2201 Tasting Notes
Lupicia’s monthly newsletter also came with a milk tea recipe. This tea was actually one of their recommended teas for milk tea, so I decided to follow their recipe and have a “real” milk tea.
The main difference is a higher milk to water ratio, with milk making up the bulk of the liquid, and a relatively large amount of tea steeping in a small amount of water first. I have to say, it turned out really nicely. I could get behind this. This tea definitely has the strength to stand up to a milk tea. It didn’t really need sugar (it wasn’t bitter at that point) but I added a touch anyway because I like milk teas slightly sweetened. I will definitely do this again!
Recipe:
Steep 3 tsp of tea in 1/2 cup of boiling water for 3 minutes.
Heat 1 cup of milk to close to boiling.
Strain tea into milk, sweetened if desired.
Preparation
Yay, Lupicia newsletter sample. I’ve always been curious about this one, but skeptical of how I would like it since it seems to have a similar (Assam-blend) base to the Calissons d’Aix. I loved the flavor in that tea, but the base is too robust for me, meaning the assam tastes bitter to me.
The dry sachet smelled super sweet, bake-y, and well, like a cookie. I went into this knowing I would probably want to add milk and sugar to it. However, I did want to try it before doing so. I was surprised by how smooth the base tasted! Maybe a hint of assam-y bitterness, but really, I probably could have drunk the whole thing straight. But at that point I had my heart set on a milky sweet tea, so milk and sugar it is. This is really quite delicious. Definitely like drinking a cookie. I would not be sad to have a whole 50g of this. Glad to finally get a chance to try it!
Also got an email letting me know that Chestnut Green was back in stock at Lupicia! Wow, that one has been out of stock for FOREVER. It’s so tempting to order some before it disappears again!
Preparation
This was a surprise sample from MissB, but it sounds so interesting! I made it hot but I see that it also is great iced, which makes sense. Brewed up, it definitely smells creamy and fruity. Knowing that ther eis pineapple and coconut in it I can smell them, but if I didn’t know I would almost say custard.
Wow, this is super creamy! I probably overleafed it a bit, and there was definitely nothing delicate about this one. Coconutty (but in a very different way than a coconut pouchong), with a smooth texture and bright tropical fruitiness in the latter part of the sip. The green and white teas keep it light and bright. Quite nice, thanks for the sample MissB!
Preparation
The first time I had a sample of this, it was extremely old before I tried it, and something weird had happened to it because it was defintiely off. So I requested a sample of it from MissB to try again, and she graciously obliged. Thanks!
This is definitely a lot better than last time. The spices are light but present (cinnamon and nutmeg for sure), and I do get a nice pumpkin flavor. As a pumpkin spice tea, it’s pretty good. Unfortunately, I don’t really get much “creme brulee” flavor, so I’ve dinged the rating a bit. I would expect creamy custard and some caramelization, but I would also expect that do be difficult in a tea. Anyway, glad to get to try this one again!
Preparation
There are iced teas that taste pretty good but as I drink them (and maybe as they warm slightly) they become overwhelming. Not bitter or astringent or anything, just too much, and I have to stop drinking them before I reach the end. This was one of those teas. It turned out pretty well, but it was a little too much. Probably would go for half the leaf for a cold steep and have it be lighter.
Another sample from MissB! Thanks again!
This tea smells very clovey, but not in a hot-cinnamon-spice way, more like whole cloves, which of course there are many of in this blend. As it cools more, I’m getting a more balanced spiciness. I do get a sense of gingerbread from this, which is nice. A very spicy gingerbread, haha. I will say that the base is a little thin; a common problem with flavored dessert teas. Overall pretty tasty, and I’m glad I got a chance to try it out.
Preparation
I have to say that this tea SMELLED really tasty. I do love a spiced apple cider, and this seemed like it would be a nice blend. In fact, it is overall fairly tasty but there is just a hint of fake-ness to the apple component. It really reminds me of the taste of powdered instant apple cider, rather than fresh cider. I could definitely use more spices (ginger where?), but my main problem here is that it just came out bitter. And somehow, while being bitter, the flavor of the base tea was MIA. Oh well, thanks for the sample, MissB!
Preparation
It’s a cold, snowy day, and there’s nothing to do but sit around and drink tea. Oh well ;)
I brought this one home to cold brew but there was another serving left in the package, so I had a pot this afternoon. It always astounds me when I sniff the dry leaf on these teas, how mouthwatering they really are. Mmmmm baked goods. This was a lovely sweet and coconutty tea for the afternoon, and I certainly enjoyed it!
Preparation
I forgot I had some of this tea. I ordered a sample of this with my Black Friday order, and the sample pouch came open in the mail, so I salvaged what I could out of the box (and picked out bits of packing peanut haha) and stuck it in a small empty tin I had lying around. The other day I opened the tin and was surprised to see it in there!
So I brewed it up (had to pick out a few more peanut reminants). This is quite a delicous tea, and I understand when people say it reminds them of Laoshan Black. It’s definitely chocolatey, malty, and honeyed, though I find it slightly lighter and sweeter than LB. It also has some bready roasted-oolong notes going on that suit it well. Very nice, and I’m glad I was able to salvage enough to try it out finally!
Preparation
I asked for a sample of this tea from MissB because the description was so intriguing. I do end up a little confused since the ingredients list is only “black tea”. Based on the flavors within I am assuming it is an unflavored blend of various black teas, but I would love to know what they were. It’s honestly the type of thing that keeps me from ordering such a tea because I don’t really know what’s in it. “Black tea” is not a thing; every black tea is a varietal, and while it may not mean much to some of your customers, it means quite a lot to others. Even just saying “China” versus “India” or “Sri Lanka” can communicate a lot more information (for instance, I generally stay away from Indian teas).
Anyway, with that rant over, this is a lovely tea. Very chocolatey… it reminds me a bit of a Fengqing black dragon pearl, though not pearled, obviously. There are bright fruity notes and I do think they come across as a tart, fresh cherry. There is a bit of hay and the robustness of malt. Very smooth, very tasty. Thanks for the sample, MissB!
Preparation
Thanks for the suggestion. I’m updating it right now :) And by the way, It’s Yunnan Dian Hong and Fujian Xiao Zhong :)
Thanks so much! It’s awesome when a tea company interacts with it’s customers and take suggestions. It was a great tea, I’m glad to know what’s in it. :)
Glad you liked it! I can’t imagine running a tea business and not interacting with the customers and getting feedback – that’s 95% of the fun! :D
Oh and since you liked this one, you might also be interested in Golden Orchid. Golden Orchid is this tea with organic vanilla beans. It’s REALLY yummy!
I didn’t get my newsletter yet, maybe soon!