Pineapple Barley Tea

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!

I always wanted to try this one, as I KNEW Lupicia would do a fantastic job with the pineapple. Thanks very much, Cameron B! I also remember Cameron sent over some other Lupicia barley teas years ago, and I loved those. From the first sniff from this teabag, it seems like REAL pineapple juice was just poured over this barley. The pineapple could not be more authentic. And then I just knew it would be so wonderful paired with the rustic, roasty toasty barley flavor. It’s so good. Now I want some of my beloved pineapple pizza. The second steep, I left the teabag in for quite a while, so it was more barley than pineapple, but that’s okay!

My apologies to Canadian Steepsterites – I honestly had not known about the hundreds of wildfires you’re dealing with until the smoke started wafting its way down the east coast. So, first and foremost, sending wishes for your health and safety and that of your loved ones!

Even with the windows closed and a filter on, the smoke is getting notably stronger, so hot tea doesn’t feel particularly desirable at the moment. Thankfully, I had this cold brew going in the fridge. I’m not sure whether I’ve ever cold-brewed it before, but it works well. Three teabags in a large pitcher turned out to be the right ratio for a roasty, almost toasted buckwheat-esque tea with a delicate pineapple flavor.

Sipdown! (2 | 2)

I should really drink these barley tisanes more often, I forget how much I like them. The roasted barley has such a lovely natural sweetness and is so mellow, it’s just wonderfully cozy as a hot tea. And then the pineapple adds a fruitiness that somehow works with the toasty notes.

So good! Definitely a reorder, but happily I still have some of the watermelon version left.

Sipdown (126)!

Added a splash of White Rum this time, in an attempt to dull the “fish” smell I strongly smell with this one, both dry and steeped…

- Went surprisingly well with the white rum!
- Suppose that makes sense because Pineapple/Rum is not really a stretch at all
- Still very weird, but good weird for sure
- And while it still SMELLED “fishy” (it’s never tasted fishy) it wasn’t as strong

I now have a sample of Apple Barley from VariaTEA to try so I’ll certainly be looking out for that fish smell to see if it’s just this flavour, or if it’s something that’s just linked to Lupicia’s barley teas in general…

Still thank you Cameron B. for this one! I did enjoy it overall, even with fish smell.

For a barley tea, it is very strong flavored. I almost thought it was coffee at first, but it is in fact just a very strong barley tea—which may be perfect for coffee lovers trying to get off their coffee kick. It is, of course like other barley teas, caffeine-free as well. The pineapple aroma and flavor, in my opinion, is great. It is stronger than I expected, but not overwhelming to me. If someone dislikes pineapple, this is probably not a tea for them, though. Overall, it’s a really great tea worth trying if you like stronger barley tea. Sometimes, I do wish it was just a bit lighter though.