When I was a wee lad, still in high school, I met one of the head tea-blenders from Harney and Sons. They brewed me my first cup of Jasmine Pearls, and from there I have never looked back. It’s honestly thanks to them that I have a strong interest in teas at all, so if I’m a bit biased in favor of their company’s teas, nostalgia is almost certainly a factor.
As noted by the company, this is a very fruity black/oolong tea blend indeed. The scent is rich and perfumed, and gives an impression of sitting by a window with an old book, possibly in a cafe as it rains outside. I find that to get a good body to the tea, I do have to steep this for a bit longer than most blends. A bit of astringency and tannic-ness actually helps balance out the more floral aspects of this blend. It adds a stately-ness without overpowering the brew. The bergamot flavor is probably the most strong, but there’s also hints of rosehip and possibly a bit of strawberry as well.
Thankfully, this is a pretty easy tea to find – lots of shops have either loose leaf or sachets available. I’d call this an excellent gateway tea – it’s easy to get people more interested in blends and brews after establishing that not all teas are ‘barely flavored water.’ If you haven’t already, grab the loose leaf tin, and give this one a try.
Flavors: Bergamot, Rosehips, Strawberry
Whaaat I didn’t know this has oolong in it! I never seemed to like this one as much as others, though I did get another sampler with my last order to give it another chance. :)
What a great start for a young man’s tea journey!