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A birthday week tea rerun (trearun?). I figured this would pair well both with the chocolate cake and the almond cake in case someone else wanted tea. It was so nice to get to see everyone in the same room for once – we all work very different hours and the building is pretty big. I’m often out and about, too, so there are some people on the staff I adore but don’t get to see more often than once a month or so.

(To make this post a little bit more about tea – the cleaning staff teased me about my tea cupboard. And, uh, rightfully so.)

Anyway, I got everyone caffeinated and sugared up, so let’s hope we all get a lot of work done before we collapse around lunchtime.

This white should be lo-caf enough for the evening. Lupicia are just too good – whenever I open this bag, I have an instant, irrational, want-to-turn-around-and-check, ‘But where is the melon hiding?’ type reaction. It’s just that melony. I honestly can’t think of anything that could make this better or more melon-esque.

And to continue my general praise of Lupicia, I think I could probably pour 300C water on their most delicate teas and let them steep for five minutes and they would still taste good. I mean – every single tea I love of theirs have boiling/1.5-minute steeping instructions. And they taste fresh, natural and amazing.

I swear they’re not paying me to say this. It’s more like I’m paying them, and I still say this.

(Lupicia, I love you.)

There isn’t that much left of this. I will absolutely try to remember to try it iced before the rest of it disappears.

I was so sure I’d feel like putting together a huge Lupicia order for my birthday, since I’ll be in US next week anyway, but I haven’t felt the urge. It’s true I’ve been finishing up some of my favourites lately (Momoko just this morning! I still have some in the fridge, though.) but I still have so many good teas to choose from I don’t feel an overwhelming sense of urgency.

That doesn’t mean I don’t have shopping lists from Lupicia, Adagio, Le Palais des Thés, Comptoir des Thés et des Epices and Mariage Frères all put together, though.

No, that would be going a little far.

The all-faves birthday week tea consumption concept clearly calls for some more Mariage Frères. If you’re still on the fence about getting this, and like Cookie, or if you’re on the fence about getting Cookie, and like this – Cookie is like Wedding Impérial with popcorn.

Now I’m off to pick up cakes number 1, 2 and 3 so I can spoil the staff tomorrow. They really are the very best and take care of me so well.

It’s not as cold anymore (Okay, Canadians, I know 10 C doesn’t seem very cold to you considering your current weather situation, but it’s really been unusually chilly and wet here.) so I can drink copious amounts of iced tea again.

I saved the last of this much beloved and somewhat aged Lupicia tea in order to try it iced again. It’s absolute perfection – delicate, with that perfect natural peach perfume and some lush vanilla to round it off.

Nothing beats a just-opened package of Lupicia tea, but I must say I feel they age exceptionally well.

Necessary repurchase.

[Purchased at Lupicia in Honolulu, December 2012.]
[Polished off in Rome, March 2014.]

We had all the foods, me and Em, we really did. Also possibly all the drinks.

Then we had this tea.

And now I need some sleep.

Just one more cup before I run off – and as always, this makes for a flawless one.

I have a little more than half of this tin left, which makes me ponder the logistics of tea storage. I mean, I have a lot in my cupboard now, which I assume is typical for this stage of tea obsession – you tend to overbuy once you get completely hooked, because you want to explore certain brands and tea types.

There are definitely numerous new teas I’d like to try now, too, but I’d really prefer to have a cupboard consisting only of teas rated 80+ before I get anything else. However, that’s roughly 1/4 of the 100+ teas currently in my cupboard, which means I’d have to finish 3/4 of all the tea I own before I buy more. I don’t see that happening, even though I have not yet purchased any tea this year, which is quite a feat in itself.

I really like when there’s a system, though. I need a system.

I cold-steeped some in the fridge over two days – I’ve found if I do less leaf/more time, it’s more flavourful and definitely sweeter. That sounded scientific, right? Obviously, I just forgot I even had the pitcher in there last time around. But hey, that’s how we got champagne! (I know, I know, it’s just a legend.)

First tea of birthday week! I’m only going to drink my faves.

The tins for these four gift teas are so pretty, but since they’re plastered with the name of the tea they’re pretty much useless for anything else. That always rubs me the wrong way. What do you expect me to do with these tins when I’m done with them, Teavana?

Anyway, I’m trying to get into the habit of drinking something warm before I go to bed, and as I find sleeping very pleasant, I figured decaf herbals would be a good idea for this time of the year. Rooibos isn’t very springful to me.

I’d like something marshmallowy and vanilla-esque, maybe fruity? I’ll look for forum hits later – I figure there have to be at least a few threads on herbals.

Anyway, this is still pretty nice, but the tartness continues to make me a little squinty.

The amaretto discussion we had in CrowKettle’s comment field for this post: http://steepster.com/CrowKettle/posts/227481 made me think of Ume Vert. This really is all bitter-almondy plum pits and tongue-tip plum tartness and I still love it. A lot of people seem to have enjoyed it iced. It’s not the first choice I’d think of, but I guess I have to try now.

Cold, crisp, plum pit almonds?

We’ll see.

Knocking this down five points because it doesn’t age as well as Lupicia’s less subtle teas.