A sample from Cteresa. I’ve had relative success with a few orange/jasmine/vanilla blends recently, so I pulled this one out to try with interest. I gave 1 tsp of leaf 4 minutes in boiling water, and added a splash of milk. It smells beautiful — sweetly cirtussy, just like an actual mandarin, with a light floral edge.
To taste, it’s everything I’d hoped. The orange is sweetish, but with a slightly zesty edge, and the vanilla and jasmine combine into a creamy light floral, which complements the citrus flavour beautifully. The base is smooth and delicate, with no bitterness or astringency at all, and it doesn’t detract in the slightest from the flavouring. I do appreciate how well balanced many MF teas are; the more I drink, the more that stands out to me. Thy’re the quiet, unassuming geniuses of my tea cupboard. Their flavouring might not be loud and brashy, but it’s certainly subtly awesome.
This is one I’d definitely add to my cupboard if the opportunity arose. My favourite orange jasmine tea prior to trying this one was Mighty Leaf’s Orange Dulce, but I think it might just have lost its crown! Thanks so much to Cteresa for sharing this one with me.
