Another day, another tea to review. Despite reviewing more than a handful of jasmine green teas here on the blog, it never gets boring to try a new one. Today, I’m sipping on a rather disappointing jasmine green tea from a box set I bought from Tesco earlier in the year, made by Fosters Traditional Foods.
If you want to find out what a bad jasmine green tea tastes like, read on!
Psst. I’ve also linked to some places you can get a brilliant jasmine green tea too, so don’t despair.
Jasmine Green Tea at a Glance
- Blend: Green tea with jasmine flavouring
- Flavour: A vague hint of green tea and something floral
What a disappointment! This tea had virtually no aroma once brewed and just a suggestion of green tea in the flavour. Avoid this jasmine green tea and find a better alternative using my Amazon links below.
Full Review - Example Tea
- Type: Foil-wrapped square paper tea bags
- Tea: Green tea
- Additives: Jasmine flavouring
- Flavour Notes: Hint of green tea and floral essence
- Aroma: Nothing!
- Milk or Lemon: Neither
- Where to Buy: Tesco (or search Jasmine Green Tea on Amazon)
Ripping open the foil, I was expecting a blast of fake jasmine aroma. The previous teas I’ve reviewed from Fosters certainly haven’t lacked aroma (although that’s not always a good thing) but this one breaks the trend. There’s a hint of musty green tea, but so far, no jasmine notes.
It brews into that gorgeous bright gold jasmine green tea colour. If you’re a fan of jasmine green tea, you’ll know the shade I mean.
Unfortunately, there’s no aroma. Seriously. Not even a floral waft when you inhale deeply. I took a few sips. Then I took a few more. The only flavour notes I’m detecting are a hint of green tea and a suggestion of something floral.
I had my housemates check this tea out as well. With loss of smell and taste being a symptom of Covid, I was eager to make sure it wasn’t just me! They confirmed that it was flavourless and after following this tea up with a flavourful lunch, I’m 100% certain it’s the tea that is the problem.
How to Brew Jasmine Green Tea
I used 80°C water, as this is green tea. Fosters doesn’t recommend a specific water temperature, but even when brewed at boiling point, it still lacks flavour. I brew for 2 minutes usually but extended that to 3… and then 4… and then almost 5… before giving up. Longer brew times just don’t enhance the flavour or aroma.
I’m at a loss as to what I should recommend you eat or drink this tea with. If you add a slice of lemon, for example, it’s just going to taste like hot lemon water. The same goes for honey and sugar.
Why Fosters Tea Collection?
I’m a sucker for a bargain… which more often than not, leaves me with a huge box of meagre just-okay-but-not-great teas. So far, I’ve found a few drinkable teas from the Fosters Tea Collection. The Earl Grey was pleasantly smooth, and the pomegranate green tea blend was flavourful, at least.
As you can see, the quality is lacking, and you also get very little tea per tea bag. Compare this to English Tea Shop or T2 and you’ll notice that Fosters use about half of what other brands use.
If there is any jasmine flavouring in this tea (I’m doubtful) then I would guess that it’s fake or extremely diluted.
Summary
No, I can’t honestly say that I’d recommend this tea. This is a real shame because jasmine green tea happens to be one of my all-time favourites to drink, especially in the evenings. So, don’t despair, you can find a tonne of jasmine green tea reviews on my blog that are worth reading, or you can jump the gun and hunt for jasmine green teas on Amazon using the button below.
Tea Recommendation
Are you a fan of the classic teas? Me too! Jasmine green is my all-time favourite green tea blend, but when I’m in the mood for something a bit stronger, I always go for an Earl Grey tea. Check out my review of Ahmad Tea Earl Grey as an excellent place to start.