"One of the more enjoyable green teas... there's a floral aroma but it but it doesn't much affect the natural flavor of the tea." Vanessa’s Teaview: 8/10 Other Teaviews: Stephen gave it 7/10, Nicole gave it 8/10 Your Reviews: 9/10 1 reader review | Add your review »

I have never really been a huge fan of floral-scented teas, such as the popular jasmine-scented teas or teas that are scented with rose or hibiscus petals. In the last couple of years, though, I have heard quite alot about osmanthus, and thought it was about time that I give it a shot. The Tea Table’s osmanthus green is described as a green tea scented with osmanthus flowers. The Tea Table’s website says that “Osmanthus flowers are said to improve digestion and make the tea drinker live a longer and more healthy life.” While the jury is still out deliberating those claims, I’ll state my opinion on the non health-related qualities of this tea.

While steeping, the the small white flowers dispersed throughout the large green tea leaves, making for quite the attractive picture. Some of the flowers made it into my teacup and settled on the bottom, which made for an aesthetically pleasing tea drinking experience. The osmanthus green tea has a beautiful, floral aroma. Osmanthus is often described as having a peach or apricot scent, but I have to say that I just didn’t get that at all. I definitely detected a strictly floral note (similar to what Stephen described as honeysuckle in his review of this tea), with no hint of a sweet, fruity aroma. Nonetheless, the floral scent was pleasant and not overpowering. The osmanthus adds to the scent, but not the taste of this tea. The flavor of the tea is strictly that of green tea, and I was pleased to discover that this tea was very delicate and quite tasty. Unlike many other excessively earthy green teas which I simply cannot drink, this tea was enjoyable and easy on the palette. While there is no doubt that this was a green tea, the flavor was light and springy, not characterized by an overly pungent vegetal quality. I actually enjoyed it enough to drink 3 cups this morning, which is very rare for me and green tea. Like most green teas, this blend stands up to multiple infusions. The scent endured impressively well through a second infusion.

I rate this tea an eight out of ten because it is one of the more enjoyable green teas that doesn’t rely on masking the natural flavor of the tea in order to be drinkable to me. I’m still not a solid green tea fan, but I could see myself ordering some of this tea for those days when I want something different from my usual brews.

— To purchase Tea Table Osmanthus Green, or for more specific information on ingredients or the story behind this particular blend, click here to go directly to the manufacturer's web site.

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