Lupicia

Unless they can find fresh cherries in season at the store or grow their own, few people really know what real, just-plucked-off-the-tree cherries taste like. Most cherry tea tastes like candy or cough syrup. Lupicia has this one down cold…the taste and scent transported me to the cherry tree out back with the V-branch that was just the right size for my skinny little backside, a book, and my transistor radio (message me if you’re too young to know what that is ;).

Ashmanra was the generous sponsor for the trip down Cherry Tree Memory Lane. My thanks!

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Finished off this teabag as a Mugtober pairing. The mug is a beautiful matte black with hand painted kite orchids in a warm, sunset-like colour scheme. So, a flower inspired tea seemed perfect to go with it.

I don’t have any good reason for thinking this, but I really thought this tea was a black tea. Instead, it’s a rooibos with quite a lot of dried flowers of different kinds. Mostly, however, I saw chamomile and rose. I immediately worried I wouldn’t like it since I’m not really a chamomile person, but this was alright. Surprisingly bright and with a hard to pin down fruity note to it that was in some ways stronger than any of the flowers. At times I thought maybe rhubarb, but then it was also kind of giving off red currant or pomegranate too. The strongest of the florals was the rose, and it suited this lightly sweet and lively fruit note very well. The chamomile came through on the finish, with a bit of musty apple and honey.

Better than expected, but not something I’d likely feel inclined to revisit.

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PJC6uPIekc

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Perhaps I should have just had this plain since I had one teabag as a sample, but I really wanted something this afternoon using the pumpkin flavoured agave that I have in my office and this black tea was calling to me. I’ve enjoyed many a straight black tea paired with that agave in the past…

Even though the sweetness and caramelized pumpkin notes from the agave, I could taste a pleasant malty and coppery/mineral taste from this Indian black tea. Super, super full bodied and quite brisk – though my agave addition did take some edge off that quality. I really enjoyed it a lot, and I could tell that this probably would have also been true even without the agave.

But the Halloween and autumn tea energy was more my speed today in particular!

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Definitely a mango tea – and one that does a shockingly good job at capturing that almost piney and resinous sort of taste of a just underripe mango. Usually I like that flavour a lot, but it’s soooo strong in this blend because of the woody, mineral notes of the rooibos that I think if I weren’t in just the right mood that it might actually be too much for me. And, in saying that, I wonder if it’s too much for the average person a lot more of the time!? Otherwise, though, this is nice with a sweeter and almost candied mango top note. Definitely tropical in a way that I haven’t experienced personally with a lot of Lupicia’s blends…

This blend was sent to be my CameronB and I’m very happy to try it.

I think I may have oversteeped it because despite the lovely fresh pineapple flavour, the barley base is quite bitter and lacks sweetness. It reminds me of the after taste of black coffee with the roasted dark bitter flavour. It isn’t bad, but I will have to try it another way next time. The pineapple flavouring is excellent – just like pineapple fanta!

Whisked this up hot and plain, but extra strong. Definitely a bold and intense flavour, but at its heart still very creamy with notes fo fresh milk, different nuts, and a fresh umami to it. Not the best matcha I’ve had as of late, but nothing to turn your nose up at either.

Iced Latte!

Whisked this up today with some regular 2% milk and no added sweeteners or syrups. It was so deeply refreshing, and I almost immediately wished I’d made a larger portion for myself. The flavours were fresh with notes of fresh churned butter, sweet grass, a gentle umami, and rich and nutty macadamias. Definitely very enjoyable!

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Finished this off yesterday morning with a splash of the caramel apple pie creamer in it. I wasn’t sure if the two would go together, but it was actually very nice and weirdly kind of nostalgic? Way, way back in my VERY EARLY tea drinking days I had the idea of making a Butterscotch Earl Grey. I think it was for a Butiki contest or something like that!? This made me think of that, and I definitely didn’t mind it one bit.

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I wasn’t really sure what flavour this was supposed to be when I drank it a few nights ago, but the taste was very fruity leaning to me. Definitely a mixed fruit, and maybe leaning a little more towards berries or just generic red fruit? I thought it was pleasantly sweet and bright, without having the thickness or jammy density that might push it into feeling too heavy handed and cloying. There was also just a slightly creamy or vanilla-like undertone, I felt. If I had to wager a guess I probably would have said some type of berry and cream, but light on the cream side. It was nice, but not something I felt sad to be finishing off.

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I like this waaayyyy more than the oolong version. It’s fresh and juicy with a really, really ripe white peach flavour. Still floral, but not in nearly as perfumey a way. Instead it feels like more of the natural floral characteristics that would be present in a white peach, not liquid perfume. And the black tea base is really nice too.

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Finished off this sachet a few nights ago and found it pretty comforting for the later evening. Definitely more of a ginger forward profile with a peppery and earthy sort of heat to it, especially in the backend of the sip. It left a soft tickle in my throat! The citrus notes are very zesty but with herbaceous undertones. Not really a fresh lemon, but to be fair it also doesn’t really claim to be either. I like the rooibos base, it adds a nice bit of body to the cup. Overall, relatively smooth and a nice non-sweet sort of interpretation of the pretty common “lemon ginger” profile.

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I brought a bunch of these prepackaged sachets from Lupicia’s Spring “Book of Tea” with me because they were just so convenient to travel with. This one I treated basically as a breakfast blend, with a nice splash of milk in it. Definitely very malty and brisk, with slightly sweet raisin and citrus undertones to it as well. Super smooth, and though there wasn’t much “special” feeling about it I still deeply appreciated having just a really solid, classic feeling black tea to sip on.

Today I had my third session with this tea, and again I steeped twice, first for 90 sec, and then 2 min on the re-steep. No milk or sweetener today! Really tasty, and I’ve decided I like it a bit more than Lupicia’s Cookie blend, which seems the same as this, but without the white chocolate. So I’m pushing the rating up to 93. Yum! I’ll order more when it comes available on their site. Thanks for the intro, ashmanra!

This loose-leaf sample aliquot of Lupicia’s White Christmas came to me via the generosity of ashmanra. I steeped it up according to the usual directions for Lupicia’s blends: 2.5 g tea in 8 oz boiling alpine spring water in my stainless micropore basket for 2 min, with a re-steep again for 2 min. The aroma was wonderful, and of nutty, buttery pastries, and I spent some time simply enjoying the wafting deliciousness arising from the cups! This is a black tea, and yet while drinking, it was quite smooth, almost sweet, without bitterness or astringency. I enjoyed the strong flavors of vanilla, almond, and white chocolate, along with notes of butter and the sensation of a velvety pastry on my tongue. The resteep was gentler, but revealed more of the black base that seemed to be like a ceylon, but without any wintergreen notes. Again I noted a roasted, almost caramel note. After finishing, I read some of the many tasting notes here on Steepster, and was surprised to see so many mentions of an apricot flavour, which was absent in my infusions. Thankfully, I also saw more recent notes by others with the same observation, so I conclude Lupicia has indeed modified their recipe over the past 10 years. But I still found the tea to be absolutely worthwhile as it is today. It was similar to Lupicia’s COOKIE blend, but with a stronger white chocolate note. That was Saturday. Today, I steeped up another couple cups of White Christmas, this time shortening the first steep to 90 sec, allowing more flavor to ride over to the resteep. And today I added a yellow sweetener packet and a splash of half & half. Again the tea was delightful, this time like a toasty cream-filled white chocolate croissant with almonds. Oooh so good! Both steepings! I have enough leaf left for a final session tomorrow, which I greatly anticipate! Thank you again, ashmanra. I recommend this without hesitation, and rate it 90.

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I’m sipping down this tea sample in this cute pastel persimmon coloured teacup that goes perfectly with the persimmon daifuku I’ve paired it with. The green tea is smooth with notes of chestnuts, artichoke, and sweet grass to go alongside a buttery quality that’s present in both taste and mouthfeel. The daifuku is jammy and sweet, and as you can see from the last photo, it is obviously quite creamy as well. However, it’s still in a mucu more mellow and delicate way that integrates so well with the lighter, fresh sencha. It’s a nice tea time treat that feels so much more like a light refreshment to go with my steeped tea rather than a heavy indulgence!

Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/DNoWVepSl5u/?img_index=1

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LpRLysYyw8&ab_channel=Thandii-Topic

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There’s a fruity flavour in a lot of Lupicia’s black tea blends that feels very repetitive to me and sometimes it makes their blends feel a bit generic or boring to me. However, even though it’s in this tea, I still really liked this one. More of a medium bodied black tea that struck a really nice balance between that sort of generic red fruit/berry flavouring and a more sweet, bordering on effervescent sparkling wine note. A touch grape-y in a more floral way, but really it reminded me of these prosecco gummy bears that I enjoy a lot. Bright and playful, with this quality that I can only describe as “bouncy” on the palate.

This I would buy again!

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This was nice tasting but it simultaneously gave me this feeling of deja vu while also being a little more generic!? Fruity and floral overall, but with a little more emphasis on the fruit side. At times more generic red fruit or even strawberry, and then at times more of a sweet and borderline artificial “cherry blossom” flavour? It kind of trailed off into vanilla, but I really wouldn’t call this a vanilla tea per se. Something I would be very happy to be served, but not necessarily memorable enough to be a tea I’d want to repurchase either.

Lupicia’s Ripe Mango Oolong tea is, to my tastes, outstanding! Prepared as directed, Western style: 2.5g leaf in 8 oz boiling spring water for 2 min. Two serial infusions, combined to make a pint of heaven. Unsweetened, it tastes of real ripe mango with a floral nose, and a subtle green oolong background giving just enough bite and flavor to reassure you that it’s genuine tea—full-flavored yet light, and quite refreshing. If that wasn’t enough, the leaf unfurled to give medium sized intact green leaves with few noticeable stems. The finish is long lasting in both flavor and aroma, coating the tongue & throat, and filling the sinuses with fruity-floral happiness. But wait— there’s more! add a couple spoonfuls of sugar and the senses become supercharged with sweet fruit and a mouthwatering finish! Interestingly, I enjoyed this more while hot/warm than iced, but it works well as a sweet iced tea too. Yes, the mango flavor dominates, but this is named Ripe Mango and not fruit salad or mixed bouquet! The oolong and orange blossom give it a touch of complexity without muddling the profile, and that’s good enough for me to recommend this tea and rate it a 94.

Sakurambo, by Lupicia
Single, foil-wrapped sachet, gratis sample received with my order, today brewed as directed, Western style, boiling spring water, 2.5 min steep. Of the handful of Lupicia teas I’ve tried, this surprised me and is my least favorite. The aroma of the dry tea was intriguingly pleasant, though oddly peachy and grassy, and once steeped was unlike either the sweet cherries of summer, or the dried montmorency baking cherries in my pantry. Flavor-wise, I get a crushed vegetal taste in a slightly astringent base black tea. I detected neither the pink peppercorn (which I saw in the sachet), nor the reputed rosemary— and I like rosemary, so that was a disappointment. The dominant vegetal flavor was reminiscent of peach and other stonefruit pits, in an off-putting sort of way, and I kept getting the impression I was chewing on pine needles (which I have actually done in the past), but lacking the aroma or tang of pine sap. As I finished the cooling liquor, the tip of my tongue felt a little numb. Thank you, Lupicia, for sending me this sample so that I can avoid purchasing it in the future, and focus on your many other delicious teas! I would not recommend this to friends, and sadly will rate it as 24 (meaning the spring water tasted better before I steeped the tea.)

Steeped as directed. Love it! Great with milk, too. I poured the rest of my bag of it into a small jelly jar with a screw-cap lid, so now I have a Cookie Jar! I enjoy it at breakfast and lunch and tea-time. Great aroma and flavor. Rating a 90 because drinking it makes me feel like a kid again. .

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This wasn’t a bad tea, and all the named flavours were represented in each sip. Floral, soothing jasmine, lightly citrusy mandarin that added a touch of natural sweetness, and a more grassy or even hay-like green tea. However, I felt like it was a little dull and stinted tasting with a touch of coarseness from the green tea. Not unpleasant, but this flavour profile would SHINE in my opinion on a more delicate green tea where those fruity and floral notes could come off as fresher, more light and effervescent. As is, this almost felt heavy!? And that’s strange for a jasmine green tea.

Picked this one up recently, along with the Pineapple Oolong. I love their fruity oolongs so was excited to see these limited offerings!

This is delightful – sweet and juicy lychee on a fresh, floral baozhong base. It’s very similar to their Ripe Mango Oolong, just with lychee in place of the mango. Naturally, the lychee and the oolong are a perfect match, since both have gentle floral notes.

This seems like it would be amazing iced, I might have to try cold steeping it soon. Excited to try the pineapple too!