Whenever I’m feeling a little under the weather with allergies, a cup of hot tea, without the more exotic flavours that I usually like, always brought comfort. And this here is T2 China Jasmine.

As the name suggests it’s a Chinese-style green tea scented with jasmine.

Steeping 3 g of tea leaf in water at 80°C for 2 minutes the infusion was a clear golden yellow colour with a floral jasmine aroma. Served hot, buttery Chinese green tea notes came through with a slight bitterness before fragrant floral jasmine notes develop in the body ahead of a slightly bitter and astringent finish.

Compared to jasmine pearls, which command a premium at more than double the cost, this tea lacked the sought-after smooth and floral sweetness. In comparison to other jasmine scented green teas, Lupicia Jasmine Mandarin is priced similarly and has a fuller leaf that gave it a smoother flavour that we prefer. That said, this T2 China Jasmine is a decent everyday tea, with its fuller body and bolder flavour being a good base for Taiwanese bubble tea.

This T2 China Jasmine contained 50 g. The tea originated in China and was gifted by relatives in 2013 and 2018.