Yin Hao Jasmine

I fell in love with Teavivre’s dragon pearls so when I placed a Harney tea order for my daughter I bought a couple of jasmine samples. I tried their plain jasmine first, which is also a pouchong base, and I liked it very much. It was getting bitter as it cooled but for some reason reheating it made everything nice again.

This one…not so great. I prefer the other one, and it is less than half the price. I was very careful about time and temperature because I noticed that the two jasmine teas had very different instructions even though both had a pouchong base. This has a lower steep temp and time which I followed, but it still has a bit of bitterness and a sour taste, and I think the jasmine is less prominent. Jasmine is really what I was after today since the puppies have had me up since four-thirty a.m. and now I have to iron.

I did read one review of another jasmine pouchong that said it helps to steep it for even less time than recommended. I may try that with the bit remaining. Supposedly this is a higher grade of pouchong than the other, and supposedly, the higher the grade the less jasmine they scent it with so as not to cover the base.

Well, sometimes it is progress to get a tea struck off the list, yes? LOL! And I know that I like the cheaper one even more, so that’s a win, too. But neither one beats Teavivre’s dragon pearls!

It’s always a good sign when a tea makes your whole room smell good, right? I got a very generous sample of this from the wonderful Hesper June. Thanks Hesper! It was lovely to have such choices for my after school tea! Decisions, decisions… I wasn’t in the mood for black tea so I went with this one. Can’t wait! This is my first jasmine from Harney and my first pouchong.

Mm… this is a good one. Really mild base and lovely Jasmine. It tastes natural and delicious and isn’t too strong. The two flavors blend nicely, neither one overpowers the other. I feel so grateful that I get to try it! Thanks again, Hesper. You’re tops!

So I really want to get in the habit of talking about all of the teas I have drunk, which means that I have A LOT of backlogging to do.

So I got the sample package from Harney & Sons, previously I absolutely adored the Jasmine pouchong tea, and I wanted to try the Black Jasmine, but it always seems to be out of stock, and they never replied to my query. So I picked the Yin Hao instead.

As compared to the other pouchong jasmine tea, I think it smells a tad bit more of jasmine, not as sweet as the Dragon Pearl, but who can top that? So I was excited to taste this tea.

Upon the first steeping, I agree strongly with ashmanra about the bitterness and a little sour tone to this tea as compared to the other pouchong Jasmine tea. But I have to admit it has a lovely golden color. I puckered a bit at the taste of it, I could definitely taste the jasmine, but it didn’t have that little sweetness to it of the other jasmine teas I have tried. It was kind of akin to tasting some watered down jasmine perfume.

With that said, upon the second steeping the bitterness, that made my mouth pucker, went away, and the sweetness came out. Finally it tasted like the jasmine teas that I knew and loved.

Right now I am on my third steeping, and it is nice and mellow, and more of a vegetal taste it coming out a bit. Still has that beautiful golden color. And I think it will be good for another steeping.

Will I buy this again? Probably not, again like ashmanra said, it is pretty expensive, and I don’t really think it is worth double the price an ounce to get a nice second steeping, which the other Harney jasmine tea can get on its first.

I’ve been thirsty for a jasmine tea lately but for the last several days they all smell cloying and off-putting to me. So, in another attempt at jasmine I open my bag of this and while the jasmine is still slightly strong to me, it’s the lightest scented one I have and it’s not that bad at the moments. I brew it up and the wet leaves are almost overpowering to my recently more sensitive nose, but in the cup it’s not as strong and while sipping it is quite a delight. I’m glad I drank this, I’ve been craving jasmine tea and this fit the bill. It’s does not have a jasmine scent/taste as strong as most jasmine teas do, it has a stronger tea base and I’m going to go re-steep this now.