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This is not really what I expected…

I’ve never had tulsi before, so I didn’t know what I was in for there. The dry leaf had a lovely tropical fruit scent, which was encouraging.

However, the steeped tisane mostly just tastes of hibiscus tempered by sugar. It’s quite intense actually, though I may have overleafed it. While I appreciate that the sugar really helps to take the edge off, I’m not a big hibiscus fan. I think I get a little bit of tropical fruit maybe? There’s a light peppery note in the aftertaste, is that from the tulsi?

It’s not unpleasant, but I certainly won’t seek out more after finishing the sample pouch.

Hmm…

For some reason, I’m getting coconut from this. I smelled coconut in the dry leaf as well, though it’s not an ingredient and not listed in the flavors.

Also, it’s a bit bitter because I didn’t think about it being an Assam. The bitterness is strangely difficult to distinguish from the black pepper, which there seems to be a lot of. I do get a creamy milk chocolatey flavor from the (imagined) coconut with the cacao shells, and I get a bit of candied pineapple at the end of the sip.

I’m going to reserve judgment on this until I try it again, since I clearly botched the steeping parameters this time around. :P

This has definitely lost some flavor with age. Luckily, I can still taste some of its original strawberry rhubarb loveliness. There’s also a bit of wood from the base tea. The aroma is still quite fruity, though the taste is much more subtle.

I’m undecided on whether this will be one I restock or not. I love Rhubarb & Custard from B&B, and I’m not sure I need multiple rhubarb teas in my cupboard…

The second of the teas from my Palais des Thés advent order, and the second of the “Thé du Louvre series”. This one is a black tea with bergamot and blackberry flavors. It smells deliciously berry-bergamot in the sachet, and the steeped aroma is similar though with the blackberry somewhat diminished.

The blackberry is certainly very subtle in this tea. Mostly it tastes like a very good Earl Grey, with nice citrusy bergamot and a base tea with body, but little-to-no astringency. The blackberry manifests as a sort of deep, rounded sweetness throughout the sip, and a bit of a dark berry note at the end.

It’s very tasty, but I do wish there was more of the blackberry here… I have plenty of yummy traditional and traditional-adjacent Earl Grey teas, so I don’t really need one more.

This is the last of my three Lupicia holiday tea tins. Such a pretty tea, with the tiny little pink flower buds and the dark and feathery leaves..

This is a very grapey tea. To me, it’s somewhere at the intersection of grape candy, sparkling red grape juice, and Lupicia’s other muscat teas. There’s a definitely candy flavor but it’s perhaps a touch more mature than just candy. I do get the impression of effervescence, like sparkling wine, and there’s a floral note at the end of the sip that makes me think of wine as well.

I do enjoy this tea, but it will never be my favorite due to that pesky floral flavor. I bet it would be smashing as an iced tea, though.

From an old Sips By box.

Hmm…

This came out suspiciously weak. I used about 2 tsp of leaf for a 12-ounce mug, which I don’t think is unreasonable? In any case, it works for other black teas. The sample is from February of last year, but it’s completely sealed and I have other, older Chinese black teas that still taste fine. Highly suspect!

The flavors I can taste are nice, I get sweet honey and hay as well as chewy grains and perhaps a bit of bread. There’s a nice light honeyed aftertaste as well.

I have enough for a second try. Reserving judgment until then.

Lupicia, Lupicia, Lupicia.

This one is an old favorite. I’m not sure whether they offer it on the Hawaii site, as I assume it would’ve been this month and I didn’t see it. It’s generally a Halloween-ish tea.

I was confused that I had no rating for this tea, but I think it was because last time I was here, I wasn’t enjoying red rooibos much, so I must’ve removed the rating. Luckily, now I find myself enjoying rooibos again.

This is such a unique tea. The main flavor for me is roasted nuts, specifically chestnut. It has a nice rich flavor that combines with creamy sweet potato for a rich taste. There’s also a bit of burnt sugar, partially from the dark roasted nuts and probably also from the rooibos base, which can often have caramel notes.

I’m so happy that I seem to like rooibos blends again so I can enjoy this tisane. So warm and comforting and perfectly fallish. Luckily it’s aged well and I have plenty left!

Another Lupicia holiday tea! This one is hilariously vague in the description, but to me it’s a peach black tea.

I’m always surprised by how much I enjoy this one, considering the idea of a plain peach black tea doesn’t necessarily excite me. But somehow the combination of flavors here exceeds my expectations. The peach is mild but sweet, and the base tea has a woody quality that makes me think of vanilla. There’s a bit of briskness that I find pleasant as well. At the end of the sip is a slight acidic tang that goes well with the peach as well.

Even at a year past its “best by” date, this is still yummy. I’ll have to seriously consider getting a fresh pack to compare once it’s available.

I realized that I’ve been neglecting my Lupicia teas, probably because they’re up on a shelf at the back of my tea cupboard. Well, no more! I figured I would try the holiday teas first, since they’ll be the next limited teas to come out and I may want to make an order. The shipping is rather prohibitive now, but Lupicia is one of my very favorite purveyors so I may need to bite the bullet…

Anyway, starting with this one, which is a white chocolate and apricot black tea. The origin lists India and Kenya, and part of the base is CTC, so I shortened the steep a bit to 2.5 minutes and I was afraid of bitterness.

This is actually better than I remember. The base is a bit brisk, but there is a very nice creamy flavor that could definitely be white chocolate. And I think I may be getting a hint of apricot in the finish? Though I could be imagining it…

I’ll definitely consider this one if end up ordering. The next time, I think I’ll shorten the steep even more.

I’m torn on this one.

On the one hand, I do enjoy the strawberry combined with the bergamot. And it’s a nice convincing strawberry flavor as well. I’m not sure whether I get jasmine, it’s difficult to distinguish from the bergamot.

On the other hand, I am not a fan of the base, which is a rather brisk Ceylon with no real flavor notes other than “tea-ish”. And it’s strong enough that I can taste it quite clearly alongside the flavoring.

So while I do enjoy the concept, and to some extent the execution, I feel like the base ruins it for me by being too assertive and not interesting enough. Plus, I have a headache. :(