This one I have had for too long and it really needs to go, so I brewed some up in my handy little Lupicia cooler. I’m having some hot now and the rest is going into the fridge so I’ll have an iced tea tomorrow!
1585 Tasting Notes
hmm. I am a little confused by the description on Lupicia’s website as I got a tea called Ume Vert from their store that claims it is a white and green tea blend that is flavored with apricots and the website says it is flavored with plums so obviously I am going to review the tea that I have.
I really like this one, it just sounded so light and delicious from the description on the bag. They claim you can use boiling water but I was a bit skeptical so I steeped this for around 3 minutes @ approx 175 F.
this is a flavored tea but the apricot flavor is very subtle and the white tea flavor really comes through. Oddly I am getting more white tea flavor than green. This will be a great tea for the springtime and would also be very good as an iced tea.
Verdict: yum!
I bought a whole box of this a while ago evidently hoping I would love it, but alas…
It decided to steep some up today to see what I remember of it, an orange jasmine-y tartish perfumish mess. Smells like a perfume my Grandmother might have bought that went rancid. It is definitely more enjoyable with soymilk but now I’m just kind of sad I have so much of it. If anyone wants to swap, let me know. Other people really seem to love this tea!
So today I tried steeping this up along with my Oriental Beauty oolong from the Aroma Tea Shop. That was a very good combination. The cinnamon plum is a little tart on its’ own but mixing it with something else seems to help. I still wish there was no hibiscus in it (see my previous tasting notes).
Drinking this today out of a beaten up chipped and stained infuser mug I got in Chinatown – lmao! Looks like I might need a new mug very soon. :)
When I think of a classic high mountain oolong something like this would come to mind.The dry leaf smells a bit floral and a bit like licorice in the bag.
This was steeped for around 2 minutes at 180 F. I got a sweet, mildly buttery and rich tea which is very soothing. It has a nice floral aroma as well.
I steeped it again and the second steep was much like the first. I am enjoying it and would consider ordering it again if I ever place another order with Tea from Taiwan. Still nothing about it really stands out among the other oolongs I have tried from the same company. In a way I will be kind of glad when these samples are all gone and I can move on to something else. :))
This was another tea I got for Christmas from my brother and am just getting around to trying it now.
I decided I was going to use my xi ying teapot for wuyi oolongs only. I think the clay teapot really enhances this tea for some reason. I steeped mine for about 60 seconds and this first steep is reminiscent of toasted grains, there is a lingering sweetness and also a plummy/raisin-y fruit quality.
Second steep is about the same as the first – it’s a good tea but doesn’t rank up super high in terms of unique or intense flavors like some other wuyis I’ve had. Still. I wouldn’t mind having this around as an everyday sort of tea. In the future I might let the steeps go a bit longer to see what I end up with.
I found a Fukugata teapot today at Daiso for $4 and I couldn’t resist buying it. I never liked this Detox tea but it’s a little late for caffeine so I decided to steep some of this up to anoint the pot. The tea is still yucky but the teapot was fun to use. I noticed it has an infuser basket instead of the traditional sasame (clay filter). I think it’s a little too soon to figure out how this cheap teapot will affect the flavor of my tea. I guess I need to start first with a tea that I actually like. :)
I bought two sampler packs from Tea from Taiwan and I confess a lot of them do taste similar but this one was definitely different. For one thing it smelled so fresh and clean and VERY vegetal when I opened the bag, kind of like boiled spinach.
Due to these factors I decided to give my first steep only 60 seconds in approx. 180 F water. It’s a nice light infusion but it really is vegetal, sweet and clean. It has a bit of a “roasted” or charcoal quality. hmmm. I really like this one a lot. It is also one of the more expensive teas on their website (just my luck!)
For the second steep I decided to keep it light, only 30 seconds to see if I could capture some of the elusive fruit flavor. I am getting a little bit of melon and now it has a slightly floral aroma but I want the charcoal back!
Third steep: I am going for the gusto. Two full minutes brings back more of the delicious flavor here. This is a tea that takes you on adventure. Now I am getting a buttery popcorn flavor.
This one is very enjoyable so I am adding it to my shopping list although $29 for 75 grams is a bit steep for me. It’s very tasty though and according to the website you can steep it 8 times…
Interesting that some other tasters found it boring, I am not bored in the least! :)
Another ancient sample from David’s Tea – evidently it is cleaning up and purging ancient things time…
I was really dreading this after reading the description. Well, I do like lemongrass but with hibiscus and citrus I was anticipating a big tart mess… this probably would be a good iced tea and good with booze in it. It’s a bright pink fruity cup that has the hibiscus zingy kick. It’s pretty ok but that’s about all. Better than Teavana but I doubt I will ever come to love a hibiscus fruit blend tea.
It’s been ages since I’ve placed my last order and I have no idea why. Maybe the new spring tea collection will be coming out soon??
yummm. I was really looking forward to trying this sample after reading the description! ;)
I steeped this in an infuser mug at 180 F but I lost track of the time, it might have been 2 or 3 mins. It is buttery, slightly vegetal with a little bit of sweetness in the aftertaste. I believe this is the apple flavor that was referenced in the description?
The second steep was only for about 90 seconds. I think a light touch is paramount with this one. The vegetal notes have backed off a bit and is getting more creamy. I am enjoying it but I don’t think it will go on my “must have” list. Not sure if I need to steep this a third time, oh well. It isn’t really standing out but I’m also feeling kind of nauseated today so that isn’t really helping…
I unearthed this ancient sample from my stash – I have no idea why I didn’t try drinking it before now. I believe this was one of their spring teas and it also looks to have been discontinued but maybe they’ll bring it back.
This isn’t quite as terrible as I was fearing it would be. I actually like the raspberry here in this blend but I don’t think the coconut goes so well with it. Kind of sickly sweet somehow & might be better iced. I guess I haven’t been missing much. :-/
This was another sample pack I received when I placed my order with Upton. I really wish I had ordered more of these, they are so awesome and cheap!
This assam was steeped with boiling water in an infuser mug for 4 minutes per the company’s recommendations.
This is a delicious smelling assam – very dark, fruity and malty. It has a lot of pungency towards the end of the cup and I fear I may have steeped it a little too long or I should perhaps use a little less leaf next time because I brewed it up very strong! I love the flavor but am wishing for slighly less pungency so stay tuned, I may need to adapt this one out of sheer necessity. Soymilk is definitely helping to tone it down a bit.
Here’s my tea “nightcap” for tonight. I did notice tonight I felt the cinnamon in this blend was pretty strong so I may have oversteeped it. See my previous tasting notes. Still it’s great with soymilk as a nice treat :)
my tea notes are probably getting repetitive but at some point I will break down and just buy an entire pound of this since I drink it almost every day. =)
I am sure I will want to keep ordering this tea forever. I’m tired today and the weather is grim but this is tea is so delicious, smooth and strong. Chocolate malt perfection – Perfect for a long, cloudy day. See my previous tasting notes. :)
It is today’s first tea. Steeped this morning at boiling for 4 minutes. It’s nice but not destined to be a favorite, see previous tasting notes. I will try adding a pinch of cardamom or dried orange peel next time.
yum, it’s a tea “nightcap” – hoping there is not too much caffeine in this one. Definitely a dessert tea, great with some soymilk. I don’t see it as a coconut cream pie as much as a coconut banana cake made with whole wheat flour. Anyway it seems to be hitting the spot at the moment.
working late tonight, this tea is a nice boost and is very soothing and rich as well. A guiltless indulgence. :)
This came as a sample in my last order from Verdant. I was very surprised to find that this does smell a lot like cocoa – intriguing! I steeped it for around 3 minutes at 175 F or so. I may have used a bit too much leaf however.
I am finding this slightly less sweet and more vegetal than the spring Laoshan green. It has a full and rich flavor, definitely green beans are the predominant note here. I felt it got a bit pungent so I may need to revise my steeping parameters. I like it though…
Second steep here at 2 minutes was a lot better, I guess you don’t need much with this tea!
This is a great black tea to lift your spirits and start the day right – see my previous tasting notes. :)
I got this as a blend to mix with other teas, I don’t intend to drink it on its own. Last night I added about 1 tsp. to some plain generic honeybush and it was great, I also want to try it with assam. I think the saffron and the elderberry are both nice touches to this blend which make it a little bit out of the ordinary.
My first time trying a yellow tea. The leaves in the bag are slender and light brownish with some white areas. I steeped this in an infuser mug with water around 180 F for 3 minutes. The leaves, after steeping smell a bit sweet but also like seaweed.
I do think this is pleasant but I’m not really blown away by it. It’s a golden yellow color and has a slighty sweet/nutty flavor profile. There is something mildly oceanic in the aroma of this particular tea. I am enjoying it but I don’t think I will need to rush out and get anymore once I have depleted this sample. Also I think it is great that Upton offers sample sizes on all of their teas, just thought I would mention that! :)
This was only my second straight up nilgiri and I am having a cup of it again this morning. It is fruity, (I am getting plums and berries in this steep) but lacks the tannins/astringency of a darjeeling which makes it nice for me. I upped the rating a bit today.
This was part of a Kusmi Russian tea sampler we got. My boyfriend loves Earl Grey/bergamot blends so he likes them a little bit better than I do, I find them to be a bit perfume-y. The orange is very nice in this blend though. Might be better with a scone. ;-)























