Chash Tea: Jasmine Pearls

So, did you all have a lovely Easter? I hope you had a relaxing one.

I had some time off, but on Easter Sunday I was working. We were the only shop open in miles and miles so pretty much everyone came to our shop to stock up on food, drink and last minute Easter eggs. I have to say, having started at 6am (getting up at 3.15am and leaving at 4am) by the time 2pm came around, I crawled out of that shop on my hands and knees. It was relentless, non-stop busy and I pretty much collapsed into my seat on the bus. By the time I had got home, I was tired and a wee bit cranky. So, feeling sorry for myself, I settled down for some online shopping. In years gone by I would of shopped for CD's and DVD's. Now though, I shop for tea.

I deserved a treat, I thought. So I went to two of my favourite tea companies and purchased a substantial amount of tea. One of those companies was Chash Tea. 

I didn't just deserve a normal treat though. I deserved top notch luxury. And I knew exactly what tea I was aiming for. Scrolling across the site, I found what I was looking for and what my body actually has been craving for a few weeks now. And I clicked and purchased. That tea is Jasmine Pearls. 

Jasmine Pearls is, in my opinion anyway, THE most luxurious tea you could possibly have. It's a total treat of a tea because it can be a bit more expensive compared to other tea's, however, it is worth every single penny you may pay for this tea. 

So, today, barely a few days after ordering, the tea was delivered by a lovely courier. It took barely five minutes from the tea arriving to it infusing in my mug. To say I was excited was a major understatement. I was utterly beside myself that an old friend to me was returning after quite a long absence!

However, every jasmine tea is different and this is the first time I purchased jasmine pearls from Chash so I was perhaps, even more excited to see how the tea tasted.

To look at this is a beautiful tea. Being slightly compulsive, I love how uniform the pearls are. How they are almost exactly the same size. This is very pleasing to my eye! According to Chash's website, these pearls are picked, rolled and scented twelve times with jasmine blossom!

When I snipped open the packet that familiar and much loved aroma of jasmine filled the kitchen. And it is a wonderfully strong scent of jasmine too. Beautifully floral and ever so lovely. For the floral tea lover this is just magic in a cup and this blend did not disappoint.

I filled a empty teabag with a generous amount of the pearls (the rest of the bag I'll be on rations as I need this tea to last for some while!) and watched with utter joy as the pearls unfurled from their tight ball like appearance to the lush green tea leaves. The tea needs only to be infused for three minutes and it brewed to a pale green colour.

Whilst the tea was steeping the aroma of Jasmine was sweet and delicious.

As I curled up on the sofa with my feet up on this cold day, I took my first sip and sunk back into chair. It was nothing but perfect. Though the jasmine aroma is quite strong, I was surprised at how dainty and delicate it was when it came to taste. It's very smooth, a total pleasure to drink and fragrant, without being overpowering.

I haven't felt quite so relaxed in a long time and I really got a wonderful feeling after taking this tea. My initial excitement as the tea arrived was replaced with a calm, quiet appreciation as I sipped on this tea. This is a tea for the tea connoisseur. Especially those of you that like jasmine in tea, which I do.

This is a tea to be savoured, so I'd take the time to enjoy it slowly. You can't waste this tea by gulping it down as you're racing out the door to dash to work. You owe it to the tea and yourself to sit back, relax and enjoy this wonderful, smooth tea.

What makes this tea even better is it can be infused up to three times. Unlike other tea's that can be reinfused, this tea does not suffer on it's second and third steeping.

On the second steep it retains all of it's wonderful, fresh flavour. Just as delicate and it tastes almost identical as the first steep. On the third steep it retains it's flavour, however, the colour is a little darker and it takes on a slightly sharp tang but still, it's very enjoyable and I do appreciate that this tea can be infused more that once - that makes this tea last a little bit longer!

To make this tea perfect it's imperative that you brew it correctly and this really will make the difference between having the most perfect cup of tea and having a horrid, bitter mess. So follow the instructions to the letter. DO NOT let the kettle reach a full boil. Switch it off just before it reaches boil and leave to cool for a minute or so. And don't over brew the tea, no more then three minutes. If you follow this, then honestly, you'll get the very best from this tea.

I am so glad that I decided to treat myself to this tea. Sometimes I 'um and aah' about buying things that I talk myself out of getting them. However, on Sunday I had made my mind up. I worked hard and this is the reward.

I am becoming perhaps a bit too reliant on Chash for all my tea needs! However, when you come across a company that not only holds it's standards for quality of tea very high, but also stocks inventive and traditional tea's, therefore giving you plenty of choice, you really do just want to hold onto them and try everything they have to offer.

There are two tea's that I hold up as quality markers for tea companies: Earl Grey and Jasmine Pearls. I've yet to try their Earl Grey but I can say their Jasmine Pearls is of superior quality.

This tea left me happy, the speed of delivery (over a bank holiday period) left me impressed.

So, a huge thanks to Chash for the lovely tea, the cute little samples and for always being on hand for advice on Twitter. It's much appreciated!