Matcha Black Soybean Rice Tea / Lupicia. . . . . .

by skysamurai

Well this is unique.

Genmaicha with black beans.

I’ve seen some interesting versions of genmaicha but this is the first I really want to cook with. Too bad it’s only a tea bag.

The aroma as you open the bag is both ‘ricey’ and nutty. Be careful of the steeping times with this one. The suggested high-end is 1 minute.

Luckily if you do go over a minute, as I did, it won’t be ruined with bitterness and astringent absurdness. The liquid color is a cloudy yellowish-green and has a very mellow flavor.

The soybeans/ black beans help the tea develop some unique, almost nutty characteristics. The grassy flavors are mostly undertones but they work so well with the rice.

Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Lupicia
Description:

MATCHA BLACK SOYBEAN RICE TEAis a blend of genmaicha (rice tea) with Matcha and high-quality black beans. Enjoy the harmony of sweet roasted black beans and mellow matcha. “Mame” is Japanese for “beans” but it also means “healthy.” This tea was created with a wish for everyone’s health.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

skysamurai

Tiffany Rupp is a serious teaholic. She loves to discover new teas. Companies that harvest their tea sustain-ably are her preference and as far as tea goes she loves greens and lighter oolongs.

This post was posted in Green Tea, Lupicia, Matcha

Darjeeling The First Flush from Lupicia. . . . .

by skysamurai

The First Flush.

For those of you who are curious Darjeeling (and Assam) teas, when harvested, are done so in flushes. The first flush is considered to be the finest of the flushes. Usually this is done in March – April.

The one I am drinking currently is in a bag and so I am not tasting it at it’s optimal flavor (leaves that float uninhibited will present more flavor). Regardless, I am still impressed. It is a triangle tea bag and so there is a bit more room then your usual square tea bag.

The dry and wet leaf have a wonderful, sweet, earthy aroma. Maybe somewhat on the woodsy side. Darjeeling does not seem to be ther type of tea you can steep twice and get better or equal flavor from. The first time the mouth feel was of a gentle woodsy breeze; which is still present now but less pronounced.

If I close my eyes while I sip it I can imagine the misty tea gardens.

Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type: Black/Darjeeling
Where to Buy:  Lupicia
Description

DARJEELING THE FIRST FLUSH is an exclusive blend of spring-picked Darjeeling leaves. This tea has a green, fresh aroma and crisp astringency. The tea is so delicate in flavor and light in color, if you drink it thinking it’s just another cup of ordinary black tea, you’re in for a pleasant surprise. Enjoy its gentle mouthfeel like a spring breeze.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

skysamurai

Tiffany Rupp is a serious teaholic. She loves to discover new teas. Companies that harvest their tea sustain-ably are her preference and as far as tea goes she loves greens and lighter oolongs.

This post was posted in Black Tea, Lupicia

Decaf Momo from Lupicia. . . .

by VariaTEA

Before going into this, I want to preface this review by stating (1) I don’t usually like decaffeinated blends and (2) I tend to usually not enjoy Lupicia’s black base. So, this is not a tea I would have ever picked for myself despite enjoying other Momo teas, but it was shared with me by a tea friend and for that reason alone, it is worth a try. Alright, so let’s get started.

Decaf Momo is a white peach tea on a decaffeinated black tea base. The smell of both the dry and steeped blend is mouthwatering, like a juicy and fresh peach. Thankfully, that transfers over to the taste as well. The base only contributes a slight briskness that blends to the peach flavor. I suppose something about either the decaffeinating process or the strong taste of the peach has hidden the usually astringent base making for a tea that is actually quite nice.

Obviously going into this, I did not have high hopes. I am happy to report that my worries were unfounded as this, like the other variety of Momo teas Lupicia offers, is a great peach offering for those looking for a tea with that flavor. Plus, being decaffeinated, it is a tea that can be enjoyed anytime of day.

Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Black (Decaf)
Where to Buy:  Lupicia
Description

DECAF MOMO is a fruity blend of black tea scented with juicy white peaches. The tea leaves are decaffeinated using a special technique. Safe for children and great before bedtime.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

VariaTEA

Hey there! My name is Rachel. I’m a twenty-something from Toronto, Ontario, Canada who loves dogs and has a bit of an obsession with tea. As a child I hated the stuff since all I ever knew was Red Rose (no offense to Red Rose). However, a few years ago that all changed. I was on a diet and desperate for new flavors without adding calories and that’s when I turned to tea. I started off by going to DAVIDsTEA and Teavana for all their dessert-inspired flavors, and since I didn’t know any better, I bought 100 grams each of about twenty-something different teas. This was okay for the teas I liked but for those I didn’t I needed to find some way of getting rid of them. Enter Steepster.com. This is where I met some incredible tea friends, discovered tea swaps, and learned of so many amazing tea companies. My desire to try all the teas grew and since joining three years ago I have tried over a thousand different teas. I have learned what ingredients I love and I have learned what flavors I don’t like. I determined my go-to brewing method is Western-style with no added milk or sweeteners, though I also enjoy cold brewing, iced teas, teapops, lattes, and smoothies. I have yet to brew gong-fu style but I hope to do so just as soon as I get the proper teaware to do it. About a year ago, I actually stopped drinking tea but as my stash of over 200 teas started aging I decided I needed to respark my interest. I chose to take a 365 days of tea challenge on Instagram in which I post a new tea picture every day. So far it has been rather successful as I find myself drinking (and buying) more and more tea each day. Plus it enabled CuppaGeek to find me and invite me here to SororiTea Sisters.

This post was posted in Black Tea, Lupicia

Soleil Levant from Lupicia. . . . .

by VariaTEA

These Lupicia teabags are wrapped in the most adorably festive wrappers. Little animals partaking in in Christmas festivities adorn each bag and it is delightful.

What is not so delightful? The chemical sent of this Soleil Levant tea bag when I removed it from its packaging. Unfortunately that chemical scent carries over to the steeped tea as well.

Drinking the tea, I get a muscat flavor first and foremost from the white grapes. That mixes with a pithy citrus which ties in to a bitterness that underlies the whole sip.

I think this tea shows potential but using the suggested brewing parameters of steeping the bag for 1 min in 90C water may have burnt the green base. That would explain the bitterness.

As it is, I am not a fan of this cup but if I had more than just the one teabag I would try brewing this in lower temperature water to see if that brings out more of the flavor and less of the bitter.

Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Green
Where to Buy:   Lupicia
Description

This tea is currently not available but click below for teas that are.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

VariaTEA

Hey there! My name is Rachel. I’m a twenty-something from Toronto, Ontario, Canada who loves dogs and has a bit of an obsession with tea. As a child I hated the stuff since all I ever knew was Red Rose (no offense to Red Rose). However, a few years ago that all changed. I was on a diet and desperate for new flavors without adding calories and that’s when I turned to tea. I started off by going to DAVIDsTEA and Teavana for all their dessert-inspired flavors, and since I didn’t know any better, I bought 100 grams each of about twenty-something different teas. This was okay for the teas I liked but for those I didn’t I needed to find some way of getting rid of them. Enter Steepster.com. This is where I met some incredible tea friends, discovered tea swaps, and learned of so many amazing tea companies. My desire to try all the teas grew and since joining three years ago I have tried over a thousand different teas. I have learned what ingredients I love and I have learned what flavors I don’t like. I determined my go-to brewing method is Western-style with no added milk or sweeteners, though I also enjoy cold brewing, iced teas, teapops, lattes, and smoothies. I have yet to brew gong-fu style but I hope to do so just as soon as I get the proper teaware to do it. About a year ago, I actually stopped drinking tea but as my stash of over 200 teas started aging I decided I needed to respark my interest. I chose to take a 365 days of tea challenge on Instagram in which I post a new tea picture every day. So far it has been rather successful as I find myself drinking (and buying) more and more tea each day. Plus it enabled CuppaGeek to find me and invite me here to SororiTea Sisters.

This post was posted in Green Tea, Lupicia

Jingle Bells from Lupicia. . . . .

by VariaTEA

Mary’s recent tasting of Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel inspired me. I figured if she could have a Chanukah tea in May, there was no reason I couldn’t have a Christmas tea. So, here I am, sipping on Lupicia’s Jingle Bells, a black tea scented with fresh grapes and fruity champagne (different than their old Jingle Bells tea which was citrus and yogurt from my understanding).

Grape is not a flavor you find too often in teas. I mean it does show up here and there but more times than not fruitier teas tend to lean more towards citrus, berries, stone fruit, orchard delights, or even tropical offerings. Grapes are just far less common, though each Christmas Lupicia brings out this blend and it is delightful.

While other companies focus on more traditional Christmas flavors like orange and spice or cranberries and spice or peppermint blends, Lupicia serves up something unique.

To me, this blend tastes like grape juice mixed with a bit of black tea. Very strong on the artificial grape flavor but with a bit of briskness/astringency from the base. Interestingly enough, that astringency actually works here as it promotes the champagne quality, adding a little bit of a citrus note without being overly citrus in flavor. For me, this reminds me of when I was younger and my mom would give me grape juice or sparkling grape cider on the holidays and let me pretend it was wine/champagne.

This tea is hard to describe but accurately named. It is something unique during the holidays that provides a welcome change to the more prevalent holiday flavors.

Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Black
Where to Buy:  Lupicia
Description

This tea is no longer available but click below for teas that are.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

VariaTEA

Hey there! My name is Rachel. I’m a twenty-something from Toronto, Ontario, Canada who loves dogs and has a bit of an obsession with tea. As a child I hated the stuff since all I ever knew was Red Rose (no offense to Red Rose). However, a few years ago that all changed. I was on a diet and desperate for new flavors without adding calories and that’s when I turned to tea. I started off by going to DAVIDsTEA and Teavana for all their dessert-inspired flavors, and since I didn’t know any better, I bought 100 grams each of about twenty-something different teas. This was okay for the teas I liked but for those I didn’t I needed to find some way of getting rid of them. Enter Steepster.com. This is where I met some incredible tea friends, discovered tea swaps, and learned of so many amazing tea companies. My desire to try all the teas grew and since joining three years ago I have tried over a thousand different teas. I have learned what ingredients I love and I have learned what flavors I don’t like. I determined my go-to brewing method is Western-style with no added milk or sweeteners, though I also enjoy cold brewing, iced teas, teapops, lattes, and smoothies. I have yet to brew gong-fu style but I hope to do so just as soon as I get the proper teaware to do it. About a year ago, I actually stopped drinking tea but as my stash of over 200 teas started aging I decided I needed to respark my interest. I chose to take a 365 days of tea challenge on Instagram in which I post a new tea picture every day. So far it has been rather successful as I find myself drinking (and buying) more and more tea each day. Plus it enabled CuppaGeek to find me and invite me here to SororiTea Sisters.

This post was posted in Lupicia