Queen of Teas

I went to lunch with a former colleague a while ago and he sent me a couple of his favourite teas he picked up in Singapore.

The tea was from TWG Teas.  Established in 1837, TWG has stores in Singapore, Japan, UK and USA.

I received a green and a black tea from my friend and decided I would sample the green tea first.

Called Jasmine Queen Tea, it arrived in a small yellow foil bag bearing the elegant TWG Tea logo.  The tea bag itself is beautiful - delicately woven from cotton like a fine piece of lingere.  An overlocked string leads to a little yellow tag bearing brewing instructions.

The bag smells like fresh hay.  The jasmine is a delicate note in the background.  I am almost loathe to put it in the water instead preferring to inhale the smell of the fresh leaves.

Once brewed, the jasmine comes to the fore.  Sweetly and earthily scented like the fresh flower, it was divine.  I got so caught up in the fragrance, I lost track of time.  I quickly rescued the the cotton pillow from the water before it could overbrew.

It was the colour of a second flush green tea.  Straw yellow and clear.  The taste was smooth with very little bitterness.  It had the classic grassy aftertaste and post-drink astringency; that fussy mouth-feel.  On further tasting, the flavours of passionfruit and guava become evident.

It was extra exciting to imagine the trip the tea had taken to arrive in my cup.

Well, all good things must come to an end, so back to work for me.  Mmm...next time I'm going to try the Earl Grey!