Cape Jasmine Oolong

Thanks so much for a sample of this, Meowster! It’s hot, time for a jasmine tea. It’s too bad Tea Ave seems to be gone already. They had an awesome free tea/ tea set event when they first started, even sending two sets, to give one to someone else. I wish Tea Ave had been successful! Their teas were awesome from the couple I tried. This one is flavored naturally, as the description says, which sadly means I’m not tasting much jasmine. But the oolong itself has a thick mouthfeel, smooth, sweet, mostly like cream. Really the thickest and creamiest oolong all around, for all three steeps. Wow. Maybe because I used a teaspoon and a half? Fragrant and floral, though not particularly jasmine. Am amazing oolong leaf on its own, but I was really craving jasmine today. So points off for no jasmine, but points added for being one of the thickest oolongs I’ve ever tried. Sipdown next time.
Steep #1 // 1 1/2 teaspoons for a full mug // 18 minutes after boiling // 1 1/2 minute steep
Steep #2 // 10 minutes after boiling // 2 minute steep
Steep #3 // just boiled // 2 min

This is from yesterday morning. Wrote it in word to copy and paste to here as our internet was out. We finally called to ask what was going on, and ten minutes after the call ended we have internet.

Finally getting around to some samples. Sadly the cute tasting cups that TeaAve sent with the samples are still packed away somewhere. I’ve also decided that I really need to invest in a Gaiwan! I put the whole sample in my DavidsTea Steeper with 700ml of boiling water for 2 minutes. I love watching the leaves unfurl! The brewed tea smells somewhat floral, must be the Jasmine? I don’t believe I have had the pleasure of trying a jasmine tea yet. This is alright until I swallow, then a strange feeling attacks the back of my throat. I’m thinking that it’s just a strange feeling and taste of the unfamiliar floral tea? After a little over half my cup (the 700ml fits perfect in one mug that my mother insists is for soup!) the attack lessens. This tea feels very “light” in the mouth, if that’s possible. Overall, once the attack on the back of my throat ceased, this became a pleasant cup.

https://instagram.com/p/6aRd5CJnn1CXxx5yscjrcRK08dD-aIOmn0Uok0/?taken-by=kkpeltzer
https://instagram.com/p/6aRNNBJnnKycCEtokhbPeJx-Fg_EmQxW0NMEQ0/?taken-by=kkpeltzer

Pretty happy that I was able to locate a small sample of this: This tea sadly is marked as a disapointment for me. The jasmine oolong combination sounded interesting, but at the same time a bit nasty. I drank 3 steeps at work and today I am on steep 2. I just don’t find this to taste good at all. It is very similair to a small dosage of salted jasmine that has been warmed up; if there is such a thing.

Sipdown (129)!

I received this one as a free sample in my last Tea Ave. order; and while I have not tried this tea previously I did get a chance to try ‘Jasmine Oolong’ prior to Tea Ave’s launch; initially I wasn’t 100% sure what the difference between the two blends was, but what I’m gathering from reading the descriptions for both is that Jasmine Oolong is meant to be a little more earthy with perhaps some stronger base tea notes while Cape Jasmine is naturally sweeter. Someone correct me if I’m wrong.

I steeped this one up hot, and drank half of the mug that way and then half after it had cooled down. Initially with the hot cup I thought that the jasmine was coming off fairly dominant, masking most of the creamier milk oolong-like notes of the base tea. The aroma was incredibly strong and lovely, with a plump sweetness to it – but monotone and without much nuance. I far prefer the taste of the cold half of the mug which tasted similarly but had an underlying fruitier sweetness to it, was less aromatic and ‘in your face’ overall, and which also floral notes like peony as well.

As far as the comparison between Tea Ave’s Jasmine blend and this one goes – I had to go back and reread my previous review to refresh myself but I do think there are differences; the former definitely had stronger flavours from the base and was more vegetal overall, the latter (this tea) was sweeter and fruitier and the natural flavours from the base that were present were more the floral/fruity aspects of an oolong rather than the vegetal ones. Think peach! Overall, both were good jasmine oolongs, though it’d be redundant to have both on hand because despite differences they are quite similar. I think I just SLIGHTLY might prefer this one more because of the extra sweetness though.

Cape Jasmine Oolong
Origin: Alishan Mountain Region, Nantou, Taiwan
Cultivar: Jin Xuan
Elevation: 1200m

Dry Leaves: The leaves were the most striking of the three samples, mostly green, but with a fair bit of yellow and blues running through it. Otherwise it has a strong Gardenia aroma as well as some minor floral ones more towards orchid than anything else, but it was a little murky.

First Steeping
Temperature: Boiling
Brewing Time: Two Minutes
Aroma: Gardenia and Floral
Flavor: Gardenia, Jasmine and Milk
Tasting Notes: This was my favorite of the three samples I received. Initially I wasn’t getting much besides jasmine, but after a few seconds I began to distinguish the gardenia notes. I wonder if this is scented with gardenia blossoms. The gardenia is very powerful and intoxicating. I didn’t notice the milk taste till I tried this for the second time, although if I read the entirety of the sample I would have known this has a Jin Xuan base. I don’t think this had a very strong Jin Xuan, it’s not that creamy and the milk notes are the weakest, but if this was scented with gardenias it would not be surprising if it overpowered some of the base tea’s characteristics. It was a little buttery, not too much though. I tend to find Taiwanese teas grown below 1000m or those grown above 2000m (especially winter harvests) tend to be rather buttery, but everything inbetween in my experience has thinner mouthfeels.

[Originally on: http://rah-tea.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/tea-ave-preview.html)

The dry leaf aroma is a dark, misty jasmine. It reminds me of fog and high mountaintops. The brewed tea aroma is a good mixture of oolong and floral jasmine. The first infusion is much more flavorful than previous reviews would have led me to expect. I wouldn’t describe this as light on jasmine flavor. Perhaps it’s the oolong base that confuses the taste buds. I believe green and white bases are more prevalent for jasmine scenting. But it’s a beautiful addition to this oolong!

I followed the gaiwan brewing instructions but opted to use my Teavana Perfectea Maker instead of my new Verdant Tea gaiwan. I’ve found that if I’m brewing a tea that calls for boiling water, I just can’t handle the heat with my fingertips on the delicate porcelain. The Teavana Perfectea Maker also allows for easy resteeping and controlled pouring into the Tea Ave cups.

I must say, I was blown away by Tea Ave’s generosity in their initial marketing campaign. I received two identical teaware gifts and sample teas, along with reusable totes and coupons to redeem on a future order. I gave one of these sets to my doula as a thank you for helping me through my tough birth experience. I kept the other for myself.

At first, I thought the aroma cup (the tall skinny one) was going to be a bit useless. But I figured there’s no harm in trying it, so I attempted to keep an open mind. And you know what? It actually does enhance the aroma of teas! The shorter, wider opening of the more traditional tea cup allows the tea to cool faster for quicker drinking but also allows the aroma to escape. I found it much easier to appreciate the aroma using the aroma cup, and it had the added bonus of keeping my refill hot. :) Once I finished one cup, I could immediately pour another from the aroma cup while a second infusion was steeping in the Teavana Perfectea Maker.

BACK TO THE TEA!

I detected a hint of pepperiness at the end of the first infusion. Latter infusions didn’t have that note though. I thoroughly enjoyed infusions 1-3. I allowed the fourth to cool a little too much while writing this note and a bitterness appeared that wasn’t in the earlier infusions. This tea is best enjoyed piping hot. I rinsed the leaves before the fifth infusion and that seems to have eradicated the bitter note. So it’s quite possible that letting the wet leaves sit exposed to air is what caused the bitterness. The tea itself is lovely. Funny, I just read the description of this tea on the package and it talks about fog too. That element really does come across in the aroma!

Overall, I found this tea to be a lovely balance of floral jasmine and buttery, creamy oolong. I don’t think I’ve had a jasmine-scented oolong before and I really quite like it. Oolong is one of my favorite teas. It’s pretty interesting and fun to me that there’s a new company completely devoted just to oolong teas. If I didn’t already have so much tea, I’d definitely consider placing an order. Hopefully I can drink through my stash enough to use that coupon before it expires. If not, I promise I’ll pass it along to one of my fellow Steepsterites. It definitely should not go to waste! I still have two more samples to try, but I think I can confidently say that I am a Tea Ave convert.

https://instagram.com/p/5QctEfl-qI/

Thanks ashmanra once again for the sample exchange! I’ve been thinking about ordering with the sale they have running at Tea Ave, but I wanted to try all the teas at my disposal first. This is the last one I needed to try (but not the last I need to write a note about- that tasty Tie Kwan Yin still sitting in my sample box!).
First steep 45 sec: This is not my first Jasmine scented oolong (Lupicia took that coin!), but it’s much smother than any I have had. The gorgeous base is really what elevates it. The jasmine flavor is present, but not terribly strong or sweet. This first steep is a little weak for me, even though I used my standard western style parameters. I think the short steep short-changed me here; the leaves are still tightly curled.
Second steep: 1:30: Still rather vague in flavor. Maybe I miss the strength of the gongfu session last weekend! I feel the familiar buttery, fresh veggie sweetness of the base tea coming through on this steep. There is almost a sour note on the first part of the sip. Like nectar that has gone past it’s prime.
Third steep: 2:00: This is absolutely the lightest jasmine tea I have ever tasted. I am mostly enjoying the base tea at this point, which is contributing the velvety mouth-feel I’ve come to expect from it to a slight touch of jasmine-nectar, of which I cannot even smell. I was hoping this tea would be the oolong version of Verdant’s Yunnan White Jasmine, but alas, the Jasmine is much too light for me. By no means does that mean I didn’t enjoy this cup, but it just didn’t knock my socks off like the magnolia! Maybe I need the full Jasmine Oolong from Tea Ave instead?

In the warm gaiwan, the dry leaves smell like honey and flowers, a little bit like jasmine, but softer. The wet leaves smell quite similar.

The first infusion of this tea is so light on aroma, quite light in taste as well. I’ve been noticing with some of Tea Ave’s scented oolongs, you can use a little more tea than I’m accustomed to using. It’s hard for me to describe the flavor of this first infusion, other than to say a little similar to jasmine, so I’ll move on.

The second infusion is still a bit subtle to me. It’s a nice floral flavor, somewhat similar to jasmine. Third infusion, more of the same. It’s difficult to describe how this differs from Jasmine. There’s a bit of a flavor that leans it more toward a spice/savory kind of floral taste, sort of like saffron. It’s not as aromatic as I’m used to in most floral teas. It took about four infusions for me to taste the creamy butteryness of the Jin Xuan in this one. Not sure why. I think it’s just a lighter tea and took me a few infusions to brew it more strong. I have been brewing my oolong teas a bit lighter lately in attempt not to overpower them.

Not a bad tea, but so far the least compelling to me of the Tea Ave scented oolongs. I imagine those who have nostalgic memories of gardenias (a.k.a. cape jasmine) may enjoy this more than I did.

I must admit the instructions on the tea said to use substantially more leaf than I did, and to steep it longer than I did. I may have to try it that way and see if it yields more interesting results for me.

On the other hand, I brewed this exactly the same way I did all the other Tea Ave teas I’ve tried, and some of those got perfect 100 scores from me… so hmm.

UPDATE
I brewed this again using more leaf per water and the flavor is much more pronounced. It isn’t particularly different than what I had mentioned, but tastes stronger and is more enjoyable this way. :3

Here I sit with my favorite paintbrush and a pot of Bleached Bone paint working on an Intruder Beta, slowly I finish my army. I am still thinking I might finish my army by the 9th (first day of the league, also the day I go for allergy testing, so that is going to be exciting) I hope that the Intruder Alphas I requested arrive before the league because they are so much better than my stupid Art Deco Pillbugs (it is what I call my Invaders) plus I hate painting them. Something about the way their lines…line up…really just annoy me. Plus they just look cooler, and looking cool while raining plasma on your enemies is very important to me.

So, it is with great joy that I kick off Oolong Week! Oolong might be my favorite kind of tea, sure on some days I prefer a different tea, but I can almost always say on the grand scope that Oolongs are my fave. And what a better way to start of the week of the Black Dragon than with new store Tea Ave! They had their grand opening yesterday, and for those who follow me on Instagram, you know they sent out an amazing promo of three tea samples, an aroma cup set, and a gift card (which when I have spending money again I am so using) so yeah, they certainly got my attention. I decided to start out with Cape Jasmine Oolong, an Ali Shan Oolong (yeah, you remember correctly, that is one of my favorite mountains for green oolongs) scented with Cape Jasmine (which, if I am reading correctly, is a kind of Gardenia) in the traditional way rather than just tossing flowers in with the tea and calling it a day. In my humble opinion, scented teas are far superior to teas with flowers tossed in because you are getting the essence of the flower rather than the added plant tastes you get with flower bits. Anyway, the aroma of this tea is heavenly, it is a thing of beauty, flowery, heady beauty. Seriously, it is amazing. It blends orchid, jasmine, gardenia, honeysuckle, honey, cream…it is like I am a hummingbird and someone gave me a free pass to a conservatory. Yes, I have a weakness for conservatories, they are just so pretty and they smell heavenly…like this tea.

I am using the double whammy of gaiwan and aroma cup set to brew the leaves, and I am pleased to say that I have not once spilled or burned myself while doing the epic cup flip. As a notoriously clumsy person, this is really an impressive feat! The brewed leaves are sweet and creamy, and of course very floral, it blends the aroma of jasmine, orchid, honeysuckle, and gardenia in a heady floral dance. The liquid, ok guys, I am going to be honest, I am at a loss for words, almost. Imagine taking the nectar of these flowers and making a cup of it, it smells just like that, honey sweet and delightfully floral. I spent quite a bit of time sniffing the tea, it was a good way to wait for it to cool.

The flower nectar comparison continues! Good heavens this is delicious, it is of course a bit mild because it is a first steep, but it is delightfully smooth. The creamy notes mixed with the smooth texture gives it a bit of a buttery feel, which makes my mouth happy, it coats the mouth with sweetness and floral notes. And oh those heady floral notes, it blends jasmine, orchid, and gardenia perfectly, it manages to be intensely floral while not being like perfume. First steep is made of win.

Smelling the tea (the aroma cup is so fun! I do not burn my nose as often!) the liquid is much sweeter and headier, there is a flower explosion in my nose! Oh by the flowery heavens this tea is going to haunt my dreams for all eternity, it smells like a steamy conservatory in full bloom, it is sleepy and beautiful. This might be the most girly tea I have ever sipped, I feel like a princess while drinking it, like I am drowning in flower nectar. It reminds me of a combination of a conservatory and my favorite flowers from my mom and grandmother’s gardens in the South. The notes of honeysuckle, gardenia, orchid, and jasmine are so heady, but again, it is not like cloying perfume.

I found the third steep was pretty much identical to the second in aroma. There was more sweetness and the jasmine and gardenia are overtaken by the tea’s natural honeysuckle and orchid notes. So even as the scented qualities fade, the base tea is delightful. The finish is honey sweet and creamy, and it lingers. I won’t lie, I motored through my sample at more or less light speed, I will be buying more of this tea for my collection, it does such amazing things to my brain. It feels and tastes beautiful, and I really do feel like royalty while sipping it.

For blog and photos: http://ramblingbutterflythoughts.blogspot.com/2015/03/tea-ave-cape-jasmine-oolong-tea-review.html

I forgot I had this steeping in the kitchen. It probably sat for 10 minutes while I was eating sour keys and staring into The Void. That’s exactly the last thing I wanted to happen with a jasmine tea (I find less is better with this flavouring). Luckily this tea appears to be a particularly light and forgiving one!

The jasmine scent and flavour is now akin to a Body Shop jasmine frangipani candle (extreme flower and slight cream). There is also a hint of floral/veggie bitterness, but it’s still drinkable.. and enjoyable.

I’m looking forward to the subsequent steeps, and a second session, so I can get a better feel for this tea. Right now it’s promising!

Addition— getting to my unconventional fourth steep now, and there is a substantial amount of pepper spice to the finish.