Sakurambo

I debated between this tea and the Sakurambo Vert for quite a while. I know the Vert is probably a better tea objectively, but I already have some cherry greens but no cherry blacks so I thought I’d take a swing at this one. Also, it looks so pretty with those cute little red balls! I’m not exactly sure what they are, but they look nice.

The weird thing about this blend is the little needles in the blend. They look like pine needles, but they can’t be, right? Well, I ate one (as I often do when there’s a mystery ingredient!), and… yup, pine needles. Or something that tastes exactly like a pine needle. I was a little worried at this point, but let it sit in the fridge for about 5 hours—I did a fast cold brew with this one, mostly because the smell was SO strong I wasn’t sure how it would fare after an overnight steep.

Well, as I feared, this tastes like pine needles. It has that tanginess I associate with them, and it’s kind of odd. It’s not overwhelmingly pine-y, but it’s still an undercurrent that ran throughout the whole cup. The cherry was there too, on the tarter side than most blends. It reminds me of the cherry tree down the street from me: my neighbor has a whole bunch of fruit trees, and as kids we’d get overly excited and start eating them before they were ripe. The cherries would be quite tart, with only a hint of sweetness. This is kind of like that, but while it brings back pleasant memories it’s not at all what I was expecting. I think I need to try this one hot, as cold it’s just a little strange.

Can’t believe I had not reviewed this one before! I also didn’t even have it in my cupboard! When did I get so lax on that? I have had this tea for a long time.
I love this tea.
It has the sweet / sour cherry flavor with the minty coolness behind it that is subtle yet present enough to give that cooling sensation in the mouth.
A great morning wake up tea!
The cherry flavor lingers nicely and leaves a delicate sweetness on the lips.
Its a romantic tea. What I mean by that is I could see this being a tea to serve at a valentine’s day tea party, or in a beautiful garden setting, a “ladies tea” if you will. Not to be sexist lol.
Its has a floral element to it as well.
I know this tea gets a lot of mixed reviews but I just adore it.
Its excellent as it cools too!
This is a stash keeper!

I received this as a sample when I was in the store in San Francisco. I was glad because it was one of the teas I had wanted to try. This is the bagged version, but I assume the loose version would be similar. The scent from this one is really strong. It smells like sour cherry. When steeped, this tastes like a subdued version of how the smell would taste…if that makes sense. Id be interested in trying the green tea version to see how it compares. While this won’t be an order for me ever, because of the taste, I wouldn’t turn down a cup if offered

Very much a fresh cherry smell, even has that hint of tartness to it that fresh cherries do. Usually cherry flavored things make me think of cough syrup so it’s nice to find a cherry flavored something that doesn’t even hint of that type of cherry.

The taste isn’t as tart as the smell, but it’s got a little tingle to it. Very fresh and fruity tasting. Not overpowering or fake though it is probably one of the stronger flavored Lupicia teas I’ve had. I’m not using any sugar or milk but honestly, it doesn’t need any and sugar might detract from the fresh sourness it has – again, not overly sour, just a little twinge that makes me think of fresh cherries. A very good tea from spring, I would think.

Also, we have about eight inches of snow on the ground. It’s sorta nuts. And I’m expected into work this afternoon. Not sure if that’s going to happen. Yikes.

I was a little shy to try this tea, as I’ve only ever thought of green teas and cherries. But alas, Ricky sent a sample of this my way, so try it I did.

The tea has a great strong aroma of freshly bitten cherries and strong tea. I think I may have steeped a little long at 3 minutes, or used a bit too much leaf, as it was one potent cherry chestnut colored brew.

The taste is very fresh, these cherries are definitely different than any I have had before. I don’t really enjoy the flavor as much as I enjoyed the scent. Very fresh almost floral/grassy notes overtook the cup.

I tried adding honey to see if it brought out any additional flavor, or toned down the floral note, but nothing improved. I’m sorry to say I threw out this cup. I may try the last few teaspoons as an iced brew, to see how that goes. Cold brewing may bring out a better taste.

A tea I got in a trade with Ricky (who’s still trying to mooch more tea off of me ;P).

This is a lovely smelling tea from the get-go. At my aunt’s old house there was a sour-cherry tree and in the summer my mother and I would go and pick huge ice cream buckets full of them. We’d freeze them and make them into the most delicious sauces. Well this tea smells like those cherries tasted, which may sound a bit odd, but taste and sense of smell are supposed to be closely linked.

There are little, red, round things in the tea that look like red peppercorns but they smell like cherries. There’s also some light green needle-like things that look like rosemary possibly.

The taste is quite authentic too; not much like the traditional Bing Cherry flavour, so if you’re looking for that then this might not be the tea for you. All the flavour seems to hit me right at the start of each sip: fruity, fresh, and even slightly acrid it’s a very clean, but yummy taste. It seems to quickly tapper off into a rather sour sort of tea flavour, which is a bit disapointing; but other than that, this is rockin’ tea.

This was another of the teas I got in my lucky bag – there will probably be quite a few Lupicia tasting notes from me over the next few days!

I received this in bagged form and was really excited about it because it was one of the teas I most wanted to try. The scent of the leaf once I tore open the package reminded me very much of how grenadine tastes, if that makes any sense. It was syrupy sweet smelling cherry, with some hints at tartness. I had to kind of hold the bag away from me otherwise the scent was overwhelming and hurt my head. The same thing happens when I get a strong scent of bergamot. I guess I’m just really sensitive to smells?

Anyway (thankfully!), like with the Earl Grey last night, the taste of the tea was not as strong as it’s fragrance. I’m drinking this with no additives, and am getting a sort of authentic, but mostly candied cherry taste quickly followed by black tea, before a sweet cherry note swoops in again in the aftertaste. The cherry flavoring also seems to have a vaguely spiced undertone – cinnamony/peppery or something. Interesting, for sure.

I am not as in love with this as I wanted to be, but I am glad I got to try it. Plus the tea bags are quite handy, so I will likely be taking them whenever portability is a must. :)

The Final Sipdown: Day 6.4

Soldiering on, I come to a tea sent by Auggy that has intrigued me ever since I got it. Catching a whiff of the leaves, this smells strongly of a combination of fruit gum, apple cider, and cherry [specifically sour cherry]. The liquid combines these same scents, and the more I think about it, the more I begin the realize the similarities between the three. I’m not sure what about it makes me think apple cider, but it does indeed remind me of sweet apple cider.

All these elements are in the taste as well, making it one of the most consistent leaf to aroma to drink teas I’ve ever tried. But the drink is far more complex.

Before I get into taste, the coloring warrants a note. It’s a deep, brown color that’s not quite coppery like most black teas are. Instead it has a red that falls somewhere between auburn and burgundy tint to it. It’s really very pretty and I find myself staring the highlights thrown into it by the light.

The black tea is there, but it’s super faint for me and comes out mainly right at the start of the sip. The astringency I get at the end, as well, is due to [I think] the black tea. What I find interesting is that it’s not difficult for me to find the black tea because the taste is so loud; it’s difficult to find because the taste has so much going on. If that makes sense.

For one, I get a cinnamon flavor that I think is part of what’s making me think of apple cider. Also, just a hint of juicy cherry more noticeable after aeration and in the finish. Juicy sweet cherry, akin to Luden’s cough drops, but also sour cherry like pie filling. I can’t taste the peppercorn that’s in it, really, though I think it might be lending itself to some of the fruity flavors in coming out of this tea. Oh wait, no. There it is when I swish it around. [At first glance, I thought those peppercorns were goji berries, but they’re not oblong enough. After scanning the logs, as the description is no help, thanks to Jillian I discovered that they are peppercorns. Funnily enough, though, I do get a hint of goji berry in the taste.] What else? Not enough for me to be able to dissect at the moment. There seriously is a lot going on.

The curious thing is that there’s not much of an aftertaste for me. Simply a whisper of sweetness that rides the breath. On occasion, I curiously [or perhaps not] get black cherry.

This is a flavor unlike any tea I’ve ever tried, and while I’m really not in love with it I could see it being something that grows on me. For the time being, however, it is unique and not crazy loud enough to be what I consider a flavored mess.

If I find myself placing a Lupicia order, I may pick up a small amount of this to play around with because it’s really making my palate feel challenged. Right now, it’s not enough to justify starting an order up on its own.

Teas Downed: 16

Second tea of the morning……

And tea #3 from my Fukubukuro bag from Lupicia. This one is in sachets in a pack of 10. Overall, I am pleased with my bag. I am not completely sure I will buy one again as I am not a huge fan of certain kinds of tea, but it has been a great introduction to Lupicia! I guess I would rather spend a little more and be sure to get things I know I will love.

Finally, a cherry flavored tea that is not reminiscent of cherry cough drops! I did have my reservations upon smelling it, but it is rather good. I will thoroughly enjoy this while I have it on hand, and it may even make it onto a shopping list. I think I need at least a few more cups of it before I can totally decide. Light cherry flavor, a decently well matched tea base. Enjoyable.

One sachet, roughly 12 oz freshly boiled water, 3minutes. Lightly sweetened.

tea #3 of iceday sip down

also received this one from kasumi
I forgot to smell the dry leaves, but as soon as the hot water hit this I could smell pine needles. really? in a Chinese/ Japanese tea? oh but yes, the smell & taste reminds me of camping, I can smell it sitting here next to me.
it tastes like choke cherries, so delicious, tart & dry. yum! as this cools in tastes just like wintergreen leaves I would pick from the forest floor, yet sweet & tart. this is Devine!

I think this is my first Lupicia tea. I must get more, but I think the green would be even better. although this is quite the light flavored black.

Pretty good for a flavored black tea, the cherry flavor is not too sweet, it is slightly tart with a layer of pine tree. I don’t mind that but I can see where a lot of people might find it strange. I recommend the Sakurambo Vert from Lupicia over this one…

Loose
Appearance: large leaf black,slight curl noticeable fruit, bright cherries
Aroma when Dry: tart cherry, nutty
After water is first poured: bright, tart cherry, fruity
At end of first steep: mellowed tart cherry
Tea liquor:
At end of first steep: brownish green
Staple? possibly Seasonal
Time of day preferred: unsure, first tasting
Taste:
At first: sightly tart/tangy cherry, prominent grassy notes
As it cools? More cherry, deepening into layers, sweetening slightly, less grass
Additives used (milk, honey, sugar etc)? No
Lingers? Yes, a sourness remains

Second steep (7 min):
milder cherry, lighened grassy notes
Need to revisit chilled

I’m not a particular fan of strong, almost-chemically induced, fruit blends. But there are exceptions that are done well. I gave Lupicia’s Sakurambo a try because it’s a black tea blend versus the green tea blend I had tried in past chez Teavana (my mouth puckers just thinking of the overly sugary-sour-bitter.)

The aroma out of the box is VERY strong. Sour cherry. I thought “oh no, here we go again.” But the cherries being used aren’t the dried, sugared type, they’re an actual type of cherry bean, so there wasn’t the “marzipan” character to it. It’s very pretty in the teapot – the black tea, the green needles, and the small cherry beans (I can see this being a nice treat at the holidays).

Brewed according to directions, steeped for 2.5 minutes. The sip isn’t bad. Definite cherry. I can still taste the qualities of the black tea. Not as disappointing as it foreshadowed. There was a stronger astringency than I’m used to, about medium if I had to put it on a scale.

I’m curious to try this again blended with milk and see if my opinion changes, being a black tea it just might be the ticket!

I’m satisfied, but I’m still on the hunt for my “best” cherry tea. Something that leans more toward creamy and slightly floral or spicy, like some of the good-smelling lotions at Bath and Body works.

Definitely a notch above a green cherry blend.

(this is the bagged version)

I’m craving more Adagio sour apple, but I don’t have any at work. pouts

Lupicia doesn’t let me down though, I love their teas. This is a lightly flavored cherry black with a hint of sweetness.

Just not quite what I’m in the mood for.

Tasty, definitely cherry and quite sweet. I’m glad this is a black tea because I was honestly expecting the only Japanese cherry flavours to be green tea. Thanks to ToiToi for this sample

My 6th tea from The Book of Tea, which is quite nice! I was worrying that it would turn out to be a tart cup but it didn’t. It was very fruity and tasted like real cherries (though the taste reminded me more of nectarines I must say!). It’s mostly sweet but also had a light note of sourness. Tea companies tend to throw in a lot of fruits and flowers to create fruit-flavoured black tea, often with disastrous results. I was glad that Lupicia didn’t do the same to this tea… after all there’s no need for them to do so given their wonderful range of flavourings! :P

Not bad but not overly flavorful either…but pleasant

Lupicia is probably one of my favorite tea bag companies because they do not sacrifice the quality of the leaf because of the packaging. I wanted something strong but fruity. The first thing that I noticed was the red cherries. I enjoyed the smell but I must agree with the other posts that the competing flavors was a bit too much for me. The first few sips were enjoyable but after that I think that my tastebuds were a bit confused.

The tea overall was okay but I feel like it could have been a more simple blend.

I’m having trouble with this tea. The rosemary and “cherries” (pink peppercorns, not a cherry fruit at all) give it a strong medicinal scent and flavor. Plain, it is tough for me to sip. I’ll try it with milk, then milk and sugar, and see if it fares any better. My husband likes it, so there’s that; to my palate, it feels very unbalanced. Unfortunately, I don’t know yet what it’s missing.

This is an interesting flavored tea. It’s not really fruity, but it is fruit flavored. (I hope that makes some kind of sense!) I’m interested in trying this one iced. I think that the green version would be worth a try as well. The tea has a kind of sour tang. I didn’t taste any bitterness, but I thought this one definitely needed a little bit of sweetener.