I’m breaking out the Jade Teapot samples I received the other day. I thought it would be interesting to compare another pineapple green tea to the one I had from The NecessiTeas.
This tea is visually lovely in a heartwarming way. There are pretty red-tipped gold dried blossoms which I would guess are the safflowers, and blue dried blossoms which I would guess are the cornflowers, mixed in among the green tea. The dried leaves smell slightly pineapply, but oddly, the aroma I get from them mostly is rather like cough syrup. This does not, however, play out in the steeped aroma, which is very subtly fruity but green at the same time.
The rating I’m giving here reflects several things. First, and perhaps most importantly though obviously most subjectively, I am enjoying this more than I did either the tropical green or the pineapple upside down cake from The NecessiTeas. The reason is, I think, primarily because of the green tea. It is mild, slightly sweet, and slightly vegetal, with not even the slightest bitterness. The fruit flavors are subtle, as they were with the other tropical green, but the blend is harmonious. There’s nothing forced about it, there are no gaps to it, and though the taste is subtle it has some substance to it. It doesn’t feel pale.
I have enough for one more cup and I’m going to try steeping a bit longer next time to see whether the flavors will come out a bit more. Even if they don’t, it’s a very nice blend.