Every time I pick this up again, I’m all like, ‘I know I rated this a solid 95, but seriously, how good can it be?’ and then I smell it and I’m all, ‘Oh, right, it’s this one.’ and then I steep it and drink it and it’s just so insanely good. The florals are complex and beautifully balanced without ever becoming overpowering or cloying.
I stumbled over a tasting note by a user who’d mostly been reviewing Lupicia teas – it said that the biggest problem with Lupicia was that they recommend boiling water for all their teas… and that any true tea drinker (whatever that is) would know this to be incorrect.
Since so many of my followers find me through my Lupicia tasting notes, and since so many people ask me about Lupicia because I am, obviously, the undisputed #1 Lupicia fangirl (Those pesky Canadians are catching up, though, I have to watch that.) around here, I feel I have to stress this again, because it keeps coming up.
The biggest problem with Lupicia is not the above. It is that prejudiced tea drinkers insist on either ignoring Lupicia’s steeping instructions and hence, in many cases, get a lesser result and/or question Lupicia’s know-how due to these steeping instructions to the extent that many avoid the company altogether.
(Also that their teas are delicious, irresistible and will eventually ruin you, because once you’re hooked, you’re hooked.)
Numerous unnamed tea-litist people have approached me and told me they definitely aren’t going to drink sub-par Lupicia teas because a company that suggests boiling water for a green tea is surely run by amateurs and why am I so excited about their teas since I clearly don’t approve of Teavana and their ilk? (This is particularly hilarious, seeing as Lupicia are Japanese, not American, as most of these people have assumed.)
So no – Lupicia know what they’re doing. Strangely, so do A.C. Perchs when they recommend 11-minute steeping times for some of their teas. And those teas were weird, yet tasty experiences I wouldn’t have had if I’d stubbornly insisted on misguided tea snobbery.
As for the above user, I challenged her to try temporarily dropping that whole all green teas are the same prejudice and to following the steeping instructions, just to see what it was like. (Let’s hope for squees of delight rather than hate mail.)
To sum this up – Bravissimo! is one insanely tasty tea, especially steeped for 1.5 minutes in boiling water.
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I agree, but only to an extent. Brewing recommendations are just that. A recommendation. Meaning this is the way whoever wrote them prefers their tea, but it may not be the way I prefer mine. I did try ACP’s recommended 6 minutes out of curiosity on one of their Assams once. The result was… well. Let’s just say it was definitely not how I prefer my Assams. I can only assume that they use a different leaf dosage than I do. I prefer strength to come through leaf dosage rather than extended steeping.
Initially I followed recommendations to the best of my abilities. These days I know my own preferences quite well, but that’s something only experience can teach you. Recommendations are a place to start, but they’re not the end-all and be-all of a good cup of tea. (I find the idea that they are to be quite snobbery as well, actually.)
Oh, but instructions as the be-all end-all are not what I suggest at all, I honestly have no idea how you’d even get that from my note.
What I’m saying is that if someone ignores steeping suggestions entirely because of preconceived notions, that’s unfortunate, especially in terms of Lupicia.
That is all. I fiddle with instructions all the time, but I always try the recommendation first, just in case. And I definitely respect companies more when their instructions work for me, as well as for a wide variety of others. That, to me, equals a good product + good product knowledge. Hence, my distaste for Dammann Frères (and numerous ACP teas).
However, I’ve already outed myself as an incurable tea snob, so even though your implication was based on a misreading of the above note, it still remains true: http://steepster.com/clareborn/posts/212352
Actually.
I think you’re misreading now. :) I didn’t say (or mean to say) you thought it was => snobbery. I said (or meant to say) rigidly following instructions without accepting different strokes for different folks => snobbery.
Also, link. Was that only hibiscus? Who would produce such a thing? A vampire? I’m sort of morbidly glad that you found it tasted like blood. It’s that exact association I get from hibiscus. Not so much tartness and certainly not the berries it’s often used in an attempt to imitate. Just metal and blood. Yuck.
OH I KNOW WHAT YOU SAID.
(I agree, though.)
And I’m totally sending you some Karkadé now. Anonymously. And when you least expect it. I literally have NO IDEA what that tea was supposed to taste like, but I feel I need to inflict it on everyone else just to see what happens.
My boss has had a big bag of rosehip tea standing in her office now. Nothing else. Just rosehip. I live in fear of her suggesting we try it. Rosehip is the same sort of deal as hibiscus for me. I can’t get it through my esophagus without grimacing. (Strangely, I’ve had rosehip marmalade and liked it although it wasn’t something I’d ever buy. But in tea… shakes head violently )
Don’t you guys do nyponsoppa at all? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rose_hip_soup
Never heard of it before. It’s traditionally marmalade here. (Or itching powder)
Elderberry soup, though. In a mug with a spoonful of vanilla ice cream. :) (Or more traditionally with little biscuits. I don’t care for those. I’m not a soggy bread product sort of person. It’s a consistency thing)
My understanding of English might not be perfect, but to me when you say “insist on steeping the wrong way” just doesn’t sound right. There are no right or wrong, just what works for you. It’s like wine, a sommelier told me one day the best wine in the wold is the wine you like. To me, that also applies to tea.
Having said that, I think I do understand what you are saying about trying first the recommended instruction. But trying it any other ways doesn’t mean it’s the wrong way.
I have some tea knowledge, but I’m not a tea snob. I’ve been trying Lupicia teas only recently. (I’m one of those “pesky Canadians” haha!) I can assure you I am not dropping boiling water on White Melon, and yet, it’s the most delicious melon tea I have ever tried! I’m not a tea elitist, but I have had white teas before and learned what works best for me, that’s all.
That’s a fair(y) point – thing is, with the whole ‘You Steepster people rate your teas all wrong’ discussion in the forums fresh in mind, I just didn’t feel the need to clarify that I am entirely for everyone doing tea exactly the way they want to do tea, seeing as I was so hugely vocal about my opinions on the matter. Then again, I get that everyone doesn’t read the forums or (for unclear reasons) don’t memorize everything I write. I also hoped it would be obvious from the context of the post what I was saying. I have now changed the offending sentence into something far, FAR less snappy, but hopefully less confusing.
Individual choice, however, is not the point of this post.
This post has nothing to do with tea in GENERAL, or WINE, or PREFERENCES in terms of TASTE.
This is solely a comment on how some people tell me they won’t try Lupicia because Lupicia are obviously idiots for suggesting said steeping instructions, and because green tea can only be steeped a certain way.
That’s it.
…and I can assure you I sure as hell am dropping boiling water on Lupicia’s Melon White, and while as tasty as a white tea can get, it is never even close to how delish the Melon Oolong is, so go try that immediately, if you haven’t already. I know there’s a whole bunch of pesky Canadians HOARDING the stuff. Don’t tell them I sent you.
Angrboda, that’s CRAZY! I thought I’d had elderberry everything, but I’ve never had elderberry soup! I have to look this up. Also the little biscuits in the rose hip soup don’t really get soggy unless you leave them in there for hours. They’re super crunchy and resilient.
How about blueberry soup?
Anna, No, not that either. I think elderberries are the only actual fruit that we make soup out of. We’re far more likely to make fruit porridge.
TeaFairy, I completely agree. It’s a subjective matter, so there can’t be right or wrong. It’s the same thing with this or that note as well. If you say something tastes for example like apple, then it tastes like apple and that’s final. I’ll just have to accept that even if I don’t think it tastes like apple.
Does this recipe look right? (Obviously ignore the strawberry cream thing.) http://www.receptcentralen.se/snabbt-och-enkelt/fladersoppa/
(Or do you actually make it from the BERRIES?!)
No it’s made with the berries. (I’ve never had it home made, but you can buy it frozen) http://www.gastro.dk/opskrifter/forretter/Varm-hyldebarsuppe-med-karamelliseret-toast-og-vaniljecreme/ is an example. Sometimes it’s also served with apple chunks in, that’s very nice. Apples and elderberries suit each other very well. :)
Okay, added to the recipe bookmarks. There are, I think, three kinds of elderberry bushes/trees in Sweden, and two of those have poisonous berries, so I need to do some research. =) I’m excited to try this!
If you first choose, ‘produkter’ and then ‘Frukt- & bärsoppa’, you’ll see all of them. Blueberry and rosehip soup also come as a powder you can mix with water. (When I googled, I found someone selling it on Amazon, haha. All these poor expat Swedes trying to get their food fixes.) http://www.ekstroms.se/#/produkter/produkt/?product_group_id=12&
Anna, it’s actually because I remembered so well your position and your comments in the “rating system post” that what you wrote rubbed me the wrong way a little I guess (you know us fairies, we’re sensitive) i just did not understand why you of all people here would say that. Thanks for clarifying.
I did try melon oolong, I reviewed it recently and nearly died, that’s how good it was. I’m a huge oolong fan, it was really hard for me to decide which one I liked best, but I lean towards the white just a tiny little bit more, I even reordered some. I think their oolongs are fantastic so far. The pineapple one, OMG, so yummy. I have some Honey Dew on its way also. It’s costing me a fortune, but well worth it!
Aww, well, thanks for setting me straight, TF – I hope I’ve made my position clearer now!
I’m so behind on tasting notes at the moment – I’m going to go back and read all about your Lupicia odyssey when I get a chance. The oolongs are ridiculous, I agree – but it was their ripe mango oolong who got me hooked on Lupicia in the first place, so I’m probably biased.
I agree, but only to an extent. Brewing recommendations are just that. A recommendation. Meaning this is the way whoever wrote them prefers their tea, but it may not be the way I prefer mine. I did try ACP’s recommended 6 minutes out of curiosity on one of their Assams once. The result was… well. Let’s just say it was definitely not how I prefer my Assams. I can only assume that they use a different leaf dosage than I do. I prefer strength to come through leaf dosage rather than extended steeping.
Initially I followed recommendations to the best of my abilities. These days I know my own preferences quite well, but that’s something only experience can teach you. Recommendations are a place to start, but they’re not the end-all and be-all of a good cup of tea. (I find the idea that they are to be quite snobbery as well, actually.)
Oh, but instructions as the be-all end-all are not what I suggest at all, I honestly have no idea how you’d even get that from my note.
What I’m saying is that if someone ignores steeping suggestions entirely because of preconceived notions, that’s unfortunate, especially in terms of Lupicia.
That is all. I fiddle with instructions all the time, but I always try the recommendation first, just in case. And I definitely respect companies more when their instructions work for me, as well as for a wide variety of others. That, to me, equals a good product + good product knowledge. Hence, my distaste for Dammann Frères (and numerous ACP teas).
However, I’ve already outed myself as an incurable tea snob, so even though your implication was based on a misreading of the above note, it still remains true: http://steepster.com/clareborn/posts/212352
Actually.
I think you’re misreading now. :) I didn’t say (or mean to say) you thought it was => snobbery. I said (or meant to say) rigidly following instructions without accepting different strokes for different folks => snobbery.
Also, link. Was that only hibiscus? Who would produce such a thing? A vampire? I’m sort of morbidly glad that you found it tasted like blood. It’s that exact association I get from hibiscus. Not so much tartness and certainly not the berries it’s often used in an attempt to imitate. Just metal and blood. Yuck.
OH I KNOW WHAT YOU SAID.
(I agree, though.)
And I’m totally sending you some Karkadé now. Anonymously. And when you least expect it. I literally have NO IDEA what that tea was supposed to taste like, but I feel I need to inflict it on everyone else just to see what happens.
My boss has had a big bag of rosehip tea standing in her office now. Nothing else. Just rosehip. I live in fear of her suggesting we try it. Rosehip is the same sort of deal as hibiscus for me. I can’t get it through my esophagus without grimacing. (Strangely, I’ve had rosehip marmalade and liked it although it wasn’t something I’d ever buy. But in tea… shakes head violently )
Don’t you guys do nyponsoppa at all? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rose_hip_soup
Never heard of it before. It’s traditionally marmalade here. (Or itching powder)
Elderberry soup, though. In a mug with a spoonful of vanilla ice cream. :) (Or more traditionally with little biscuits. I don’t care for those. I’m not a soggy bread product sort of person. It’s a consistency thing)
My understanding of English might not be perfect, but to me when you say “insist on steeping the wrong way” just doesn’t sound right. There are no right or wrong, just what works for you. It’s like wine, a sommelier told me one day the best wine in the wold is the wine you like. To me, that also applies to tea.
Having said that, I think I do understand what you are saying about trying first the recommended instruction. But trying it any other ways doesn’t mean it’s the wrong way.
I have some tea knowledge, but I’m not a tea snob. I’ve been trying Lupicia teas only recently. (I’m one of those “pesky Canadians” haha!) I can assure you I am not dropping boiling water on White Melon, and yet, it’s the most delicious melon tea I have ever tried! I’m not a tea elitist, but I have had white teas before and learned what works best for me, that’s all.
That’s a fair(y) point – thing is, with the whole ‘You Steepster people rate your teas all wrong’ discussion in the forums fresh in mind, I just didn’t feel the need to clarify that I am entirely for everyone doing tea exactly the way they want to do tea, seeing as I was so hugely vocal about my opinions on the matter. Then again, I get that everyone doesn’t read the forums or (for unclear reasons) don’t memorize everything I write. I also hoped it would be obvious from the context of the post what I was saying. I have now changed the offending sentence into something far, FAR less snappy, but hopefully less confusing.
Individual choice, however, is not the point of this post.
This post has nothing to do with tea in GENERAL, or WINE, or PREFERENCES in terms of TASTE.
This is solely a comment on how some people tell me they won’t try Lupicia because Lupicia are obviously idiots for suggesting said steeping instructions, and because green tea can only be steeped a certain way.
That’s it.
…and I can assure you I sure as hell am dropping boiling water on Lupicia’s Melon White, and while as tasty as a white tea can get, it is never even close to how delish the Melon Oolong is, so go try that immediately, if you haven’t already. I know there’s a whole bunch of pesky Canadians HOARDING the stuff. Don’t tell them I sent you.
Angrboda, that’s CRAZY! I thought I’d had elderberry everything, but I’ve never had elderberry soup! I have to look this up. Also the little biscuits in the rose hip soup don’t really get soggy unless you leave them in there for hours. They’re super crunchy and resilient.
How about blueberry soup?
Anna, No, not that either. I think elderberries are the only actual fruit that we make soup out of. We’re far more likely to make fruit porridge.
TeaFairy, I completely agree. It’s a subjective matter, so there can’t be right or wrong. It’s the same thing with this or that note as well. If you say something tastes for example like apple, then it tastes like apple and that’s final. I’ll just have to accept that even if I don’t think it tastes like apple.
Does this recipe look right? (Obviously ignore the strawberry cream thing.) http://www.receptcentralen.se/snabbt-och-enkelt/fladersoppa/
(Or do you actually make it from the BERRIES?!)
No it’s made with the berries. (I’ve never had it home made, but you can buy it frozen) http://www.gastro.dk/opskrifter/forretter/Varm-hyldebarsuppe-med-karamelliseret-toast-og-vaniljecreme/ is an example. Sometimes it’s also served with apple chunks in, that’s very nice. Apples and elderberries suit each other very well. :)
Okay, added to the recipe bookmarks. There are, I think, three kinds of elderberry bushes/trees in Sweden, and two of those have poisonous berries, so I need to do some research. =) I’m excited to try this!
If you first choose, ‘produkter’ and then ‘Frukt- & bärsoppa’, you’ll see all of them. Blueberry and rosehip soup also come as a powder you can mix with water. (When I googled, I found someone selling it on Amazon, haha. All these poor expat Swedes trying to get their food fixes.) http://www.ekstroms.se/#/produkter/produkt/?product_group_id=12&
Anna, it’s actually because I remembered so well your position and your comments in the “rating system post” that what you wrote rubbed me the wrong way a little I guess (you know us fairies, we’re sensitive) i just did not understand why you of all people here would say that. Thanks for clarifying.
I did try melon oolong, I reviewed it recently and nearly died, that’s how good it was. I’m a huge oolong fan, it was really hard for me to decide which one I liked best, but I lean towards the white just a tiny little bit more, I even reordered some. I think their oolongs are fantastic so far. The pineapple one, OMG, so yummy. I have some Honey Dew on its way also. It’s costing me a fortune, but well worth it!
Aww, well, thanks for setting me straight, TF – I hope I’ve made my position clearer now!
I’m so behind on tasting notes at the moment – I’m going to go back and read all about your Lupicia odyssey when I get a chance. The oolongs are ridiculous, I agree – but it was their ripe mango oolong who got me hooked on Lupicia in the first place, so I’m probably biased.