Jasmine green tea is by far the most popular type of scented tea in the world. It's fragrant and floral, but gentle at the same time. Most jasmine green teas don't have other ingredients besides green tea leaves scented with jasmine flowers. They rarely contain jasmine flowers as well. But some contain much more, even the unexpected ingredients. Nearly Nirvana from Bird and Blend is a take on jasmine green tea with the addition of mint, and it smells truly divine.
What's in Nearly Nirvana?
Neary Nirvana is blended with green tea, jasmine scented silver needle tea, jasmine blossoms, spearmint and orange blossoms. Mint and jasmine are not a common combination, and it may even sound quite unusual. But spearmint, which is less often used in tea blends than peppermint, has a much lower content of menthol. Menthol is a compound that gives a strong and pungent minty flavour. That's why spearmint is fresh but milder, so it won't overpower other flavours.
Another interesting ingredient in this tea are orange blossoms. They are also not too common in tea blends and are mostly present in calming sleepy time teas. Interestingly, both orange blossoms and jasmine may help reduce anxiety.
Lightness, relaxation and delightful scent make Nearly Nirvana worthy of its name for sure. The scent of jasmine is beautiful and dominates over the scent of dry white and green tea leaves. Mint feels like a background base note only, giving freshness without turning this blend into a strong mint tea.
Since this is a blend of white and green tea, it contains caffeine. Both green and white tea may be higher in caffeine than black tea, so keep that in mind if caffeine content is important to you.
Nearly Nirvana is available as loose tea and in pyramid tea bags.
What does Nearly Nirvana taste like?
Nearly Nirvana is a blend of green and white tea, so lower water temperature is recommended. Steep it for 2-3 minutes at 80 degrees Celsius.
This mint and jasmine tea is light and delicate, with no bitterness. Mint and jasmine are perfectly balanced, with mint giving a refreshing lightness and jasmine adding a floral touch. Green tea serves as a wonderful base, giving depth to this blend. There are zero traces of bitterness. It really is light and heavenly and feels more like a white tea blend than green tea.
This is a very, very easy to drink tea. Mint and jasmine are not a common combination, but after trying this blend, you'll think they definitely should be. They really go well together. You can re-steep the same tea bag at least once, depending on how long you steep it for.
Who would like this tea? This blend is great for tea drinkers that love jasmine teas but don't like the bitterness that comes with some jasmine blends. It's great for daily sipping and afternoon tea times.
Tea Recap
Water or milk? Water.
Day or night? Day.
Hot or iced? Hot or cold.
Sweetened or Pure? Pure.
Caffeine? Yes.
What's the price? Starting from 3.50 GBP.
Where to buy? Get it from the Bird and Blend website.