Jasmine-scented green tea is the crutch by which I hobble through winter. My daily poison is Jasmine Pearls or Dragon Tears, and so all Jasmine-scented green teas are rated by how well they compare to that standard.

Jasmine Butterfly is made of small bundles of Jasmine-scented tea leaves, which have been packaged into a whimsical, vaguely butterfly-like, shape. These bundles are more loosely formed than rolled pearls, look perhaps twice the size of rolled pearls, and possibly contain a similar quantity of tea. Unlike pearls, there is no leaf bud included in the bundle.

Due to the looser packaging, these butterflies unfurl into perfect, distinct, whole leaves. The colour of the leaves is a nicely uniform pale green, and there is no sign of mechanical clipping (i.e., the claim that these are hand-clipped is probably true!). The leaves are trimmed near the base of the blade (with minimal stem attached), and are more mature than the leaves used in Dragon Tears. These bundles are certainly more labour-intensive than the rolled pearls, which may explain why this tea is more expensive than Dragon Tears.

I find the nose and flavour indistinguishable from good Dragon Tears — light, and floral, and green, and soothing, standing up well to multiple brewings. It is more visually appealing than pearls, but most of that appeal is lost in the strainer of my celadon cup. I would buy this as a gift, but due to the price, I’ll stick to Dragon Tears for my own drinking.

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