It's a little odd to be reviewing a tea that shows up on the site as "not available," (an archived product), but it seems like they rotate those products so a related version would come back later. The point isn't just to promote marketing for what they're selling anyway, more about talking about teas, on my end. They sent this tea as a sample but that was back towards the beginning of the year; I've been turning up what I've lost track of lately.
For me there are only a couple of flavored teas I tend to like; Earl Grey and jasmine black. Monsoon in Thailand did a coconut flavored black tea that was unusually good that I tried awhile back too (3 year ago; the time just flies). And then there's masala chai, but that's getting into a different subject, a spice and tea blend.
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from checking that Monsoon coconut tea post; they were so cute |
Hatvala makes the best version of jasmine black tea that I've tried, hands down (at least until this version, and experiencing it unfolded in two parts). On first take in just looking at this tea it seems amazing they used a black tea of this quality. Of course it's the taste of a tea (and mouthfeel, and body) that makes it good or bad, not the appearance, but you can sort of get a sense. I'll say more about that difference in inputs and results in a review section, which actually covers trying the tea twice.
Review
I brewed this tea Western style, during a work-day breakfast that didn't allow time for normal process Gongfu brewing or making any notes. I will brew teas Gongfu style even if I am eating a quick breakfast; there's a trick to that. It's possible if you use two different cups and just keep the tea brewing, rotating the cups to allow some of the heat to dissipate off. Seems like a lot of messing around? Some teas perform better made Gongfu style, and once you get used to those extra steps it's still extra work but they feel natural, and don't take up much time. Since for black teas the outcome difference in preparation approach is lessened I just tried out Western style instead, at least at first.
The tea was a bit more subtle than I expected. I guessed that was probably because it's a sun-dried black, which tend to be a bit more subdued, and it is that. They pick up more complexity, or at least have the potential for it, because they can develop over a couple of years after processing. It's not just theory; I've actually re-tasted the same teas and have experienced it. It's a bit odd making a floral blend out of this type of tea since aging it wouldn't seem to come up but it's not as if those really need the time to get to some higher potential; they just pick up a bit more depth and complexity.
Onto a flavors list, before saying more about a style comparison between this tea and Hatvala's (or more a contrast, as it works out). You pick up black tea and floral, in the jasmine range (mild jasmine though; absolutely nothing like the floral blast more typical in green teas). I had trouble sorting out a flavor list for the black tea beyond that. It might've been a bit earthy, possibly in the range of light spice. Working from a subtle flavor profile with floral range added it was hard to tease out if there was any floral aspect coming from the tea itself, or if a subdued fruit input might be. A touch of citrus does seem present.
I really think a Gongfu approach would work better for this tea to have more of a go at moderating intensity. One could try out variations to confirm that but I'd guess that using water at full boiling point might work well since the tea is so subtle, in order to ramp up flavor and draw out a bit more of an edge. For a lot of black teas just below that works as well or better, in order to preserve the same flavor profile but keep sweetness without maximizing astringency. With no significant astringency that drops out as a factor.
I did try it a second time prepared Gongfu style, but somehow it makes more sense to compare my impression of it with another favorite jasmine black before getting to that.
In comparison with Hatvala's jasmine black version
This is different, contrasting styles of comparable teas. I might say first that I first tried jasmine black tea as a typical commercial product in Indonesia, a form of grocery-store tea (which I mention here in talking about trying out Christmas themed blends, but never did review in a standard form). I liked those. It was obvious the quality was limited, for both the tea and what they did to get to that flavor input, but it meshed. A friend living in Indonesia mentioned having health problems he traced back to drinking that same product, a skin condition as a side-effect. At a guess that was a reaction to some ingredient used in drawing out the jasmine flavor, a solvent of some sort, versus being some other type of contaminant, but of course that's just a guess.
Hatvala's version is much better than that. They started with a pretty good black tea I'm familiar with, their Wild Boar (Vietnamese tea; their black teas vary enough that generalities about them tend not to apply). Then they added jasmine flavor by layering the tea with a lot of jasmine flowers, repeating that process until the added flavoring was strong. It really works. Their description of that is interesting:
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that Hatvala version (credit their site) |
To me it's not all that different than the effect of Earl Grey, even thought the floral range is completely, absolutely different than bergamot citrus as an addition. It adds complexity to the black tea in a way that complements it.
This Moychay version used a much milder tea base, with a good bit less astringency. In one sense it might be better tea but more than that it's just different in style. And they've mixed dried jasmine flowers with the tea, a completely different approach. Oddly actually adding the flowers ends up providing a much milder jasmine input, probably related to how much flower it took for that other process to lend that flavor. Still this really works, even better brewed a different way, as described in the following.
Trying the tea brewed Gongfu style
I hadn't expected this preparation approach variation to make much difference before brewing it Western style but concluded the opposite afterwards.
It's much different; this really is much better. That jasmine ramps up quite a bit, and the black tea picks up intensity as well. I went with a long first infusion (based on using a moderate proportion for Gongfu style, for me, half filled with dry leaf, 2/3rds full after expansion); brewed for just over 30 seconds. I think 20 seconds would maintain the same intensity from here out, probably increased again after a couple more. Since there is no astringency to factor in level of intensity is up to preference, not "brewing around" aspects like that.
The effect of the jasmine is completely different; that's interesting. It's sweet, floral (of course), and creamy. It tastes warmer than jasmine tends to, towards rose or something such, probably due to the way the black tea flavor mixes, not so much something about the flower. The earthiness of the tea works well; even that softness and subltety of using a sun-dried black makes lots of sense when the balance is better. A lot of Yunnan blacks might sweep aside a lot of the jasmine effect for intensity (Sergey, the Moychay owner, mentioned that this tea is from Jing Mai after I did that first tasting).
That's a bit bold, using a known-area black tea for a blend. A skeptic would say they did it to cover a flaw in the tea, but if so I've not picked up yet what the flaw was. It was subtle, made Western style, but that resolved a good bit using a different approach, and sun-dried blacks run a bit subtle. They can pick up depth and complexity, and to a limited extent intensity, by aging for a year or two (or maybe longer; I'm not clear on how that progression tapers off, and when), but they're still not as intense as oven-dried teas made for consumption within half a year or so.
The aspect set and effect is similar on the next round, but the taste is still surprising. It has a clean, sweet intensity, a creamy feel, supported by a lot of earthy complexity, and it all kind of comes as a shock when you first sip it. The sweetness and flavor hits you first but the depth is right there too. It's an odd feeling, getting a bit overloaded by a tea that's on the subtle side. Malt or grain range is giving this experience depth but prepared a little stronger the way that floral comes across stands out. Mild spice is there too (cinnamon range) but it's subtle. Some citrus present is a bit subtle too; it layers in with the floral tone.
It's appealing for having that pronounced "higher end" aspect (the jasmine flower, just a soft version of it), which trails into more and more subtle supporting aspects, all of which integrate in a way that balances and makes sense. It really is a shame to brew this tea Western style. I wonder why that is; you'd think the jasmine would really need a longer infusion time than tea leaves to extract.
The effect isn't really different on this next round but the aspects have shifted. It's pretty close to tea-berry, it seems to me, that effect of mint joining an unusual version of fruit. It's a shame I can't really describe what tea-berry is like but for those who have experienced it there's nothing more to say. I've ran across the idea that you can brew those leaves (of that plant, a relative of mint, that makes a berry that's really not a berry), and that it can even oxidize. It would be nice if a reader could check that out and get back to me.
The tea is the best it's been this second round, and it was already nice before. I'll have to change that assessment related to the Hatvala version from this being a reasonable second as a favorite to drawing even, to being just as good but quite different. For a blast of floral tone and pleasant black tea earthy intensity it's not even close to that Vietnamese version but for people into plain teas the subtlety, complexity, depth, and balance of this version would probably be preferable.
On the next round cinnamon does pick up a little, approaching the floral range aspect intensity; it might be slightly better yet, or maybe just different. It seems a little fruitier too, adding a bit of apple to the mix. It's a type of apple flavor that's unfamiliar, one of those strains that no longer gets produced, crowded out by Fuji, Macintosh and the rest. I interpret citrus (along the line of orange peel) as a mild supporting aspect across these infusions but that might just be a matter of interpretation.
Conclusions, other thoughts
For anyone drinking Twinings flavored or blended teas--who probably wouldn't be reading this blog in the first place--this tea would be a revelation, an amazing step up in quality level. Then again decent Tie Kuan Yin light oolong probably would be too, or Dan Cong in general, the whole starting point range of better teas. For someone looking for that flavor rush Earl Grey gives you the Hatvala style jasmine black would be better. This tea would appeal to people who don't drink flavored or blended teas at all (kind of a strange target demographic for a blend, when you put it that way; a blend for people who tend to not like blends).
Since this tea isn't listed I have no idea what it had cost. In one sense it doesn't matter--costing more or less doesn't change what it brews to become--but in others it does. Really that seemed more relevant based on how much I liked it brewed Western style, if it could compete as a moderate priced "daily drinker" or not for value. Brewed Gongfu style this turned out so well that it stands up to good plain teas in quality and level of appeal; it's just different.
Sergey said they'll probably add another similar version after a spring production. Even for people who normally wouldn't even consider trying a floral blended tea checking that out might make for a unique positive experience. I drank a round at the very end cold-brewed, sat in the refrigerator overnight to make one more infusion, and it was really nice cold too. Even though it would work it's way too good a tea to be drank just as iced tea, it seems to me.
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they grow up so fast; just three years after that earlier photo |
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this kid too |
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