Tea Reviews | It's All About The Leaf

Posts Tagged ‘Organic Jasmine’

Holy giant rose-buds Batman!

That’s the first thing I see when I opened the tin – these large, well-formed rose buds that haven’t lost their colour or their scent – proving that they’re relatively fresh. They’re so big that at first the tea seems to be all roses – but that’s mostly because the other components are so much finer – green rooibos, curled little tea leaves, and small fruit bits. The tea does smell like roses, but it’s roses with something rich, fruity, and tropical-ish mixed in with it – a very appealing scent in my opinion, I could just sit here sniffing the tin.

The rose isn’t over-powering in the tea, though I think it’s very much the star of the show. I’ve never had plain green rooibos, so I’m not quite sure what it’s supposed to taste like as opposed to red rooibos, but I can tell you that I’m not getting any of the woody-earthy flavour that I usually associate with rooibos teas. What I can taste is that exotic, sweet flavour from the mango pieces and a tiny bit of a citrus zing. Despite the white silver needles and the jasmine pearl this tea is supposedly decaffeinated, though it doesn’t have that thin, watery taste characteristic of many decaf blends. Of course, apart from a few hints here and there of jasmine (mostly hidden by the rose) I’m not really tasting much actual tea at all! So it’s more like a herbal infusion, which is fine by me, I need a better selection of ‘nighttime’ teas in my cupboard.

It’s an interesting mix and maybe it’s the rose, but drinking it makes me a feel a bit girly – in a good way. I don’t think I’ve ever some across a blend with a flavour combination like this, and it’s perhaps a little ‘busy’ but it’s great for someone like me who enjoys a bit of variety now and then.

I gave this a Steepster rating of 81/100

You can purchase the Xaouen directly from the 52teas website.

My first reaction to this tea was that it smells very sweet and a lot like potpouri! The scent of roses blends nicely with the fruity smell of mango and the sharp scent of jasmine.

After four minutes of steeping, the previously strong aroma really mellows out to a pleasing blend of primarily jasmine and mango scents. My first sip seemed to be entirely roses, followed by hints of tropical fruit and some jasmine. Quite pleasant, if not a bit much in the way of flowers. Taking a bigger swallow, a myriad of flowers and the mango taste flooded my mouth, though everything seemed to be tinged with the flavour of roses. There really is not much taste of rooibos in this tea, as it is overwhelmed by all the other tastes…and it really is okay. I see no problem with that (excepting that one of those tastes is sadly not rooibos).

To be quite honest, I cannot say this is something that would have caught my eye and held my attention if I had seen it in a tea shop. Perhaps it would have required a second glance at the ingredients and at the tea itself, as it is very attractive, and unique looking, both in the dry leaf and in the list of ingredients. It is tasty, the flavour is quite pleasant, and I believe it is a tea that some will very much enjoy. As for myself, I give it a 75/100 on my personal enjoyment scale.

You can purchase the Xaouen directly from the 52teas website.

This scent of the un-brewed tea is amazing. I almost want to eat it straight. Or pack my pillow full of it and smell it all night long as I sleep. It’s AMAZING. It’s full of sweetness and floral-ness and is just made of yum.

And while the flavor of the tea is good, it’s not as good as the smell. It’s got a very light, very floral flavor. I love roses and rosewater candy, and this tea reminds me a lot of rosewater candy. Another element I like is the green rooibos. This is the first time I’d had the chance to try green rooibos. And I think I like it a LOT. I have to admit, I’m not a fan of red rooibos. It tends to taste like dirt and sawdust to me. There are blends I like that contain it, but it’s mostly in their ability to cover the dirty-sawdustness of the rooibos flavor. But this tea has such a light flavor, trying to get it to cover any other flavors would be like trying to completely cover a Cadillac with a Kleenex. This green rooibos adds the sweetness and base notes without the sawdust flavor of the red. It really makes me want to try other green rooibos teas.

Overall, I like this tea; it has a lot of elements I very much appreciate. But I wanted more out of it, based on the aroma.

You can purchase the Xaouen directly from the 52teas website.

Ahhh, Moroccan Mint tea! You are either an otherworldly refreshing, soothing treat, or a musty, nasty muddle. The bad ones tend to be old stale pre pack tea sold in ethnic stores, over brewed, with boiling water. This results in a nasty, bitter, musty, medicinal cup. The best are fresh and light, invigorating and restoring. These teas are a blend of dried mint and green tea – usually peppermint or spearmint mixed with Imperial gunpowder or other chinese green. Usually served with sugar or honey, these teas are great hot or cold.

This tea, from those great folks at Rishi Tea, is a mix of peppermint, green tea, and jasmine flowers. The un-steeped tea has a strong peppermint aroma, with some sweetness contributed by the jasmine. Good green leaf tea and nice sized mint pieces with a good amount of jasmine flowers.

Brewing: 1.5tsp (3g) tea per 8oz water in my small glass teapot, 195F water for 4 minutes. Excellent mint nose, with a flowery note, golden in cup. Strong mint taste, with just a bit of dryness, and a sweet aftertaste. Light on the tongue, and not overpowering.

My next cup I added about a teaspoon of sugar, and this really brightened the flavors and aroma, and made the mouth feel a little more substantial. The peppermint flavor is just moderated a touch by the jasmine. This tea steeped twice, the second was a pleasant – I think do to the strong nature of the mint. 3 steep was bitter, I think the green got washed out.

This is what I expect from Rishi, and excellent example of a tea. Very good in the evenings, when you want to moderate the caffeine. Or on a hot afternoon – either hot or iced. (I think this cold also be an excellent tea for cold brewing.) If you are looking for something different, this is well worth the try.

You can purchase Rishi Teas Moroccan Mint, Organic Fair Trade Green Tea directly from their website.