Kotobuki

Loose
Appearance: large “kernel” oolong, two toned green, deep purpleish pink petals
Aroma when Dry: sticky sweet desert floral, almost gooey
After water is first poured: floral icing
At end of steep: subtle sweet fruity notes, powdery
Tea liquor:
At end of first steep: transparent light green
Staple? No
Time of day preferred: unsure, first tasting
Taste:
At first: jammy, sweet berry, slightly sticky
As it cools? plum syrupy notes start showing
Additives used (milk, honey, sugar etc)? No.
Lingers? Yes, very sweet, cloying jammyness, violet notes show

This is the tea I drank this morning… Sorry I’m a little late!

Let me start off by saying I’m always hesitant to drink flavored oolongs-they’re so complex and can change so much and so many of them are beautiful on their own, so I’m always a little careful when drinking flavored ones.

That said, this is done very well. This was another sample my friend Bella gave me (bless her soul), and I can see why she loves it! The plum isn’t really too tart or present. It provides a bright sweetness that sort of stirs in the background behind the tea and the other ingredients. The flowers add such a nice light and floral taste, and I LOVE it!

My one complaint (it’s my fault)-I made it in my Noble mug and drank it for a while with the cap off. However, once I got in the car to go to school, I put the cap on and it was left on for little while-this did not do too many wonders for the tea. After a little while with the cap on, the tea started to develop that plastic-y taste that happens with low quality jasmines. That, however, was my fault, and I won’t make the mistake again!

The oolong is buttery and smooth, with no astringency at all. There’s a hint of rose and the plum taste is likewise smooth without any sour or “bright” flavor that things like hibiscus and citrus impart. I give this to my friends who have had bad experiences and are afraid of tea being ‘bitter.’

The fragrance of the tea is very strong and perfume-y. I have tried it plain, with milk+sugar, and made into ice cream (I steeped it in the hot milk/cream.) The dairy suits the buttery finish of the oolong, and I find that with sugar and dairy, the plum and rose tastes are complimented and come out much stronger, while tea’s floral notes and oolong flavor fade into the background.

Nice Oolong base, high quality and smooth as the Lupicia Teas tend to be. It’s very nice and interesting but I had to read the write-up about this tea to realize it was a Plum flavouring. It’s nice, certainly, but it’s not a very strong flavour – just a slight tinge to add to a good Oolong base. A very straightforward tea – a tad underwhelming maybe, but still solid.

I must say this oolong doesn’t do a whole lot for me, which is a shame since I’ve adored their other flavored oolongs in the past. The plum flavor is definitely subtle to the point of being barely identifiable in the mix; mostly this just tastes like a nice quality oolong, something to drink with food when you’re not really primed to notice what you’re drinking. I’m not too mad since I got this for 30% off (I didn’t even know Lupicia did random sales like that…reason enough to make the trek to the Century City location), but if you’re there looking for a good fruity oolong I’d say go with Lupicia’s pineapple or melon oolong.

Working our way through the Book of Tea, today I’m drinking Kotobuki. It’s a “Taiwanese oolong tea scented with French mirabelle plums.” Lupicia does fruity oolongs exceeding well, and this is no exception. I am getting an apricot flavour vs a plum, though I have never tasted nor seen a Mirabelle plum. This exclusive-sounding plum seems like something the Japanese dreamt up, as they have a fondness for obscure European fruits. It’s a jammy sort of fruit note vs. a tropical. The underlying oolong is fresh and astringent. Altogether, a very nice blend. I have only one bag and I’ve used it for a hot cuppa, though this would probably make a nice iced tea as well.

September Sipdown Prompt – a tea from Taiwan

My mind was blown to see that I haven’t reviewed this yet on here. It was a gift from Superanna and we tried it together.

The thing is, we tried Sakura and Berry first and it had totally knocked our socks off. When we drank this one, she was super unimpressed by it but I really felt that it had a lot of merit. So much so that I immediately bought another pack of it.

It is very different in mood, type, and flavor from Sakura and Berry, but moods and cravings change. This is far more contemplative. It is a gentle tea with lovely light plum flavor. You definitely taste the green oolong and it is a somewhat floral one so those notes mix with the plum. I really love it and I consider it to be one of my “treat”teas for special occasions, like wanting to feel extra cozy while I read.

I’ve had a strong craving for this tea lately. One of my earliest tea memories was trying a plum oolong as that, conceptually, sounded amazing… and that particular plum oolong was just awful. They used a darker oolong for the base, the flavoring fell flat, and the slightly woody/roasty flavor of the oolong did not match the flavoring at all ( very dated Steepster review here: https://steepster.com/mastressalita/posts/376793 ). After that I was sort of on a “quest” for a good plum oolong.

Then I discovered Lupicia, and this tea. Taiwanese Dong Ding oolong base, with French mirabelle plum flavoring. The oolong and the flavoring compliment each other so nicely; the base is soft, floral, sweet, and buttery, with a silky smooth texture. The flavoring, likewise, isn’t an intense wallop but a gentle, sweet, juicy stonefruit flavor. It doesn’t have the tart/sour elements I associate with (at least traditional) plum, tasting closer to honey, wildflowers, and a cross between apricot and plum. It has that sort of perfumy quality that I’ve noticed from my (very limited thus far) introduction to French teas.

It’s been bitter-cold in my area (common for our Februaries!) and rather than turning back to chais I’ve found myself craving spring teas instead — greens, florals, and bright, fresh fruits — teas just like this one. I guess I’m ready for spring already!

Another fantastic find in Kawaii433’s package! THANKS SO MUCH! I’m very thrilled to try this one. Plums with oolong sounds like a dreamy combination. The flower petals add a nice touch. The oolong was the tightly bundled type. I’d say the fruitiest steep was the first one. It wasn’t an obvious plum, it was the faintest hint of plum. The second and third steeps probably were mostly tasting of plain oolong. But it’s a good one. The oolong had mostly notes of orchid which I absolutely love. Otherwise the flavor was sweet sweet sweet. I appreciate that the plum wasn’t fake tasting and overdone, but if I didn’t know it was supposed to taste like plums, I might not have noticed it. The oolong could be amazing on it’s own anyway! I’m happy I was able to try this before it disappeared!
Steep #1 // 1 heaping teaspoon for a full mug // 20 minutes after boiling // 1 minute steep
Steep #2 // 18 minutes after boiling // 2 minute steep
Steep #3 // 8 minutes after boiling // 2 min
2019 sipdowns: 4 (oh boy, we’ll get there….)

porcelain gaiwan, 212F, 4g, 200ml, quick rinse, 2.5 min

Background: I have zero experience with flavored teas. Majority of my life, I’ve only drunk non-flavored. I have tried over the years one here and one there when I’m at a hotel but unfortunately never cared for them. I once bought a caramel apple tea (Yogi) and it was horrible. I still have it sitting on my shelf. So for the most part, never bought any. If I didn’t like my matcha (non-flavored), I’d use that in a smoothie with added fruits.

Since I joined this site, you all make these sound so interesting, and I think I never gave them a fair chance so… I got my first Lupicia order today and am very excited. ^^

First Impressions: Tightly rolled green ball, little bits of pink-orange bits. Smells kind of like the fruity cough syrup but with plum aroma, some sweet citrus (not orange nor grapefruit).

Will finish this after I try this :D

Back :)

Light amber liquor and it still smells a little like cough syrup but with a plum aroma. It is a very light and mild taste. I was surprised because I don’t usually do western style brewing and thought… A whole 2.5 min?? Omgosh it’s going to be too strong. It wasn’t. Yummy taste with grass, floral, light sweetness and nice plum notes. There are also hints of rose but thank goodness not overwhelming (If it wasn’t for the rose, it would’ve got higher marks. I don’t really like rose.). Very smooth mouth and throat feel. Both infusions went down fast hehe. I liked it. It is a far cry from the few I’ve tasted in the past. Doesn’t taste artificial at all, and thank goodness it didn’t have that artificial sweetener taste. It was a good experience. (Whispers: Yes!)

Afterthought: Oh yeah a few months ago, I tried Adagio grapefruit and peach oolong. Forgot about those. I guess those are classified flavored as well. I liked the grapefruit but not the peach one so much.