwindle down to hopefully the 50’s to 70’s before I decide to purchase more.

I seem to be the odd one out when it comes to Teavivre’s jasmine pearls. I’m not a huge fan of the regular jasmine pearls, and didn’t mind the peach jasmine pearls that much – I didn’t sense the artificial peach flavour that others did.

However, I find that Teavivre’s jasmine teas are a bit too heavy on the jasmine for my taste. My absolute favourite jasmine pearls are the Jasmine Dragon Pearls by Capital Tea Ltd: http://steepster.com/teas/capital-tea-ltd/43980-jasmine-dragon-pearls

I find that those have a strong jasmine flavour, but there’s a sweetness about them that reminds me of honeysuckle or orange.

I tried David’s Tea Butterfly Jasmine as a free sample from my Frequent Steeper points, and I must say…I was disappointed at first, then pleasantly surprised. I figured they knew what they were doing, so measured and steeped according to their instructions and it was bitter. I’ll put a bit of the blame for that on me, too, since I probably over-steeped. But something still didn’t seem right. The second steep from the same leaves was much, MUCH better. Lightly floral, no bitterness at all, very yummy. So I played a bit. And you know what? Not that I should be surprised, since it’s their most expensive tea, they want you to over-leaf. They recommend 1 1/4 tsp which is about one of their perfect spoonfuls for one of their perfect mugs. That’s about 10-12 butterflies. The second time I made a cup, I only used 4 butterflies. PERFECTION. Now my 50g is going to go a long, long way.

I thought I would rekindle this topic. It’s a new love of mine – Jasmine pearls have taken over as my favorite liquid refreshment.

I’ve been at it six months, but already I have a diverse collection in my cupboard from many sources in my search for perfection.

May favorites thus far:

1. Teavivre Superfine Downy Jasmine Pearls – Amazingly rich, deep and prolific Jasmine with a balanced tea taste and no bitterness, even with long steeps.
2. Teavivre Premium Jasmine Dragon Pearls – Similar in scent/flavor to the Downy variety, but larger leaf and slightly less intense Jasmine.
3. Tea Ren ’King’s Grade’ Jasmine Dragon Pearls – Very sweet Jasmine smell and long lasting pearls, but very expensive.
4. Tealyra Imperial Jasmine Dragon Pearls – High on a sweet and lingering Jasmine aroma and flavor. Tea taste is lighter, but very nice.
5. David’s Tea Jasmine Dragon Pearls – Where it all began for me. I was able to make these bitter when I was still experimenting where the Teavivre seems impossible to ruin. Nonetheless, these stole my heart.
6. Some non-pearl Jasmines that are very nice – Tealyra Vietnamese Jasmine Queen, Teavivre Bi Luo Chun Jasmine
7. Some Dragon pearls of other brands that are good, but less intense in flavor or re-steepability: Butterfly Brand Jasmine Dragon Pearl, Tea Ren Imperial Jasmine Dragon Pearls

And believe it or not, I’ve actually ordered pearls (1 lb, oops) from Moyishi-ca on Amazon that were inexpensive, but had no Jasmine at all and a grassy taste.

So – for those that have tried all these and know there is a higher ceiling yet – what could it be? Thanks!

It’s been 4 months, time for an update. Bumping in at #1 is Hojo Jasmine Pearls. You must visit their site and download their latest inventory and message Akira to deliver what you wish – and they are not cheap. Hojo claims to have proposed a new standard for Jasmine pearls and these deliver! Using a 4oz Gaiwan (filled to about 3.5 Oz), 20 pearls, water approx. 180F and 6 minutes for the first steep, I was greeted with a simply intoxicatingly sweet and rich aroma. The taste is equally full and rich, but by no means too intense. Like the essence of toasted marshmallow while the aroma of fresh Jasmine fills your nostrils. Magical. The quality continues to shine through steep #2 at 4 minutes – 95% as durable as the first steep. 3 and 4 steeps are still worth the time with the 4th being a pleasant memory of a wonderful tea session and as good or better than lesser brands at first flush. Impeccable!

List adjusted as thus:

Hojo Jasmine Pearls Teavivre Premium Jasmine Pearls Teavivre Superfine Downy Jasmine Pearls Tealyra Imperial Jasmine Pearls Yunnan Sourcing Imperial Jasmine Pearls Tea Ren King’s Grade Jasmine Pearls David’s (various types)

Honorable mention to Teavivre’s Black buds Jasmine tea. Not pearls, but a rich and unique Jasmine tea – one of my favs.

There are a few more brands I’ve yet to compare here (T2, Harney & Sons, Tea Trekker come to mind), but I can’t frankly imagine how much more flavor, aroma and value (number of quality steeps) one could get into a pearl beyond what Hojo have done.

Has anyone tried the Hojo or Teavivre against others not in my list? How did they compare? Thanks! Happy sipping.