The tightly rolled fuzzy buds unfurl to deliver intricate notes of roasted nuts, soft smokiness, and a hop-like crispness. Delicate yet bold.
Customers use these reviews to describe their experience with Jade Snail, including flavor, aroma, preparation preferences, strength, and how the tea fits into daily routines. Browse the full review history page by page to compare tasting notes, steeping tips, and favorite ways to enjoy this tea.
I didn't really like this tea. It wasn't horrible, but to me it tasted like algae. I like my green teas to be more woodsy, this was too grassy/fishy for me. It was fun to watch in the steep though. It looked like live little creatures moving around as the snails unfurled. Tasted as part of The CommuniTea.
A CommuniTEA pick that's square in my comfort zone, unflavored green teas. The dry leaves smelled fruity and floral. Brewed it had a lovely blend of spinach and sweet floral notes, with an astringent finish. It's on my list to get again sometime!
As with most green teas, I prefer them with fruit blended in but this was not bad on its own. Grassy and light with a bit of added green tea honey.
A nicely light green tea that is beautiful to the eye. Very slightly smoky on the back end.
I think this tea is heavily impacted by 'what kind of bitter taster' you are.
Upon opening my packet I was greeted with the lovely sweet smell of green tea . . . though unlike most dry green tea, this didn't have any grassy notes. Instead, it was reminiscent of a sun-dried raisin.
I decided to try this tea @ 2, 3, and 4 minutes brew time for the first steep, given the range of brew times for Jade Snail & the initial compression.
2 min: What an odd little tea. The smell is light and moderately grape sweet, with an earthy muskness I've never smelled before. Perhaps muscat? It tastes surprisingly strong for only 2 minutes: the hoppy bitterness really took me aback and took over the whole flavor for me. I dislike hopps. There is some musky grape in the very background, though.
3 min: Mostly smells like 2 but freshly brewed it actually smells like what I'd think snails would smell like! because the smell reminds me of clam strips from a fast food joint. The hoppy bitter bite is stronger this time; I can't take more than a few sips before giving up.
4 min: the clam strip smell is stronger. The bitterness is much more developed and complex in a way I respect but (for me) kicks the gag reflex. It's also now slightly astringent. Very interesting how susceptible to oversteeping this tea is!
I have to admit right off the bat that I am not a green tea fan. That being said, I found this particular tea a nice surprise. The buds are lovely when furled, and it is very enjoyable to see them uncurl themselves in the steeper. The color was a lovely champagne color, with a light scent. I didn't notice excessive grassiness which is what I generally dislike in green teas. This has a pleasant, light kind of grapey flavor- maybe that's the hops taste others refer to? I don't drink beer so I don't have much of a frame of reference for that... Although I doubt I would buy a bag of this, I would have to give it a good rating since it has some lovely layers and is clearly a nice tea.
Vegetal, smooth. Like, I don't know what I'm talking about, but I might describe it as a mellow body accented with a slight sharper edge, just a hint of bitterness that complements that complements the smooth vegetal flavor. I brewed my CommuniTEA packet in a relatively small amount of 175 degree water for just under two minutes.
It's exactly the kind of thing that I am sometimes (but not always) in the mood for, and I could see myself ordering it in the future.
Surprised at the curled up leaves that did resemble snails. Lovely woodsy smell. Not as strong as a green tea. I enjoyed the hint of a grape taste Lovely. 💗💗💗💗💗
This was a great green tea on a cold windy morning. The dry leaves smell very grassy, so I was a little concerned the brewed tea would be grassy as well, but it ended up very delicious! There is a slight grassiness, but it's not overpowering at all. Overall, this is a nice subtle green tea and tastes lovely without needing any sugar. I brewed for 2 minutes at 175.
This was surprisingly rich and smoky, with some grape lees flavors lingering at the end of the palate. I was expecting something a bit lighter, but this is like a much deeper, richer gunpowder. If you enjoy a darker tasting green, this is sure to be a hit!
2.5 mins at 175F
Its a green tea, grassy at first, light, delicately mellow. Kind of a dry wine flavor toward the end. Not a flavor I usually seek out in the middle of Autumn. Enjoyable but my favorite part is to watch the leaves 'dance'and unfurl in my infuser. I sampled this Tea as part of the CommuniTEA November box
Part of the November 2020 CommuniTEA box. Delicate indeed - I was afraid I’d understeeped the tea, it’s such a pale color. Lightly vegetal, with a watery scent that reminds me of a creekside adventure when I was young.
Upon my first sip, I found myself hesitating a bit as that first taste seemed overwhelmingly grassy to me. However, subsequent sips revealed a mellower flavor and I found myself enjoying the cup more than I thought I would.
I'm fond of jade snail, though I tend to associate it with springtime and summer rather than autumn (when I received it in the CommuniTEA box). In the bag, it has a mossy/vegetal scent, but that character was understated in the brewed cup.
The experience of drinking this tea is very different from a lot of the flavored teas or blends I tend to flavor. This feels very stripped-back and refined, allowing the character of the tea itself to truly be the star. The sip begins with a nutty note at the tip of the tongue, and as it spreads, there's a slight dryness at the sides of the tongue. Not a heavy bitterness, it's subtle enough to lend character to the tea instead of making it unpleasant (for me).
While I wouldn't drink this every day, personally, it's the sort of thing I would reach for when I'm in the mood to really savor a cup instead of just looking for something warm to drink.
Mellow, buttery, no bitterness. Pale, smooth green tea.
Mostly grassy flavor, very light, but there was just something about this one I didn't like. I can't really put my finger on it, but I didn't even finish the cup.
Excellent tea. It seemed bitter at first but the more I sipped it the sweeter it got. It reminds me of artichokes (in a good way), but with kind of a grape aftertaste. Very complex.
The best way to describe this tea is umami. It's rich, brothy, and vegetal, all in a good way.
I thoroughly enjoyed this tea! There is a subtle earthiness that adds to the character of this delightful tea.
I am easily amused. I loved watching these tight little snails unfurl into whole leaves. The tea had a very honey like smell upon opening and I'm pleased with the natural sweetness it kept once brewed. Crisp and flavorful. Going to have to buy some of this.
It does have a smooth and complex flavor, as the description says, but I am not a big fan of the aftertaste.
A delicate green tea. It was a bit grassy at first, but quickly gave way the nutty flavors emerged. A good tea for a slow morning.
Like a more mellow version of a sencha, with a sort of a white wine aftertaste.
What a pleasant scene I noted inside my communiTEA packet this morning! Tiny little curled-up snails were slithering around and getting as anxious as a snail can be, to get a move on! Since this was a compressed tea, I decided to give them a chance to properly unfurl for a 2 minute first steep. Second and third steeps were done at 1 minute 15 seconds by watching the color of the brew as it steeped so it didn’t get too dark in color.
1st steep: They wasn’t snails no more! They morphed into beautiful tiny and narrow baby tea buds! A light yellow colored liquor was noted. As a past home brewer, I immediately noticed moderate citrusy finishing hop flavors. No grassiness was noted. When warm, moderate muscatel flavors were noted. This flavor was similar to dry white wine grapes. Hop zings appeared on the palate until finish.
2nd & 3rd steeps: A deep yellow color was noted in the cup. A smooth and buttery mouthfeel was noted. The second steep brought mild vegetal flavors to the forefront while sending hop flavors to the back. The third steep melded all flavors together into one enjoyable sip. (1st steep: 2 mins/subsequent steeps: 1 min 15 secs @ 175ºF, no sugar added)
Gentle green tea that grows on you as you with each sip. No overwhelming grassy taste, just a touch of smoky roasted dryness.
It’s okay. Granted, I’m not a green tea fan, but I expected more. I would not buy this.
While I like most green teas, this one was good, but this green was a little bland, I wanted something with it to jazz it up
It’s ok. I found that I could barely drink it without sweetener, but after that it was decent. I can’t put my finger on what flavor notes were turning me off though.
A surprising tea this morning in my CommuniTEA packet. Green tea is not my go to tea, but I rather enjoyed this today. Very light in color when brewed, but bold in flavor. It does have that grassy taste, but I would say it is a more earthy, smooth version than the green tea I normally dislike. I'm coming around, and might even have to purchase (gasp) plain green tea for the tea cabinet. (reviewed through CommuniTEA; 3 min @ 180F)
What a wonderful green tea. Fresh and lite. I will be buying this one. Nice quiet morning starting tea.
Nice and toasty, I get the nuttiness, smokiness and pleasant green tea taste. I did not unfortunately set my timer and I think I stepped for too long leaving it a little bitter on the aftertaste. I’ll do better with my second steep! Too long @ 185
I love today's communitea! Its a super light green with an aftertaste of gunpowder tea. I will buy in bulk definitely, if it goes on sale! Probably even if it doesn't.
Beautiful tea. Light color with lots of flavor. I added a tiny bit of sugar, which really brought it to life. Love it!
Very nice green tea. Smooth and quite flavorful but not grassy. Always enjoyable to watch the 'snails' come to life as it steeps.
This was a nice deep green tea with a full-bodied flavor. It was very good and I had to run to compare it with my favorite, Sleeping Dragon, and another green tea from another place. No grassiness as mentioned in previous older reviews, and I only got a little bit of that hops flavor I was hoping for. This one ended up pretty high up in the rankings of a what I consider a good green tea.
Such a nice, mellow green. I get earthiness and some notes that remind me of toasted rice (though this blend contains no rice). A really nice fit for an afternoon, and a compliment to a salty snack.
Nice smooth green tea that has flavor. Some green teas I have tried, it just seems you are drinking hot water with no tea flavor. This is one I will definitely have to order more of to enjoy.
Delicious. Exactly what I expect from a green tea. Grassy and palate cleansing.
Very gentle and clean tasting. A good tea for a relaxing afternoon pick-me-up.
Surprisingly strong flavor for how light this is after brewing. It starts off very bright and grassy but has a kind of nutty finish. Pretty tasty, but not my favorite green
it's just the right amount of grassy for my taste. i'm picky with green teas and this one suites me perfectly!
I really like this tea! It have a good flavor and pairs perfectly with honey!
A very tasty smoky/roasted flavor that pleasantly lingers in your mouth. I recommend it to those who like slightly stronger green teas.
I couldn't really taste this. Maybe it was the batch. It wasn't grassy or sweet or bitter or anything. Tastes kinda like some generic bagged green tea. I steeped 2.5 to 3 mins at 180F and tried experimenting with a little bit more or less leaf but it didn't do anything. I used good tasting freshly filtered water being heated up in a brand new clean kettle. My other teas tasted good.
This is a great tea and a very hoppy tea! Definitely a smokier flavor to it the longer you let it steep. Interesting and worth a try!
Delicious, smooth, fruity tea with hints of pineapple. Most enjoyable
To me this comes across as a high quality but otherwise standard gunpowder green tea. Nothing wrong with that, and it is pleasant to drink.
I think this is probably one of my new favorite teas! It has a quite delicate flavor, less punchy than a sencha, so it's a nice go-to when I'm looking for a good cup of green tea.
Fragrant grassy, straw smelling dry tea. Light yellow liquor with a slightly corn like aroma. The flavor is very smooth with almost none of the bitterness of most other green teas. This is a wonderfully delicate tea, perfect for a warm spring day.
Jade Snail s unfurling quality makes it as beautiful as it is delicious.