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Cameron B. drank Jingle Bells by Lupicia

4307 tasting notes

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.

Flavors: Candy, Champagne, Floral, Grapes, Muscatel, Sweet

Preparation

200 °F / 93 °C 2 min, 30 sec 2 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

I Like This

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3 comments

Courtney
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The effervescence sounds intriguing!

Cameron B.
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They’ve have a few sparkling wine-ish teas in the past, and I feel like they capture the effervescent quality fairly well. Or it’s just an association I make with grape + floral, who knows? :P

Courtney
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Hahah true enough. It does sound good though!

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Comments

Courtney
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The effervescence sounds intriguing!

Cameron B.
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They’ve have a few sparkling wine-ish teas in the past, and I feel like they capture the effervescent quality fairly well. Or it’s just an association I make with grape + floral, who knows? :P

Courtney
Delete

Hahah true enough. It does sound good though!

Profile

Bio

Hi, I’m Cameron!

I’m a 30-something software engineer currently living in Austin, Texas with my husband and our two pugs, Gobo and Ume. I tend to cycle between my different hobbies, and they include piano, knitting, video games, board games, miniature painting, planners, bento, Korean skincare, and – of course – TEA! But really, what I’m best at is “collecting” hobby-related things… ;)

~ 2025 SIPDOWN CHALLENGE! ~
- January sipdowns: 23
- Total 2025 sipdowns: 23

I prefer my tea lukewarm or at room temperature and without milk or sugar. I steep Western style, and fluctuate between using big mugs or small teapots depending on the season.

I am always up for a swap! Just let me know if you’d like to try something in my cupboard.

Tea Preferences:
I enjoy both flavored and unflavored teas in many forms. These days, I drink mostly flavored teas, and I tend to gravitate most toward black, green, oolong, and herbal varieties. I do have a special fondness for straight Japanese green teas, however.

I do not sweeten my teas, and pre-sweetened teas are usually too sweet for me. I also do not enjoy stevia (or monkfruit, etc.).

I tend to reach for fruitier flavors rather than desserty ones these days, but I do have favorites from both categories. Willing to try anything once! There are a few ingredients/flavors that aren’t generally my jam, such as coconut, rose, lavender, and chocolate flavoring. But I also have teas that I love with some of those things, too! :)

Favorite Companies:
3 Leaf
Bird & Blend
Dammann Frères
Harney & Sons
Kyoto Obubu Tea Farms
Lupicia
Old Barrel Tea Co
Simpson & Vail
Taiwan Tea Crafts
TeaVivre

Tea Rating Scale:
90-100: Outstanding! Permanent cupboard resident
80-89: Great – a possible staple
70-79: Good, but I wouldn’t buy it
60-69: It’s decent
50-59: Meh… I may or may not have finished the cup
40-49: Ick. Couldn’t finish it.
00-39: Repulsive, I spat it out

I will sometimes refrain from rating a tea if I feel I’m too biased due to my personal dislikes, or if I suspect the sample has been compromised by age or scent contamination.

Cupboard Spreadsheet:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ZEuKf1-ppR-VXajO4vV39zU1N3zjFJteEPAynqD2yl0/edit?usp=sharing