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Today is going to be trying Lupicia samples day! Mostly because I’m planning on making an order before the end of the month and I need to find out whether any of these samples are must-haves. This one is from Mikumofu, and it’s in sachet form. Dry, it smells very sweet with rich berry tones. I didn’t bother looking up instructions… Did 1 sachet in 8 ounces of water for 3 minutes at 200 degrees.

Mm, the steeped tea smells amazing! It’s like a combination of blueberry jam and grape juice, with a touch of something almost minty? Very deep berry-grape aroma. The flavor is definitely not as strong as the aroma, but it has similar notes. Definitely blueberry jam with elderberries and grape juice, maybe a touch of blackberry as well. The base tea is very mellow and slightly woody. I added a bit of raw sugar to mine, and it’s very lovely overall.

This sample came from Dexter! She was kind enough to send me two of Mandala’s black teas that I’ve been curious about for a while now. This one has very dark brown leaves that are thin and somewhat twisty. Some of them look more like oxidized oolong leaves than black tea.

So I confess, I let this cup cool far too much while I was catching up on the late night/morning activity on Steepster (and checking whether T2 has cheaper US shipping now that there’s a store in the US). But it’s still super tasty even through it’s basically room temperature now! It’s rich and savory, almost like a meal in a cup. It’s difficult for me to describe without saying something that other people will find unappetizing, like smoked meat… There’s also a bit of a roasty note here and a strong sense of bread and grains. Very yummy and satisfying in the morning!

This one came from Mikumofu! I was looking about for a caffeine-free option this evening, and after pondering over my growing collection of buckwheat/barley teas, decided on this one. It’s in sachet form, and smells delightfully sweet and fruity. I confess, I’m not well acquainted with lychee, and I’ve never had a fresh one, or even many lychee-flavored things for that matter.

After steeping, the tea smells roasty and similar to coffee (as expected after trying the Plum Barley), but I can also smell a juicy and sweet fruitiness. I added a touch (1/3 tsp?) of raw sugar to help coax out that lovely fruit flavor. I must say, I love this one even more than the plum, which I did not expect! The lychee is just so sweet and juicy and irresistible, and it makes me want to try a fresh one immediately! I suppose it’s lightly floral in a way, but mostly just sweet and charming. Yum! Will try my other sachet cold-brewed.

I needed a nice palate cleansing tea after that artificial disaster I just drank… My tongue still tastes like alcohol, blegh! This sample came from Dexter. The green tea leaves are small and a dark, rich green color, and there is a lot of rice (hooray!). Smells mildly ricey.

Mm, the steeped tea smells very strongly of toasty roasty rice! Yum, the flavor is extremely roasty as well. I can definitely taste more rice than tea, which is actually my preference in genmaicha. The tea itself tastes like dry autumn leaves with a slight seaweed-ish savory element. Yum, thank you genmaicha, for making my tongue happy again!

This sample came from Dexter. Now, I haven’t had the best experiences with Della Terra’s teas, but this flavor sounded too amazing to pass up. It has cute tiny marshmallows (the kind you find in hot cocoa mix) along with red sprinkles and pieces of brittle.

I dunno, this one’s just not doing it for me. It has a weird (extremely fake) caramel flavor and I don’t get pumpkin at all. The marshmallow is just sweetness and there’s a gross alcoholic tastes that lingers on my tongue and reminds me of cough syrup. Nope, not for me!

This was one of the Lupicia teas that TeaBrat was kind enough to provide me samples of. I especially appreciate this one since it’s a seasonal tea that won’t be around for long, and I plan to make a Lupicia order soon. It’s a mixture of red rooibos with teeny pieces of dehydrated pumpkin and larger pieces of Japanese sweet potato. Dry scent is very caramel-y and sweet with a strong pumpkin puree note.

The steeped tea smells strongly of rooibos with a sweet and earthy aroma. I added a touch of raw sugar to my cup. I must say, I really love this tea! The rooibos is definitely present, so any rooibos haters probably won’t be able to enjoy this one… However, it’s not the icky medicinal rooibos. The lovely pumpkin and sweet potato flavors blend seamlessly with the base and give it a touch of sweetness and richness. The chestnut adds a nice earthy note and nutty roasted flavor. Overall, a very rich and decadent rooibos blend with lovely fall flavors!

Miss Dexter was generous enough to send me a sample of this rather expensive tea (along with Port) because it’s one of the Whispering Pines teas that sounds amazing but costs more than I am willing to pay just to try it. So thank you, amazing tea friend! The leaves are a mixture of fuzzy golden Imperial Dian Hong buds and darker, twisty Ailaoshan Black leaves. Dry scent is very sweet and vanilla-y with a touch of cocoa.

Mm, the steeped tea smells fantastic… A lovely creamy mix of sweet vanilla custard, milk chocolate, caramel, and dark dried fruit. Wow, the taste is much earthier than I expected! I can definitely taste the described oak and morel notes, and they blend amazingly with soft cocoa and sweet vanilla flavors. There’s a caramel sweetness that becomes creme brulee when mixed with the vanilla, and just a touch of fruity sweetness that the website describes as cherry. Very delicious!

Tea of the morning! This one came from Dexter’s big box of tea love. The leaves are somewhat chaotic-looking – some of them are long and twisty, some fold back upon themselves, and some are almost rolled up. There are also stems mixed in. Dry scent is whole wheat crackers and honey.

The steeped tea smells rich with strong honey, bread, and dried fruit aromas. The taste is surprisingly bready and creamy. There’s definitely honey, especially near the end, and there’s a nice bottom note of concentrated dried fruit flavor. I’m also tasting a hint of some kind of savory spice, dill perhaps? It goes nicely with the bread flavor. The aftertaste is all honey and oats with the lightest touch of floral. Overall, pretty tasty!

Another Lupicia tea, this one came from TeaBrat. I am always on the lookout for simply flavored black teas done well (such as caramel and vanilla), so I asked for a sample of this one in our swap. The leaves are a very dark chocolate brown with a reddish hue, and there are a few stems included. Dry scent is very sweet caramel with a distinct salty note.

The steeped tea also smells strongly of sweet caramel with cream and salt aromas. Hm, this tea is very interesting. There’s a distinct roasted flavor that reminds me of coffee along with a dark burnt sugar note. These two form the base for a creamy sweetness reminiscent of a lighter caramel, such as a creme brulee or custard. I did add a touch of sugar to my cup (a scant half teaspoon of raw sugar) and I’m sure this helped to balance the burnt and roasty notes. I can see this being even more lovely with a touch of milk added, and there is the lightest astringency that this would also help to balance.

Another tea from Dexter (she was kind enough to send me several Lupicia offerings). This is one of those oolongs that is a deep green in color and the leaves are long, thick, and twisty. I dunno whether this counts as a Pouchong, but that’s the word that comes to mind. Dry scent is sweet grape, somewhere between candy and sparkling red grape juice. The directions called for a 1.5-2 minute steep, which seemed short to me so I did 3 minutes.

Once steeped, the tea smells somewhat candylike but there’s also a strong floral element. I added a touch of sugar to mine. This is so delicious! I am very happy to say that although there is a floral presence, it’s a sweet floral such as jasmine. The grape flavor is sweet and juicy and definitely reminds me of a very sweet wine, like a Moscato. Yummy!