68
drank Cherry Blossom by OSULLOC
3986 tasting notes

I was feeling like a fancy little tea break this afternoon, so I decided to steep up one of my pretty OSULLOC sachets from a set that I impulse bought on Amazon a few months back. And of course, fancy means I’m pairing it with a lovely vintage teacup. The one I chose is from Tuscan china and has lovely yellow flowers and blue berries on it with gold accents. :3

I admit, the aroma of this tea almost knocked me over from the moment I tore open the wrapper. It’s very strong cherry candy with some hints of tartness. And the taste is much the same, though thankfully not quite as extreme. It’s similar to a generic cherry lollipop, like the kind with the little loop for a handle. Very, very sweet cherry candy flavor. There is a bit of balancing tartness, however, from the hibiscus. The description also mentions pineapple, but I don’t see that written anywhere on my package. I’m not sure whether I get any sakura? Perhaps a hint of floral somewhere? There’s also a powderiness that makes me think of smarties.

According to the wrapper, this is a blend of black and “post-fermented” tea. I’m not sure if they mean pu’erh or if it’s just an unclear translation. It certainly doesn’t taste like pu’erh to me? The base is quite light, even for a black tea, with a slightly musty flavor to it.

Anyway, it’s very interesting. I don’t think it’s something I would order just because it veers a bit into cherry cough drop territory, but I do enjoy that it has some balancing tartness to it. Overall, a fairly enjoyable cuppa despite being distinctly cherry candy.

Flavors: Apple, Artificial, Candy, Chalk, Cherry, Floral, Hibiscus, Musty, Pineapple, Sweet, Tart

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 3 min, 0 sec 6 OZ / 177 ML
Evol Ving Ness

Hurray for fancy tea beaks! What a lovely tradition, especially needed in these tough times.

Cameron B.

Ha ha, I have to be sure to use my vintage teacups every once in a while! :P

Evol Ving Ness

Vintage tea cups and saucers are so pretty. I tend to drink teas in quantity, so their petite-ness might be wasted on me. Still, maybe for a treat one day…

Cameron B.

Oh definitely, I like to pair them with tea sachets because it’s hard to know how much tea to use for such a tiny cup.

Evol Ving Ness

Surely, you use a fancy teapot too!

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Comments

Evol Ving Ness

Hurray for fancy tea beaks! What a lovely tradition, especially needed in these tough times.

Cameron B.

Ha ha, I have to be sure to use my vintage teacups every once in a while! :P

Evol Ving Ness

Vintage tea cups and saucers are so pretty. I tend to drink teas in quantity, so their petite-ness might be wasted on me. Still, maybe for a treat one day…

Cameron B.

Oh definitely, I like to pair them with tea sachets because it’s hard to know how much tea to use for such a tiny cup.

Evol Ving Ness

Surely, you use a fancy teapot too!

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

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, KBeauty, and – of course – TEA! But really, what I’m best at is “collecting” hobby-related things… ;)

~ 2024 SIPDOWN CHALLENGE! ~
- January Sipdowns: 6
- Total 2024 Sipdowns: 6

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. Occasionally I’ll brew Gongfu style when I’m in the mood. I’ll also often use a kyusu for Japanese teas.

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 also enjoy maté, rooibos, and honeybush. I love matcha and drink it often! Fruit tisanes are not a favorite, but I’m always willing to try them.

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

Fruit: All of them! My ‘go-to’s tend to be in the red fruits, stonefruit, or citrus spectra. I also really love apple, banana, berry, fig, lychee, melon, pear, and rhubarb flavors. Tropical fruits aren’t among my favorites, but I still enjoy them once in a while – especially passionfruit, mango, and pineapple. I am not generally a fan of coconut in tea, though there are some exceptions.

Dessert: I love creamy vanilla and marshmallow flavors, along with anything in the caramel family such as butterscotch, toffee, or maple. Chocolate is also a favorite, though I’m often disappointed by it in tea. And don’t forget anything buttery, cakey, or cookie-y!

Floral: I’m a little bit more particular in this category. I very much enjoy jasmine, even strong jasmine, along with sakura, chamomile, and elderflower. Osmanthus is also a favorite of mine. But I’m not crazy about rose or lavender flavors, and I prefer hibiscus in moderation only.

Spices: I don’t generally find myself drawn to masala chai, but I do enjoy spices combined with other flavors. My favorite spices are the warm ones, especially cinnamon, nutmeg, anise, and cardamom. A bit of heat from black pepper or chili is okay too, as long as it’s not overwhelming! Ginger can be a lovely accent, but I find it difficult to drink as a starring flavor.

Aromatics: I’m obsessed with Earl Grey! I also love cooling flavors such as mint (especially spearmint), pine, juniper, and eucalyptus. I am not a fan of strong rosemary or sage in tea.

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

Location

Austin, Texas

Website

https://www.instagram.com/tea...

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