Sipdown! (1)
Just in case some of you don’t already know this: Lupicia is closing their California, France, and Australia stores AND the corresponding online stores! ONLY the Japanese physical & online stores and Hawaiian physical store will remain open. They have not made any public announcements yet, so the only information we have comes directly from store employees.
And now, a moment of silence… (while I sob uncontrollably in the background)
So today, I will be re-tasting a few Lupicia teas to determine whether or not I need to restock them while there’s still time. It will be possible to order from their Japanese website and have it delivered internationally, however it requires the use of a third-party forwarding service, which is both expensive and seems a bit sketchy to me. So while I’m sure I’ll resort to that route eventually, I would like to start out well-stocked at the least!
I’ve already ordered 100g each of my beloved Melon Oolong and Ripe Mango Oolong, don’t you worry! But there are a few others in my cupboard that I’m not sure about, so here we are.
I think this one intrigues me in concept rather than in execution. I’ve only rated it a 78, which I wouldn’t normally consider high enough to be a cupboard staple. But for some reason, I remembered it more fondly than I should have. I guess I’m always a sucker for an Earl Grey with nontraditional additions…
Anyway, the tea. The base is a mix of small traditional leaves and CTC pellets, which is a common occurrence for Lupicia’s black blends. I generally take about 30 seconds off my normal steep to account for the CTC, but who knows whether that’s really necessary or not… The base has a smooth malty flavor with some earth and wood notes.
This has a nice, slightly dry cocoa flavor, which is similar to their other chocolate teas, such as Thé au Chocolat and Banane Chocolat. It’s definitely an unsweetened, dark cocoa note. The bergamot here is quite floral, which is disappointing for me, as I prefer a more citrusy bergamot flavor. So for that reason, this would never be a favorite of mine.
But I suppose that’s a good thing now, one fewer Lupicia tea to worry about! XD
Flavors: Bergamot, Cocoa, Dark Chocolate, Drying, Earth, Floral, Malt, Smooth, Wood
Preparation
People who liked this
Comments
I guess I should be glad I came along too late to acquire a Lupicia addiction. :( I only learned a few days ago that they had a European presence at all; I’d assumed they were only U.S. Sad news.
shhhhhhh dont tell everyone until i can place my order! :)
I’m completely gutted. I’ve emailed their Hawaiian store (which is their flagship US store, I didn’t realize) to see if they’d be willing to accept a phone order and ship it to me. But otherwise I’ll have to resort to weird Japanese mail forwarding service… (sob)
The news of Lupicia closing down just saddens me. I just ordered a bunch while I can. I was really hoping it was just a rumor. /cry
@Cameron B. – I’m still going to try to contact Yunomi if they’ll source them because I don’t like the idea of using that weird forwarding service at all. I just don’t really want to bother Yunomi when I know their office is sort of gutted for the New Years holiday…
Whaaaaaat!? This is crazy! I order from them regularly. Guess I’ll have to start stockpiling. Such sad news!
I think many of us are experiencing the five stages of grief right now… I’m definitely in the bargaining phase at the moment. >_>
GAH!
Maybe when you email Yunomi start with The Steepster Community was wondering if… so they know more than one person would love to be able to buy them through Yunomi. (:
I guess I should be glad I came along too late to acquire a Lupicia addiction. :( I only learned a few days ago that they had a European presence at all; I’d assumed they were only U.S. Sad news.
shhhhhhh dont tell everyone until i can place my order! :)
I’m completely gutted. I’ve emailed their Hawaiian store (which is their flagship US store, I didn’t realize) to see if they’d be willing to accept a phone order and ship it to me. But otherwise I’ll have to resort to weird Japanese mail forwarding service… (sob)
The news of Lupicia closing down just saddens me. I just ordered a bunch while I can. I was really hoping it was just a rumor. /cry
@Cameron B. – I’m still going to try to contact Yunomi if they’ll source them because I don’t like the idea of using that weird forwarding service at all. I just don’t really want to bother Yunomi when I know their office is sort of gutted for the New Years holiday…
Whaaaaaat!? This is crazy! I order from them regularly. Guess I’ll have to start stockpiling. Such sad news!
I think many of us are experiencing the five stages of grief right now… I’m definitely in the bargaining phase at the moment. >_>
GAH!
Maybe when you email Yunomi start with The Steepster Community was wondering if… so they know more than one person would love to be able to buy them through Yunomi. (: