The Jasmine Pearl Tea Company

I met someone this summer who had lots of good things to say about this tea company, so I thought I’d give it a try. So far I’ve been mostly unimpressed. I was excited about a flavored puerh, but this isn’t as interesting as I had hoped. It’s kind of bland. The mint comes through more as a feeling than a taste. I can feel the cool tingle of the mint, but not really taste the flavor of it. The tea base seems very neutral too. I woudln’t have guessed this was a pu. The flavors all seemed muddled into an incomprehensible cup. Another into the reject bin.

I’m not feeling this one. I’m trying and have had cups multiple times, but it’s just not there. I had to add creamer to make the flavors pop a little. It’s like the wateriest of chocolate milks. Is milks the plural of milk? Anyways… this tea is trying, but really has nothing going for it. It’s easy to drink down the cup mindlessly because it’s in front of me, but it’s a neutral experience that I don’t pay attention to. Into the get rid of bin it goes!

Sipdown! I ordered from this company for the first time this summer and this has been my favorite blend from that order. It’s well balanced, yet dark, broody and comforting. The chocolate flavors go well with the puerh base and the cherry makes it more complex. It reminds me of Lupicia’s Chocolate Strawberry Puer, but not as bright. I think it’s too close of a match to that other one to win a permanent spot in my cupboard, but I’d never turn down another cup of it.

For the sipdown prompt, “a chocolate tea.”

The dry leaf for this tea smells absolutely incredible, with a strong cocoa and berries vibe which sends my brain to either chocolate-covered cherries or very dark, fruity-noted cocoa from South America.

Brewed, the scent of the pu-erh base comes forward, earth and spicy, but the cocoa and fruit notes are still present on the nose. The flavor is very smooth; I’m not a fan of pu-erh but do enjoy it as a base in blends if the blending is done right, and this one is really hitting the spot. The tea doesn’t really have that earthy dirt taste I dislike, but still has the thick, dark qualities of the base, and the flavor has notes of chocolate, vanilla, and a berry note that is sort of a cross of dark cherry and blueberry on my tongue.

Love this! Would easily pick this up again if I were to peruse Jasmine Pearl again.

For the sipdown prompt, “a breakfast tea.”

I purchased this on the last vacation I took, which was to Portland in 2019 (so long ago… sigh…) The tea smelled amazing in the shop, and as I really like lavender, I decided to take a bag of this home.

It’s quite disappointing, though. The base is really strong and I haven’t figured out a way to prepare it yet where it doesn’t turn unpleasantly astringent. And while I like the clementine oil used to flavor the tea, which creates a really sharp, tangy, and authentic orange taste, it completely dominates the cup. I don’t taste the vanilla or honey flavoring at all, nor the lavender.

I like it a little better as a coldbrew than the warm cup I had, since I find the strong clementine flavor on the brisk base makes a pretty good iced tea, and a subtle floral note pops out toward the end of the sip… but it still comes out a bit astringent-tasting. Next time, I’ll add a generous dollop of honey to the iced tea mason jar.

If the balance between all the elements were better, I’d probably be more impressed. As is, rather disappointing and not a tea I’ll miss once I work through the pouch.

Had two steepings of this sample that came with my order. It was good. There was a slight medicinal quality to it, but the berg and lavender were solid with a descent amount of flavor. I’d drink another cup, but I wouldn’t order it. Zhi Tea’s Violet Femme holds the space in my heart and cupboard for lavender EGs.

Sipdown.

I added more leaf and increased the steeping time a bit, since last time this was somewhat bland for me.

Well, the flavor is stronger, but I actually like it less because the lavender is really popping out. Not being a fan of lavender, it’s not for me.

Removing the rating since I feel a bit biased here…

From an old Sips By box (April 2019).

Okay, I had a good laugh at the other tasting note for this tea. I wonder how cookies is doing…

I do not find that this tastes like wet dog. Mostly it’s a malty Assam base with a few hints of things added on. There’s a touch of honey, and bit of lavender, and some sharp tangerine-like citrus zest going on. The base has a bit of raisin to it as well, and a touch of bitterness and astringency.

For me, it’s just okay. The base is a bit too ho-hum to have such subtle flavoring. If it were a more interesting Assam, maybe I would feel differently about it. I admit, I am glad the lavender is very light, as it’s not my favorite flavor to begin with…

I have a couple more cups’ worth of this, so we’ll see if it grows on me at all.

Oh this is a good blend. A solid breakfast tea. I can taste the roses and cardamom together this time around (not sure if I got both last time), and it’s such a nice combo. I don’t know if this company is still around, I need to look, but if so I’d definitely order more of this. I’d kind of like to compare it to a chai, but it’s really much more than that. The base is rich, the cardamom makes itself known, and then the rose comes in and lightens everything slightly. Really just a lovely cup.

Edit: It’s still available!

I like this one! Cardamom in the dry blend, ginger in the sip.

Received this tea as a sample in the December Sipsby box and have really enjoyed it. It smells lovely-with the amaretto and cinnamon really shining through – but the flavor of the tea is surprisingly subtle and smooth.

I actually got this tea as a sample in my December Sips By box.
I was a bit hesistant to try it as I am not an amaretto fan and I don’t care for almond scented/flavored anything (though I LOVE almonds themselves)
The smell is quite strong, but I forged ahead.
And I am SO glad I did.
I drank the first quarter mug or so with no sugar and no milk.
It was good, just the right hint of sweetness and I thought the cinnamon tasted lovely. Not overpowering.
Then I added about a quarter cup of unsweetened vanilla almond milk (I use Orgain, since it’s slightly creamier than most other almond milks) and it just bumped it up to a whole other level.
The creaminess from the almond milk with the slight sweet cinnamon-y-ness of the tea was just perfection.

11/21/18

After trying Earl Grey tea and enjoying it, I thought I would try more black tea. I am trying to drink less coffee and substitute for tea instead, because I have found that I really enjoy the tea making process. It is very relaxing and I have felt that it calms my nerves and helps when I am very stressed out. This Ceylon Black tea tasted average in regards to flavor. It was nothing special, but it was definitely decent. What I noticed the most though was how much energy I had after drinking it. I purposely chose a black tea because of how much caffeine it contains. It was a very nice change from coffee and provided similar effects. I will definitely be trying some more black teas now. I will probably drink this Ceylon Black tea again at some point.

10/10! Jasmine tea is the always the man, and the lavender only adds to the experience.

I went to Jasmine Pearl with a family member today and she ordered a pot of this. I ended up drinking a cup of this since we ended up sharing our pots. It was delicious! I don’t really have much to add as I drank it fairly quickly. I’ve found that Jasmine Pearl really excels at their green teas and of course green tea is my favorite! Sadly I was so indecisive on picking a green tea (I wanted to buy them all) that I didn’t end up purchasing one. I opted for a pu-erh and a chai instead. Between the two of us we ended up taking four teas home to try.

Although the roast isn’t heavy, it’s enough that the bright floral aroma of a green Taiwanese oolong has been deepened slightly, blending well with the nutty note brought out by the roast. Once the leaves open up in my gaiwan, it’s easy to see the two teas that make up this blend. Some of the leaves are a little smaller and more heavily oxidized, while the others are larger, nicer looking, more typically Taiwanese pairs of greener leaves, leaving no ambiguity as to which ones are Gui Fei and which are Jade.

While the mouthfeel is a bit thin at first, it does thicken up later and sticks to the back of my throat, which combined with the floral and honey notes gives the impression of wildflower honey. It’s quite fruity as well, with a pleasantly sour lemony note early on and various stone fruits coming and going throughout the session, peaches and apricots being the most obvious. Cinnamon shows up in the first half of the session, while the second half gets more woody. The last infusion has a wonderful finish of honeyed peaches that doesn’t want to end.

If my description makes this sound like a powerful flavor bomb, don’t get the wrong idea. It’s not. The experience is more in the aroma and the sweet, long lasting aftertaste than the flavor when it’s in your mouth, so I wouldn’t suggest this to someone who can only appreciate a tea with a strong flavor.

Don’t be afraid to pour just boiled water and brew this for a very, very long time. Unlike a lot of oolongs, especially Dancongs, this tastes best with long infusions. The mouthfeel thickens, it gets sweeter, more aromatic, more complex, and the sweet honey, fruity, floral aftertaste lasts longer.

Another pick from my Sips By box. I have loved this subscription so much. Sure, it’s not enough tea to get me through a month, but I love the variety.

First of all, I’m impressed by the sleek black packaging. I love the sort of turn-of-the-century style. Very cool, looks good on my kitchen counter.

As far as Ceylons go, this one is sort of different. It’s very smooth and the leaves are gorgeous. Long, elegant, and in great shape. Very low tannins with a nice woodsy note. The fruit flavor isn’t overwhelming or artificial. It’s on the milder side, very natural. It sort of compares to Harney & Sons’ version. It tastes more like dried mango than mango juice.

Anyway, I’m going to have to check this company out. I’d like to see what else they have to offer.

Found this in bulk at Whole Foods! I’m not big into puerh, so I kind of stumble through the steeping process a bit. Did a 20 second rinse that smelled very fishy and had me worried. Steeped it for under a minute after that and for the first half of my cup it tasted like new leather shoes… in a delightful sort of way. Probably helps that I’m into Irish whiskeys and like leather, peat and smoke flavors. The rest of the cup has a much more mellow taste, but it doesn’t loose the leather flavor. I’ll be steeping this some more throughout the day!

And a sipdown!
I enjoyed this, but I didn’t love it. It shall not be a repeat performance.
The spices never balanced perfectly with the tea, alas. However it was nice on a cold morning.