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wow, so glad i decided to spring for some of this in my first Lupicia order! it’s effing delicious. it smells beyond divine. like apples so fresh and juicy you just wanna cold-steep this in an ice bath and chug the pitcher when it’s done.

the smell of the dry leaf. i can’t even talk about the smell. so appley luscious and rosy. i wouldn’t normally consider myself an apple fiend, especially when it comes to flavored things but this is by far the exception.

i mean i’m always open to wonderfully scented and flavored teas that are fruity, gourmand/sweet and what have you, but i really like this one. now i wanna give their Apple & Berry green a try as well….and of course their Grapefruit Green. i’m a grapefruit fiend & every now and again, i crave grapefruit like i crave oxygen. anyway, if Tsugaru Green is any indication of the quality of Lupicia’s flavored greens, i should have no trouble exploring their other green offerings! (Not least of all their matcha, hehe.)

i also got their Strawberry & Vanilla green which smelled so amazing i could have passed out. so yea, totally looking forward to fainting.

ETA— my brother’s on vacation right now in Japan & he just climbed Mount Fuji with his friend! he said it was one of the most challenging yet rewarding things he’s ever done in his life. i told him about this tea & the famed San Tsugaru apples from Aomori Prefecture and said he should try and procure some if there are any in Tokyo!

how i wish i had a bowl of them in front of me right now, i would not cease to attack it and eat at least 3!!

i find with oolongs, the magic is in the cooling. when you let your cup cool, the tea opens up and you’ll experience more notes, and greater depth of those notes.

the aftertaste/after sip in this is sliiightly peach/nectarine but not quite. definitely not as peachy as in other greener, less oxidized oolongs. but it is a subtle fruity-floral, not quite orchid but you can say it is crisp. crisp like a Washington apple? Hmm i’m not sure. if i got definitive apple out of this i’d be thoroughly impressed (not to mention, happy!) but perhaps that is to be found in subsequent steeps.

this is only the first steep, and i have to say, Black Pearl Sumatra sits nicely in between a delicate black tea and an oolong. actually the ‘black tea quality’ about this is sturdy, like a dark-roasted grain, though i wouldn’t say the flavor is toasty. it’s kind of similar in overall flavor to Tealux’s Cream Irish Breakfast, sans butter or cream.