Tea leaves have long been known for their remarkable capacity to absorb and preserve the scent of flowers. However, successfully scenting tea leaves is tedious and depends on processes perfected over centuries. The craft began in the Southern Song Dynasty, over a thousand years ago. It requires a careful understanding of the ratio of flower to tea, and several rounds of infusions to achieve a lasting transfer of the flower's otherwise fleeting scent. For Jasmine Silver Tips fresh green tea buds are made into tea in April, then set aside to await the jasmine bloom in July. The fresh jasmine flowers are harvested in late July, and the scenting process lasts for 2 weeks. Traditionally, scenting is done in small batches: tiny jasmine blossoms are scattered with the tea leaves on bamboo mats and left overnight, where the tea leaves gradually absorb the delicate night-aromas of the blossoms. In the morning craftsmen separate the jasmine flowers from the tea leaves, then the tea is baked over charcoal for a few hours to seal in its new scent. The colour of the leaves in this year's harvest is especially luminous. When wet, the robust spindles tint an earthy sage colour and float, like golden sticks, on top of the water. The liquor has a glycerol feel, painting the inside of our mouths with the robust scent of the jasmine. It finishes with a soft, milky sweetness, without a hint of astringency.
