The European Jasmine Tea

I picked this up in hopes of cheering myself up during the long search to rediscover chocolate milk tea. As an instrument of cheering up, you have to admit it is pretty rad. I mean, the name alone is already hilarious. When you add that to the extremely frou-frou looking bottle and the fact that what they describe it as is pretty much the exact opposite of what it tastes like…oh Japan, I love you and your insistence that you can just call things “European.”

Anyway, so the description of this said that it was supposed to be extremely fragrant because that is what (all) Europeans like. In actuality though, I found it to be much more subtle than the other (Japanese, one must assume) jasmines that I’ve tried while here. In fact, I quite like that aspect of it – I felt I got more actual “tea” taste out of it than I have the other ones which were basically just all about the jasmine. I think it wasn’t as sweet as the other ones as well, so I’m wondering if the base green tea was different (it was probably European).

A review of The European Jasmine Tea by Suntory

Company: Suntory
Tea Name: The European Jasmine Tea
Tea Type/Varietal: green
Region: Japan
Steeping Vessel/Amt. Leaf: soft drink
Liquor Color: golden amber—-light cinnamon
Leaf Characteristics: When I opened the tea bottle which had been in the refrigerator for many days there was not that pungent jasmine scent as I was very surprised since expecting of this.

I poured the tea in my cup and decided to have this with my evening meal. I took several sips of the tea whilst eating and noted the dryness of my palette and the fragrant aroma of the jasmine as I swallow the tea, which by the way is astringent as well. No sweetener at all. Tea is coldly unappealing.

I was thinking to throw the remainder of it away but then thought to microwave it for a minute or two and see how that fares up. I inadvertently put it for two minutes and walked away to wash my hands and when the microwave beeped, I opened the door, reaching for the cup which was piping hot and burned my fingers. I was so very mad at myself for being so dumb and not careful enough. I have had a horrible day so the burning was to awaken me to my on-going demise. I am numb with pain and yet the burned finger was to un-numb the numbness, instead I am feeling that it only added to my foolishness and stupidity. I let others use me and it is tiresome; but only I see this or I don’t see.

Anyhow, tea when warmed for two minutes livens the aroma of the Jasmine plant to that wow…pew! I was expecting when I first opened the bottle and the taste is still very astringent but not as drying as when the tea was iced tea. That coldness/dry mouth dissipates a bit more-so as tea is warmed.
Overall,
Would I purchase this again? No
Did you find the tea’s color to your liking? Yes
What of the tea’s aroma? As an Iced tea, the aroma is that of a dry white wine, that parch dryness effect from the jasmine plant as apposed to a tart, crisp apple.

This is good tea but not for this reviewer; her days with Jasmine are getting worse and worse since burning my fingers; I am taking this as a way to stay away from Jasmine; all things jasmine. I pray I remember this and don’t buy anything else.

About one week ago I said that there might be a limit to how good a tea can taste when bottled and iced. I take that back – at least to some degree. Perhaps a bit ironically, it would be The “European” Jasmine Tea who made me change my mind.

Being from Europe myself, I found it pretty interesting how a European jasmine tea would taste, considering that I have never heard about this in Europe nor knowing that apparently “all” Europeans have the same preferences when it comes to jasmine tea.

The taste was however quite the pleasant surprise! As Ewa earlier pointed out, this jasmine tea had a more subtle jasmine flavour, comparing it with the other jasmine teas I have been drinking here or at Asian restaurants back in Norway. The absence of strong jasmine flavour removed the usual bitterness and made the taste much more round and delicate, which in my book, is a very, very, good thing. Even the hot version did not make any strong bitterness.

This is definitely a tea I would like to enjoy while relaxing in a park during the last chilly part of this Autumn. At least as long as the colourful scenery lasts.