This may or may not be the same item as sold by Tealux, a historic name of this company, and there are a couple of reviews here under that name. But since the Tealyra offering has a somewhat re-worded description, I’ve created a new listing for it, using the new company name.
The product is a fairly nondescript China Black Tea with Jasmine flavor and fragrance. It’s probably a Keemun, but is unspecified. I bought 100g some 7 years ago and have been gradually sipping it down ever since. Kept stored in a well-sealed jelly jar in the dark at ambient home temp. Brewed western style with only a single infusion of 1 tsp in 8 oz boiling water for 3-4 minutes. The jasmine aroma and flavor is quite powerful still, and I am surprised that pricing has not risen. I was amused at the description, which tells of picking of the jasmine flowers, and goes on to say “imagine watching the full jasmine flowers dance in your cup!” because there are but few visible petals in the tea, and zero full jasmine flowers. You’d better have a good imagination!
Nevertheless, I do enjoy this tea and will eventually re-stock, as I’m down to my last 15g or so. There is no sourness or astringency, no real flaws that I can detect. The base tea is most noticeable as a lingering finish, once the jasmine-forward nose abates, and I sense deep notes of caramel and keemun on the sides and back of my tongue. But jasmine is the star, and it is quite floral, a touch sweet, and not at all “artificial”. It brings back childhood memories of summertime play amongst the star jasmine bushes in our California yard, with plastic soldiers and hot-wheels and popsicle sticks. Back when July and August seemed endless, before I cared about politics and mortgages. And our cat wasn’t symbolic of anything more than a gargantuan monster threatening the assemblage of toys amongst the jasmine hedge. Gosh, tea can be so soothing!
Flavors: Caramel, Jasmine, Tea
