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A very classical Japanese sencha, this tastes exactly like a humble cuppa you’d get in a small hole-in-the-wall restaurant in Tokyo. It’s well balanced, with grassy notes and a full-bodied taste that doesn’t get bitter even when steeped twice. It’s a well-worn road, but done very nicely, making for a satisfying and authentic taste experience. It’s not phenomenal, but it’s not supposed to be. It’s a workaday cuppa that could be drunk straight out of a 1000 yen teishoku restaurant anywhere in Japan on any given day.

A nice mango blend, just as advertised. In the bag, the mango scent is singular and quite natural, rather than other blends which are more generically “tropical” or artificial. The flavour is quite astringent, with a whiff of mosquito repellent. I am personally not a huge fan but can see the appeal of this tea and feel it’s nice quality, as are most Lupicia offerings. The bag held up nicely for two steepings.

This tea is extra green, giving a vaguely unsettling feeling as I peer into the cup. It’s just so very…saturated in colour due to the added matcha. Paired with the Feminin I drank yesterday, I hope to be imparted with some sort of super powers in the near future.

This genmai is very heavy on the popped rice and as a result, quite nutty. The green tea and matcha take a back seat here. I do prefer a more balanced blend and it was too heavy on the genmai for my particular liking. The base tea is good quality but the overall flavour profile was not something I will be hoping to drink again. Certainly not offensive and I was able to finish the cup, but I prefer a standard grocery store genmai to this.

A timely selection as I am in dire need of a Tea Break today. It’s a rather standard afternoon black, but very smooth and drinkable. I get a very mild raisin/current aftertaste, minimal bitterness and a malty body. If this were music, it’d be an agreeable classical guitar album. Nothing controversial or thought-provoking, enjoyable in the moment but not something you’d urgently seek out.

I really enjoyed this one, especially since it’s not that easy to find cassis in the USA. Perhaps that will be the final straw to get me out of there. Regardless, this tea has a pleasant and authentic berry flavour that is stronger on the cassis than on the blueberry. The overall effect is slightly astringent and very natural, unlike some other berry blends I’ve tried that have more of a cough syrup note due to the presence of cherry flavouring. This would be delightful with a scone or two.

A rather bog-standard Assam with some Darjeeling mixed in. A perfectly pleasant cuppa but nothing about it is particularly memorable. The quality is fine and it’d be lovely with some dessert as an afternoon treat. A fine choice but nothing I’d go out of my way to source. Would probably be fine for 2 steeps, but I only felt like one cuppa today, so I can’t say for sure.

A classic English Breakfast blend, on the malty and robust side with a classic citrus aftertaste. It can go rogue quickly so do not oversteep. The flavour is not particularly outstanding or memorable, but it’s a perfectly serviceable morning blend for those who prefer their tea on the astringent and robust side.

An herbal tea which I feel I’ve tasted before, as a general “wellness” sort of blend. Could be served at any spa from Oslo to Ohio- it’s on the generic side but perfectly pleasant. Despite not having the necessary Feminin plumbing, I enjoyed this for what it was: a “herbal infusion made from rosehip, hibiscus, lemon balm, lemongrass, ginger, chamomile and the magic lady’s mantle (alchemilla).”

All the ingredients were well balanced, none particularly dominated to make a nice blend.

Not sure what “magic lady’s mantle” is but I certainly hope it will get me in touch with my inner goddess, or at least ensure I have to shave less. I don’t believe this is a regular Lupicia offering- it was in my Book of Tea. A nice wellness blend that would be easy enough to dupicate (minus the magic lady parts, natch.)

A classic Lupicia green tea with a fruit/honey note. The main flavour is muscat grape, though I detect some more astringent green apple as well. I do prefer this flavour profile in the black tea versus the green tea. The green feels a little thin to hold this blend up, somehow. It is a very fragrant and pretty tea, with dried flower petals, but nothing groundbreaking per se.

A very nice, tightly furled oolong with an authentic mango note. The dried mango is sweetened with sugar, which isn’t my preference but it’s not overly sweet. I got 3-4 steeps out of one tea bag. A nice choice for a fruity oolong that gives you a lot of value, if you don’t mind drinking several cups at a go.