Thanks to Teavivre for the free sample of this tea! I accidentally oversteeped the first infusion, so it had a bit of astringency in it, but it was a surprisingly small amount when compared to some Jasmine tea that I’ve had. The aroma was a very nice jasmine scent, but it wasn’t overpowering. The taste of the tea is hard to discern underneath the astringency, but I do taste something flowery, which suggests that that taste will be fairly strong if I don’t oversteep the next infusion.
Okay, I was REALLY careful with the second infusion, using degree water and steep for exactly two minutes. The result was a cup of tea with a nice sweet flowery flavor, with not even a hint of astringency. This is the second be jasmine tea I’ve had to date (after the jasmine pearls that I got from Teavivre back in November).
Interestingly enough, the third infusion with this tea was exactly the same as the second. I don’t often find green teas with this type of longevity (they usually only last for four steepings), but I figure that I will get at least five infusions out of this tea, which is a pleasant surprise.
I lost track of what steeping I’m on, but rest assured it is at least number six. I brewede this infusion at a low termperature, like 140 degrees, and the resutl was pretty goo. I actually forgot about the tea, so it was infusing for somewhere between 6 and 10 minutes before I took the leaves out. The resulting tea is still a bit flowery, but the generic green tea taste is beginning to seep in. Interestingly enough, there is no astringency, even though it was a VERY long infusion, most likely due to the low water temperature and the high number of previous steepings.
All in all, this is a very good tea, and certainly better than a lot of Jasmines that I’ve had. I’m seriously considering using this to replace my Yamamotoyama jasmine, given that this has a better taste and lasts longer.
