Xiang Luo - Scented Bi Luo Chun - Pure Jade Snail - Premium

(Free sample provided by ESGREEN. Thank you!)

This one is from a previous sampler. Few days ago I received samples for March but I intend to test my patience since I have a gaiwan on the way.

Dry leaf is small, tightly rolled well scented and judging by its texture, well roasted. There are few white tips and fewer leaf stems. I used 3 grams of dry leaf with 250 ml of water on 80 Celsius, and did two 1 minute steeps.

First steep brought out clear and light golden infusion that’s very aromatic and it sits on palate for quite the time but isn’t overpowering. It’s just to my taste actually, and I’m not big fan of strong scented jasmine tea. After swallowing you can feel a certain sweetness resting on root of the tongue. For some reason, first few sips seems to have that note of those sweet bubble gums with sports sticker wrapped around them. Maybe it’s just me. As I finished the first half of cup I felt a slight tingling sensation on tongue with some grassy and roasted notes in background. What a delicious cup of jasmine tea, and to my taste too.

Second infusion is a bit more sweet with less pronounced jasmine aroma than the first. Here’s where it gets more refreshing and savory. First infusion tends to dry out the tongue, but this doesn’t. I’m surprised that the most of the leaves are whole with some tear and oxydation or purple pigment and I could find a few that have up to three leaves on stem – kind of close to oolongs in appearance.

Wet leaf has a fresh air about it with decent amount of soft jasmine. Even after two infusions about quarter of leaves haven’t completely unfurled which promises another good or at least decent infusion.

Although I’m not a big fan of jasmine scented teas this is just to my taste and but if I wanted a jasmine scented tea in my cupboard just for me this would be it.

The scent of these tiny curled leaves packs a strong peach punch! The sweet citrus notes in the aroma trick your mind into thinking that you really are about to bite into a slice of juicy fresh fruit.

First cup. Steep 2 minutes.
This was my first experience with “snail” tea and I had no idea that the tiny leaf curls would expand so much! Which means that I used way too much tea and definitely made this cup much stronger than it should be. So this review is going to be a little askew. However, even while pushing past the astringency, I would still say that the green tea is fairly robust compared to other greens used in jasmine blends. It actually took me off guard because my last “jade” tea from esgreen was much more delicate. This is definitely my kind of jasmine tea because the green tea flavor is prominent and high grade. The leaf itself displays notes of buttery cocoa and cinnamon. But the peach flavor really brightens things up. A great drink for the stoic wise man and chirpy teenager alike.

Second cup. Steep 2.5 minutes.
So I used far less of the tiny “snails” this time, but brewed just a hair longer until the leaves properly uncurled and rose to the surface. Without the bitterness, the flavor is much more clear and brothy. But the green tea taste still pokes out just a head above the sweet flower. To my palette, this is a perfectly blended jasmine tea. The uniqueness of this tea leaf shines, as the light creamy texture has remained in this cup. I have been drinking several different jasmine teas recently and I would have to say that this is the best quality I have come across. A very distinct and pleasurable tea.

Other tasting notes: almond, coconut milk, stevia