Floral scents in most cases mask a non descript tea. Most smell great
but taste flat. Japanese Cherry Blossom is usually matched with
mediocre bancha. It is harder to find a fragrance and good tea. I
recently found Osmanthus and traditional hand rolled whole leaf
oolong. Nice. I just started buying dried flowers and adding them to
my teas.

Jim

��**©© > wrote in message hlink.net>...
> it sometimes occurs that i will find a tea at my local
> vendor's shop the fragrance of which attracts me
> mightily. it likewise sometimes occurs that i am dis-
> appointed by the tea which is subsequently pro-
> duced from said leaves. it would follow from this
> that leaf fragrance is not a solid indicator of qua-
> lity. there are, of course, many things which need
> be tested in determining quality, but it is passing
> strange that a batch could give up an entirely
> pleasing aroma in leaf form and then fall short in
> taste.
>
> any illumination of this would be welcomed.
>
> wizard of ahhs/