Plum Barley Tea

Opened up my last bag of Lupicia flavored mugicha, cold brewed. This is the plum one, and I think of the flavors I’ve tried (apple, lychee, and apricot) this might be my favorite? I think that is because I personally find fruity flavors mixed with the strong, roasted coffee taste of mugicha kind of weird, and I’m not really tasting a strong plum flavor in this one. I do taste a mild, non-distinct stone fruit note, but mostly I’m just getting a sort of juicy sweetness that closes the sip and actually tastes pretty nice with those strong roasty notes.

Cold Brew Sipdown (332)

Last time I made this, it was way too concentrated. This time I used 1 teabag for 16 ounces but I think I steeped it too long. That, and I think I just don’t love this tea.

It is a bit like coffee to me in light of the roastiness. The plum actually starts the sip so it has a bit of a dense syrup quality to it. Unfortunately, that denseness is grounded in the stronger roasted flavor of the barley which is what takes over and lingers on your tongue.

I could see this being great for some people but for me, I am not too happy. However, despite not enjoying this tea all that much, I am very grateful to Cameron B for giving me the chance to try it. Thank you!

This one is from Cameron B! Thanks so much and now it’s a sipdown. I really like the couple barley teas I’ve tried from Lupicia…. I’ll have to be on the look out for more barley teas! I don’t think I’ve ever had any other barley teas? They seem so healthy for so many reasons and barley teas are a unique flavored no caffeine option. The flavor is like a roasty tasting coffee, with slight bitterness but it’s a delicious bitter, if that makes sense. This is a bit like the Teavivre Buckwheat that I love, but that is much sweeter and less bitter. I’m really trying to notice the plum flavor, but I really don’t. The second steep has just as much barley flavor and nutritional goodness. Anyone know of any tasty, cheaper barley teas that they like?
Steep #1 // 15 minutes after boiling // 3 minute steep
Steep #2 // just boiled // 8+ minute steep
2019 sipdowns: 36

This was a sample from The Cookie Lady! And considering I’m planning on seeing her again this Thursday I figured I’d finally try it. xD
Not a huge plum fan, but sometimes it’s good in teas.
But I think the main thing is that barley is NOT for me. xD Totally tastes like coffee.
The dry leaf smell was just plum, but then when I drank it the plum was barley there, and it was just coffee. If I wanna drink coffee, I’ll make some or go get some, but feels so wrong to have that flavor in my tea! XD Oy. Thanks for letting me try though, The Cookie Lady!

Well this is…. unique. Good but just… I can’t quite grasp how different it is from anything else I’ve tried. It kinda makes me think of hojicha in a way. Maybe it’s because of rhe toasty/roasty flavor. I thought I had tried it before but I don’t remember this strong a flavor! I do probably need more water though. And the plum! Umeboshi! Haha not quite but I do sense hints of that here and there.

Huzzah, I got my swap from Mikumofu with lovely Lupicia teas! She was stopping by Lupicia at the end of last week so I just told her to choose whichever teas she wanted to try and send me samples. I must say, I was pretty excited for these barley teas! They’re in sachet form, and dry scent is very sweet and strong plum. Lupicia’s website recommends 16.9 ounces of water per sachet, which seems insane to me. I ended up steeping mine in 10 ounces of boiling water for 3 minutes, and the flavor is still quite strong so 16 ounces might actually be okay for a lighter taste.

Whoa, this is a super roasty tea! I did not expect the flavor to be quite so strong. It almost reminds me of coffee with its strong roasty and almost bitter flavor. The plum flavor is very fruity and juicy, and just mildly sweet. The sweetness here is very clear and refreshing, like honeysuckle nectar. Overall, wow this is a powerful tea, and I might have to try my other sachet iced (which seems to be how they recommend it).

Dashboard seems frozen again, hmm… [E: it got unfrozen right after I posted, haha!]

This is an old favorite that I was happy to find again this year. The barley aroma and flavor is very strong and roasty with this one. The dark color and roasted fragrance are almost coffee-like, but without the other effects of coffee of course! The green plum flavor is very crisp and fresh, similar to that of the Ume Vert blend, another one of my favorites. Lupicia can be a bit heavy-handed with their fruit flavors, but their plum teas have been consistently good. As the evenings get cooler, I’m tempted to drink tea in later hours more and more, so this is a nice caffeine-free option. I’ve also tried cold brewing it, which brings out the plum aspect more, and is refreshing for those afternoons that feel too warm to be autumn yet.